Romans 13 (English Standard Version)

Romans 13

Submission to the Authorities

 ¹Let every person^(A) be subject to the governing authorities. For^(B) there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. ²Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. ³For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you^(C) will receive his approval, ⁴for^(D) he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God,^(E) an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. ⁵Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also^(F) for the sake of conscience. ⁶For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. ^7(G) Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.

Fulfilling the Law Through Love

 ^8(H) Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for^(I) the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. ⁹For the commandments,^(J) "You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet," and any other commandment, are summed up in this word:^(K) "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." ¹⁰Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore^(L) love is the fulfilling of the law.

 ¹¹Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you^(M) to wake from sleep.^(N) For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. ^12(O) The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us^(P) cast off^(Q) the works of darkness and^(R) put on the armor of light. ^13(S) Let us walk properly as in the daytime,^(T) not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality,^(U) not in quarreling and jealousy. ¹⁴But^(V) put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh,^(W) to gratify its desires.