⁵ So you must submit to them, not only to avoid punishment, but also to keep a clear conscience.

¹⁹ For God is pleased when, conscious of his will, you patiently endure unjust treatment.

¹⁶ Because of this, I always try to maintain a clear conscience before God and all people.

Obedience to the King

² Obey the king since you vowed to God that you would.

Do What Is Good

3 Remind the believers to submit to the government and its officers. They should be obedient, always ready to do what is good. ² They must not slander anyone and must avoid quarreling. Instead, they should be gentle and show true humility to everyone.

¹⁶ But do this in a gentle and respectful way.^[a] Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ.

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.

¹⁸ Pray for us, for our conscience is clear and we want to live honorably in everything we do.

⁵ But then David’s conscience began bothering him because he had cut Saul’s robe. ⁶ He said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do this to my lord the king. I shouldn’t attack the Lord’s anointed one, for the Lord himself has chosen him.”