Romans 13
Holman Christian Standard Bible
A Christian’s Duties to the State
13 Everyone must submit to the governing authorities,(A) for there is no authority except from God,(B) and those that exist are instituted by God. 2 So then, the one who resists the authority is opposing God’s command, and those who oppose it will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers are not a terror(C) to good conduct, but to bad. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have its approval. 4 For government is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, because it does not carry the sword for no reason. For government is God’s servant, an avenger(D) that brings wrath on the one who does wrong. 5 Therefore, you must submit, not only because of wrath, but also because of your conscience.(E) 6 And for this reason you pay taxes, since the authorities are God’s public servants, continually attending to these tasks.[a] 7 Pay your obligations(F) to everyone: taxes to those you owe taxes,(G) tolls to those you owe tolls, respect to those you owe respect,(H) and honor to those you owe honor.
Love, Our Primary Duty
8 Do not owe anyone anything,[b] except to love one another, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.(I) 9 The commandments:
and whatever other commandment—all are summed up by this: Love your neighbor as yourself.(K)[e]
10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor. Love, therefore, is the fulfillment of the law.
Put On Christ
11 Besides this, knowing the time, it is already the hour(L) for you[f] to wake up from sleep,(M) for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.(N) 12 The night is nearly over, and the daylight is near,(O) so let us discard the deeds of darkness(P) and put on the armor of light.(Q) 13 Let us walk with decency,(R) as in the daylight: not in carousing and drunkenness;(S) not in sexual impurity and promiscuity; not in quarreling and jealousy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ,(T) and make no plans to satisfy the fleshly desires.(U)
Footnotes
- Romans 13:6 Lit to this very thing
- Romans 13:8 Or Leave no debt outstanding to anyone
- Romans 13:9 Other mss add you shall not bear false witness
- Romans 13:9 Ex 20:13-17; Dt 5:17-21
- Romans 13:9 Lv 19:18
- Romans 13:11 Other mss read for us
Romans 13
Lexham English Bible
Obedience to the Governing Authorities
13 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except by God, and those that exist are put in place by God. 2 So then, the one who resists authority resists the ordinance which is from God, and those who resist will receive condemnation on themselves. 3 For rulers are not a cause of terror for a good deed, but for bad conduct. So do you want not to be afraid of authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from it, 4 for it is God’s servant to you for what is good. But if you do what is bad, be afraid, because it does not bear the sword to no purpose. For it is God’s servant, the one who avenges for punishment on the one who does what is bad. 5 Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath but also because of conscience. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities[a] are servants of God, busily engaged in this very thing. 7 Pay to everyone what is owed: pay taxes to whom taxes are due; pay customs duties to whom customs duties are due; pay respect to whom respect is due; pay honor to whom honor is due.[b]
Love Fulfills the Law
8 Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another, for the one who loves someone else has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, you shall not commit murder, you shall not steal, you shall not covet,”[c] and if there is any other commandment, are summed up in this statement: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”[d] 10 Love does not commit evil against a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
11 And do this because you[e] know the time, that it is already the hour for you to wake up from sleep. For our salvation is nearer now than when we believed. 12 The night is far gone, and the day has drawn near. Therefore let us throw off[f] the deeds of darkness and put on the weapons of light. 13 Let us live decently, as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and licentiousness, not in strife and jealousy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ and do not make provision for the desires of the flesh.
Footnotes
- Romans 13:6 Literally “they”
- Romans 13:7 Due to the very compressed style in this verse, many words must be supplied to make sense in English
- Romans 13:9 A quotation from Exod 20:13–15, 17; Deut 5:17–19, 21
- Romans 13:9 A quotation from Lev 19:18
- Romans 13:11 Here “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“know”) which is understood as causal
- Romans 13:12 Some manuscripts have “let us lay aside”
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