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13  Kia ngohengohe nga wairua katoa ki nga mana nunui. Kahore hoki he mana, no te Atua anake: ko nga mana o tenei wa he mea whakarite na te Atua.

Na, ki te whakakeke tetahi ki te mana, e whakakeke ana ia ki ta te Atua i whakarite ai: a ko te mea hoki mo te hunga e whakakeke ana, he whakatau he.

Ehara hoki nga rangatira i te whakawehi mo nga mahi pai, engari mo nga mahi kino. E mea ana koe kia kaua e wehi i te mana? meatia te pai, a he whakamoemiti tana e homai ai ki a koe:

He minita hoki ia na te Atua ki a koe mo te pai. Tena ki te mahi koe i te kino, e wehi ra; ehara hoki tana i te mau noa i te hoari: he minita hoki ia na te Atua, he kairapu utu mo te riri ki te kaimahi i te kino.

Koia i takoto ai te tikanga kia ngohengohe koutou, ehara i te mea he whakaaro kau ki te riri, engari ki ta te hinengaro ano hoki.

Na konei hoki koutou i hoatu ai i te takoha: he minita hoki ratou na te Atua, he hunga hoki e mau tonu ana ki tenei mea pu ano.

Hoatu nga mea i tika ki te katoa: he takoha tangata ki te tangata i tika ai te takoha tangata; he takoha taonga ki te tangata i tika ai te takoha taonga; he wehi ki te tangata i tika ai te wehi; he honore ki te tangata i tika ai te honore.

Kaua e nama ki tetahi, ko te aroha anake o tetahi ki tetahi; ko te tangata hoki e aroha ana ki tona hoa tata, kua whakaritea e ia te ture.

Ko tenei hoki, Kaua e puremu, Kaua e patu tangata, Kaua e tahae, Kaua e hiahia ki ta te tangata; a ki te mea tera atu ano tetahi kupu ako, ka whakarapopototia ki roto ki tenei kupu, ara, Kia aroha ki tou hoa tata, ano ko koe.

10 E kore te aroha e kino ki tona hoa; no reira ko te aroha te whakaritenga o te ture.

11 Tenei ano hoki tetahi, e mohio ana tatou ki te taima, kua taka noa ake tenei te wa e ara ake ai koutou i te moe: kua tata ke hoki inaianei to tatou whakaoranga i to te wa i whakapono tuatahi ai tatou.

12 Kua aua atu te po, ka tata te ao: mo konei ra kia whakarerea e tatou nga mahi o te pouri, kia kakahuria iho nga kakahu whawhai o te marama.

13 Kia pai ta tatou haere, kia rite ki to te awatea: kauaka i nga kakainga, i nga haurangitanga, kaua i te puremu, i nga hiahia taikaha, kaua i te ngangau, i te hae.

14 Engari kakahuria iho te Ariki, a Ihu Karaiti, kaua hoki e whakaaroa wawetia te kikokiko kia mahia ko ona hiahia.

Submission to Governing Authorities

13 Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities,(A) for there is no authority except that which God has established.(B) The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted,(C) and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended.(D) For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.(E) Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.(F)

This is also why you pay taxes,(G) for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes;(H) if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

Love Fulfills the Law

Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.(I) The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,”[a](J) and whatever other command there may be, are summed up(K) in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”[b](L) 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.(M)

The Day Is Near

11 And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come(N) for you to wake up from your slumber,(O) because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12 The night is nearly over; the day is almost here.(P) So let us put aside the deeds of darkness(Q) and put on the armor(R) of light. 13 Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness,(S) not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.(T) 14 Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ,(U) and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.[c](V)

Footnotes

  1. Romans 13:9 Exodus 20:13-15,17; Deut. 5:17-19,21
  2. Romans 13:9 Lev. 19:18
  3. Romans 13:14 In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit.