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Romans 13:8-14
International Children’s Bible
Romans 13:8-14
International Children’s Bible
Loving Others
8 Do not owe people anything. But you will always owe love to each other. The person who loves others has obeyed all the law. 9 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.”[a] All these commands and all others are really only one rule: “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.”[b] 10 Love never hurts a neighbor. So loving is obeying all the law.
11 I say this because we live in an important time. Yes, it is now time for you to wake up from your sleep. Our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12 The “night”[c] is almost finished. The “day”[d] is almost here. So we should stop doing things that belong to darkness and take up the weapons used for fighting in the light. 13 Let us live in a right way, as in the daytime. We should not have wild parties or get drunk. There should be no sexual immorality or evil conduct, no fighting or jealousy. 14 But clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ. Forget about satisfying your sinful self.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 13:9 “You . . . things.” Quotation from Exodus 20:13–15, 17.
- 13:9 “Love . . . yourself.” Quotation from Leviticus 19:18.
- 13:12 “night” This is used as a symbol of the sinful world we live in. This world will soon end.
- 13:12 “day” This is used as a symbol of the good time that is coming, when we will be with God.
Romans 13:8-14
New International Version
Romans 13:8-14
New International Version
Love Fulfills the Law
8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.(A) 9 The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,”[a](B) and whatever other command there may be, are summed up(C) in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”[b](D) 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.(E)
The Day Is Near
11 And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come(F) for you to wake up from your slumber,(G) because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12 The night is nearly over; the day is almost here.(H) So let us put aside the deeds of darkness(I) and put on the armor(J) of light. 13 Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness,(K) not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.(L) 14 Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ,(M) and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.[c](N)
Footnotes
- Romans 13:9 Exodus 20:13-15,17; Deut. 5:17-19,21
- Romans 13:9 Lev. 19:18
- 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.
International Children’s Bible (ICB) 
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.