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Respect for Authority

13 Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God.

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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.

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Do What Is Good

Remind the believers to submit to the government and its officers. They should be obedient, always ready to do what is good.

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Saved in Order to Do Good

Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities,(A) to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good,(B)

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Respecting People in Authority

13 For the Lord’s sake, submit to all human authority—whether the king as head of state, 14 or the officials he has appointed. For the king has sent them to punish those who do wrong and to honor those who do right.

15 It is God’s will that your honorable lives should silence those ignorant people who make foolish accusations against you. 16 For you are free, yet you are God’s slaves, so don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil. 17 Respect everyone, and love the family of believers.[a] Fear God, and respect the king.

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Footnotes

  1. 2:17 Greek love the brotherhood.

13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority:(A) whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, 14 or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong(B) and to commend those who do right.(C) 15 For it is God’s will(D) that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.(E) 16 Live as free people,(F) but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil;(G) live as God’s slaves.(H) 17 Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers,(I) fear God, honor the emperor.(J)

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21 He controls the course of world events;
    he removes kings and sets up other kings.
He gives wisdom to the wise
    and knowledge to the scholars.

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21 He changes times and seasons;(A)
    he deposes(B) kings and raises up others.(C)
He gives wisdom(D) to the wise
    and knowledge to the discerning.(E)

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11 Then Jesus said, “You would have no power over me at all unless it were given to you from above. So the one who handed me over to you has the greater sin.”

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11 Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above.(A) Therefore the one who handed me over to you(B) is guilty of a greater sin.”

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15 Because of me, kings reign,
    and rulers make just decrees.
16 Rulers lead with my help,
    and nobles make righteous judgments.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. 8:16 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Greek version read and nobles are judges over the earth.

15 By me kings reign
    and rulers(A) issue decrees that are just;
16 by me princes govern,(B)
    and nobles—all who rule on earth.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 8:16 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint; other Hebrew manuscripts all righteous rulers

With my great strength and powerful arm I made the earth and all its people and every animal. I can give these things of mine to anyone I choose. Now I will give your countries to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, who is my servant. I have put everything, even the wild animals, under his control. All the nations will serve him, his son, and his grandson until his time is up. Then many nations and great kings will conquer and rule over Babylon. So you must submit to Babylon’s king and serve him; put your neck under Babylon’s yoke! I will punish any nation that refuses to be his slave, says the Lord. I will send war, famine, and disease upon that nation until Babylon has conquered it.

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With my great power and outstretched arm(A) I made(B) the earth and its people and the animals(C) that are on it, and I give(D) it to anyone I please. Now I will give all your countries into the hands of my servant(E) Nebuchadnezzar(F) king of Babylon; I will make even the wild animals subject to him.(G) All nations will serve(H) him and his son and his grandson until the time(I) for his land comes; then many nations and great kings will subjugate(J) him.

“‘“If, however, any nation or kingdom will not serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon or bow its neck under his yoke, I will punish(K) that nation with the sword,(L) famine(M) and plague,(N) declares the Lord, until I destroy it by his hand.

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Spirit-Guided Relationships: Wives and Husbands

21 And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

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Instructions for Christian Households(A)

21 Submit to one another(B) out of reverence for Christ.

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18 Your Majesty, the Most High God gave sovereignty, majesty, glory, and honor to your predecessor, Nebuchadnezzar. 19 He made him so great that people of all races and nations and languages trembled before him in fear. He killed those he wanted to kill and spared those he wanted to spare. He honored those he wanted to honor and disgraced those he wanted to disgrace. 20 But when his heart and mind were puffed up with arrogance, he was brought down from his royal throne and stripped of his glory. 21 He was driven from human society. He was given the mind of a wild animal, and he lived among the wild donkeys. He ate grass like a cow, and he was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he learned that the Most High God rules over the kingdoms of the world and appoints anyone he desires to rule over them.

22 “You are his successor,[a] O Belshazzar, and you knew all this, yet you have not humbled yourself. 23 For you have proudly defied the Lord of heaven and have had these cups from his Temple brought before you. You and your nobles and your wives and concubines have been drinking wine from them while praising gods of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone—gods that neither see nor hear nor know anything at all. But you have not honored the God who gives you the breath of life and controls your destiny!

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Footnotes

  1. 5:22 Aramaic son.

18 “Your Majesty, the Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar(A) sovereignty and greatness and glory and splendor.(B) 19 Because of the high position he gave him, all the nations and peoples of every language dreaded and feared him. Those the king wanted to put to death, he put to death;(C) those he wanted to spare, he spared; those he wanted to promote, he promoted; and those he wanted to humble, he humbled.(D) 20 But when his heart became arrogant and hardened with pride,(E) he was deposed from his royal throne(F) and stripped(G) of his glory.(H) 21 He was driven away from people and given the mind of an animal; he lived with the wild donkeys and ate grass like the ox; and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he acknowledged that the Most High God is sovereign(I) over all kingdoms on earth and sets over them anyone he wishes.(J)

22 “But you, Belshazzar, his son,[a] have not humbled(K) yourself, though you knew all this. 23 Instead, you have set yourself up against(L) the Lord of heaven. You had the goblets from his temple brought to you, and you and your nobles, your wives(M) and your concubines drank wine from them. You praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or understand.(N) But you did not honor the God who holds in his hand your life(O) and all your ways.(P)

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Footnotes

  1. Daniel 5:22 Or descendant; or successor

In the same way, these people—who claim authority from their dreams—live immoral lives, defy authority, and scoff at supernatural beings.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. 8 Greek at glorious ones, which are probably evil angels.

In the very same way, on the strength of their dreams these ungodly people pollute their own bodies, reject authority and heap abuse on celestial beings.(A)

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11 God has spoken plainly,
    and I have heard it many times:
Power, O God, belongs to you;

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11 One thing God has spoken,
    two things I have heard:
“Power belongs to you, God,(A)

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“Yet the Lord, the God of Israel, has chosen me from among all my father’s family to be king over Israel forever. For he has chosen the tribe of Judah to rule, and from among the families of Judah he chose my father’s family. And from among my father’s sons the Lord was pleased to make me king over all Israel. And from among my sons—for the Lord has given me many—he chose Solomon to succeed me on the throne of Israel and to rule over the Lord’s kingdom.

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“Yet the Lord, the God of Israel, chose me(A) from my whole family(B) to be king over Israel forever. He chose Judah(C) as leader, and from the tribe of Judah he chose my family, and from my father’s sons he was pleased to make me king over all Israel.(D) Of all my sons—and the Lord has given me many(E)—he has chosen my son Solomon(F) to sit on the throne(G) of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel.

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and from Jesus Christ. He is the faithful witness to these things, the first to rise from the dead, and the ruler of all the kings of the world.

All glory to him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by shedding his blood for us.

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and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness,(A) the firstborn from the dead,(B) and the ruler of the kings of the earth.(C)

To him who loves us(D) and has freed us from our sins by his blood,(E)

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