⁴ For the word of the king is supreme, and ^(A)who may say to him, “What are you doing?”

Submission to the Authorities

13 Let 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. ² Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. ³ For 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, ⁴ for ^(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.

²⁰ But who are you, O man, ^(A)to answer back to God? ^(B)Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?”

Have No Fear

⁴ “I tell you, my friends, ^(A)do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. ⁵ But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him ^(B)who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell.^[a] Yes, I tell you, fear him!

¹⁵ Now if you are ready when ^(A)you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, well and good.^[a] But if you do not worship, ^(B)you shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. And ^(C)who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?”