Romans 13-16

American Standard Version

13 Let every soul be in subjection to the higher powers: for there is no power but of God; and the powers that be are ordained of God. ² Therefore he that resisteth the power, withstandeth the ordinance of God: and they that withstand shall receive to themselves judgment. ³ For rulers are not a terror to the good work, but to the evil. And wouldest thou have no fear of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise from the same: ⁴ for ^[a]he is a minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for ^[b]he beareth not the sword in vain: for ^[c]he is a minister of God, an avenger for wrath to him that doeth evil. ⁵ Wherefore ye must needs be in subjection, not only because of the wrath, but also for conscience’ sake. ⁶ For for this cause ye pay tribute also; for they are ministers of God’s service, attending continually upon this very thing. ⁷ Render to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.

⁸ Owe no man anything, save to love one another: for he that loveth ^[d]his neighbor hath fulfilled the law. ⁹ For this, ^[e]Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not covet, and if there be any other commandment, it is summed up in this word, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. ¹⁰ Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: love therefore is the fulfilment of the law.

¹¹ And this, knowing the season, that already it is time for you to awake out of sleep: for now is ^[f]salvation nearer to us than when we first believed. ¹² The night is far spent, and the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. ¹³ Let us walk becomingly, as in the day; not in revelling and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and jealousy. ¹⁴ But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

14 But him that is weak in faith receive ye, yet not ^[g]for decision of scruples. ² One man hath faith to eat all things: but he that is weak eateth herbs. ³ Let not him that eateth set at nought him that eateth not; and let not him that eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him. ⁴ Who art thou that judgest the ^[h]servant of another? to his own lord he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be made to stand; for the Lord hath power to make him stand. ⁵ One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let each man be fully assured in his own mind. ⁶ He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord: and he that eateth, eateth unto the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, unto the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks. ⁷ For none of us liveth to himself, and none dieth to himself. ⁸ For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; or whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s. ⁹ For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living. ¹⁰ But thou, why dost thou judge thy brother? or thou again, why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment-seat of God. ¹¹ For it is written,

¹² So then each one of us shall give account of himself to God.

¹³ Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge ye this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock in his brother’s way, or an occasion of falling. ¹⁴ I know, and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean of itself: save that to him who accounteth anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. ¹⁵ For if because of meat thy brother is grieved, thou walkest no longer in love. Destroy not with thy meat him for whom Christ died. ¹⁶ Let not then your good be evil spoken of: ¹⁷ for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. ¹⁸ For he that herein serveth Christ is well-pleasing to God, and approved of men. ¹⁹ So then ^[k]let us follow after things which make for peace, and things whereby we may edify one another. ²⁰ Overthrow not for meat’s sake the work of God. All things indeed are clean; howbeit it is evil for that man who eateth with offence. ²¹ It is good not to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor to do anything whereby thy brother stumbleth^[l]. ²² The faith which thou hast, have thou to thyself before God. Happy is he that judgeth not himself in that which he ^[m]approveth. ²³ But he that doubteth is condemned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith; and whatsoever is not of faith is sin.^[n]

15 Now we that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. ² Let each one of us please his neighbor for that which is good, unto edifying. ³ For Christ also pleased not himself; but, as it is written, ^[o]The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell upon me. ⁴ For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that through ^[p]patience and through comfort of the scriptures we might have hope. ⁵ Now the God of ^[q]patience and of comfort grant you to be of the same mind one with another according to Christ Jesus: ⁶ that with one accord ye may with one mouth glorify ^[r]the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁷ Wherefore receive ye one another, even as Christ also received ^[s]you, to the glory of God. ⁸ For I say that Christ hath been made a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, that he might confirm the promises given unto the fathers, ⁹ and that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written,

¹⁰ And again he saith,

¹¹ And again,

¹² And again, Isaiah saith,

¹³ Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, in the power of the Holy Spirit.

¹⁴ And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another. ¹⁵ But I write the more boldly unto you in some measure, as putting you again in remembrance, because of the grace that was given me of God, ¹⁶ that I should be a minister of Christ Jesus unto the ^[ad]Gentiles, ^[ae]ministering the ^[af]gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be made acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Spirit. ¹⁷ I have therefore my glorying in Christ Jesus in things pertaining to God. ¹⁸ For I will not dare to speak of any ^[ag]things save those which Christ wrought through me, for the obedience of the ^[ah]Gentiles, by word and deed, ¹⁹ in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of ^[ai]the Holy Spirit; so that from Jerusalem, and round about even unto Illyricum, I have ^[aj]fully preached the ^[ak]gospel of Christ; ²⁰ yea, ^[al]making it my aim so to ^[am]preach the gospel, not where Christ was already named, that I might not build upon another man’s foundation; ²¹ but, as it is written,

²² Wherefore also I was hindered these many times from coming to you: ²³ but now, having no more any place in these regions, and having these many years a longing to come unto you, ²⁴ whensoever I go unto Spain (for I hope to see you in my journey, and to be brought on my way thitherward by you, if first in some measure I shall have been satisfied with your company)— ²⁵ but now, I say, I go unto Jerusalem, ministering unto the saints. ²⁶ For it hath been the good pleasure of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor among the saints that are at Jerusalem. ²⁷ Yea, it hath been their good pleasure; and their debtors they are. For if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, they owe it to them also to minister unto them in carnal things. ²⁸ When therefore I have accomplished this, and have sealed to them this fruit, I will go on by you unto Spain. ²⁹ And I know that, when I come unto you, I shall come in the fulness of the blessing of Christ.

³⁰ Now I beseech you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ, and by the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me; ³¹ that I may be delivered from them that are disobedient in Judaea, and that my ministration which I have for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints; ³² that I may come unto you in joy through the will of God, and together with you find rest. ³³ Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.

16 I commend unto you Phoebe our sister, who is a ^[ao]servant of the church that is at Cenchreae: ² that ye receive her in the Lord, worthily of the saints, and that ye assist her in whatsoever matter she may have need of you: for she herself also hath been a helper of many, and of mine own self.

³ Salute Prisca and Aquila my fellow-workers in Christ Jesus, ⁴ who for my life laid down their own necks; unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles: ⁵ and salute the church that is in their house. Salute Epaenetus my beloved, who is the first-fruits of Asia unto Christ. ⁶ Salute Mary, who bestowed much labor on you. ⁷ Salute Andronicus and ^[ap]Junias, my kinsmen, and my fellow-prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also have been in Christ before me. ⁸ Salute Ampliatus my beloved in the Lord. ⁹ Salute Urbanus our fellow-worker in Christ, and Stachys my beloved. ¹⁰ Salute Apelles the approved in Christ. Salute them that are of the household of Aristobulus. ¹¹ Salute Herodion my kinsman. Salute them of the household of Narcissus, that are in the Lord. ¹² Salute Tryphaena and Tryphosa, who labor in the Lord. Salute Persis the beloved, who labored much in the Lord. ¹³ Salute Rufus the chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine. ¹⁴ Salute Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brethren that are with them. ¹⁵ Salute Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints that are with them. ¹⁶ Salute one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ salute you.

¹⁷ Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them that are causing the divisions and occasions of stumbling, contrary to the ^[aq]doctrine which ye learned: and turn away from them. ¹⁸ For they that are such serve not our Lord Christ, but their own belly; and by their smooth and fair speech they beguile the hearts of the innocent. ¹⁹ For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I rejoice therefore over you: but I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple unto that which is evil. ²⁰ And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

²¹ Timothy my fellow-worker saluteth you; and Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen. ²² I Tertius, ^[ar]who write the epistle, salute you in the Lord. ²³ Gaius my host, and of the whole church, saluteth you. Erastus the treasurer of the city saluteth you, and Quartus the brother.^[as]

^25 [at]Now to him that is able to establish you according to my ^[au]gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which hath been kept in silence through times eternal, ²⁶ but now is manifested, and ^[av]by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, is made known unto all the ^[aw]nations unto obedience ^[ax]of faith: ²⁷ to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, ^[ay]to whom be the glory ^[az]for ever. Amen.