Romans 13:8-14

Expanded Bible

Loving Others

⁸ Do not owe ·people [^Lanyone] anything, except always owe love to each other, because the person who loves others has ·obeyed all [fulfilled] the law. ⁹ [^LFor] The law says, “You must not be guilty of adultery. You must not murder anyone. You must not steal. You must not ·want to take your neighbor’s things [covet; Ex. 20:13–15, 17; Deut. 5:17–21].” All these commands and all others are really summed up in this one ·rule [command; word]: “Love your neighbor as you love yourself [Lev. 19:18].” ¹⁰ Love never ·hurts [does wrong/evil to] a neighbor, so loving is ·obeying all [fulfilling] the law.

¹¹ Do this ·because you know the times in which we live [^Lknowing the time/season]. It is ·now [or already the] ·time [hour] for you to wake up from your sleep, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. ¹² The night [^Ca metaphor for the present evil age] is ·almost finished [advancing], and the day [^Cthe time of final judgment and reward] is ·almost here [near; or at hand]. So we should ·stop doing [put aside; cast off] ·things that belong to [^Lthe deeds/works of] darkness and ·take up the weapons [or put on the armor] ·used for fighting in [or that belong to; ^Lof] the light. ¹³ Let us ·live [walk] ·in a right way [properly; decently], like people who belong to the day. We should not have wild parties or get drunk. There should be no ·sexual sins of any kind [^Lsexual immorality or debauchery/sensuality], no ·fighting [strife; quarrels] or jealousy. ¹⁴ But clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ and ·forget about satisfying [or give no opportunity to the desires of; or don’t think about ways to gratify] ·your sinful self [the sinful nature; ^Tthe flesh].