Be Subject to the Governing Authorities

1Every person must be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and ⁶⁵the authorities that exist have been appointed by God.

2So then, whoever resists authority opposes what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.

3For rulers are not a terror to good ⁶⁶works, but to evil works. Do yoʋ wish to have no fear of the one in authority? Do what is good, and yoʋ will have praise from him.

4For he is God's servant for your good. But if yoʋ do evil, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. As God's servant, he is an avenger who executes wrath on the one who does evil.

5Therefore it is necessary to be subject to authority, not only because of wrath, but also because of conscience.

6That is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are servants of God, attending continually to this work.

7⁶⁷Therefore render to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, fear to whom fear is due, and honor to whom honor is due.

Love One Another

8Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another, for he who loves others has fulfilled the law.

9For the commandments, “Yoʋ shall not commit adultery, Yoʋ shall not murder, Yoʋ shall not ⁶⁸steal, Yoʋ shall not covet,” and whatever other commandments there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Yoʋ shall love yoʋr neighbor as yoʋrself.”

10Love does no harm to its neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

11And do this, knowing that the hour has now come for ⁶⁹us to be awakened from sleep. For our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.

12The night is nearly over, and the day is almost here. So let us ⁷⁰lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.

13Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelries and drinking bouts, not in illicit affairs and sensual indulgences, not in strife and jealousy.

14But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.