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Gotta Listen Da Guys In Charge A Da Law

13 Everybody gotta listen da guys dat stay in charge a da law. Dey get da power fo tell da odda peopo wat fo do, you know. But da power dey get, God wen give um dat. Da guys dat stay get power right now, dey da ones dat stay in charge cuz God wen make um lidat. Dat mean, if get somebody dat go agains da kine peopo dat get dat kine power, az jalike dey going agains da way how God wen go make one govermen fo us. If get anybody dat make lidat, dey goin get it from God da Judge.

If you do da right tings how suppose to, no need be scared a da guys dat stay in charge a da law. But den, if you do da bad kine stuff dass no good, you bes be scared! So, if you no like stay scared a da peopo dat get power, make shua you go do ony da good kine stuff. Den wen you do da good kine stuff, az wen dey goin tell you dat you stay okay. Cuz da guys dat stay in charge a da law, dey da ones dat God wen pick fo help you. But, if you stay doing da bad kine stuff, eh, you bes be scared! Dey da ones dat get da right fo make shua you get it, an dey going do dat fo real kine, you know. Dose guys, az jalike dey da helpa guys fo God, fo punish da peopo dat doing da bad kine stuff. Cuz da bad kine stuff dat peopo do, God no goin take um.

Dass why you guys gotta listen to da govermen guys. Not ony cuz you know inside yoa heart, az how suppose to be, but cuz you know awready, God no goin take notting from you if you no do da right ting.

Same ting, dass how come you guys gotta pay tax too. Cuz da govermen guys, wen dey stay working hard fo do good job, dey stay working fo God. So pay everybody wat you suppose to. Pay da tax guys all da diffren kine taxes dat you suppose to. Make shua you get respeck fo all da peopo dat suppose to get respeck. All da peopo dat stay doing good tings, go tell odda peopo dat dey doing good tings.

Love An Aloha Fo Da Bruddas An Sistas

No good you owe money to odda peopo. Ony get one ting dass good fo owe peopo -- dass love an aloha. Wen you go show dem love an aloha, dat mean you listen to everyting da Rules say awready. Da Rules say, “No go fool aroun, no go kill nobody, no go steal, no go do any kine fo ony get wat you like,” an plenny odda kine stuffs too. Fo do all da tings da Rules say, ony gotta listen dis Rule: “Get love an aloha fo da odda guy jalike you get love an aloha fo yoaself.” 10 Eh, you show love an aloha fo da odda guy, you no goin do notting fo make bad kine to him! So den, wen you show um love an aloha everytime, dass how you goin do everyting da Rules from God tell you fo do.

Pretty Soon, Christ Goin Come Back

11 God goin hemo us guys from da bad kine stuff, an da time dat goin happen, dat time mo close now den befo, wen we wen go trus Jesus Christ. Dass why you guys gotta get love an aloha, cuz you know how everyting stay nowdays. Jalike us guys was sleeping, but now, time fo us wake up awready! 12 Litto mo pau da nite time, almos day time awready! So, good we pau da bad kine stuff we was doing. Dass jalike how peopo do dark time, wen nobody no can see wat dey stay doing. Now, jalike we goin put on da kine stuff da army guys use fo fight fo wat stay good, an do da good tings peopo do wen get light! 13 All us guys gotta live da right way, so everybody goin see an know dat we doing good kine tings. No good we go party up all da time an get drunk all da time. No good we go sleep wit everybody. No good we like go beef everybody. An no good bodda us every time we tink get somebody mo betta den us guys. 14 But you know wat? Mo betta you go change yoa heart an come jalike our Boss Jesus Christ, da Spesho Guy God Wen Send! No go make um so stay easy fo you fo go do any kine, jus cuz you feel like you like do any kine.

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.