[1] Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is
no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by
God. [2] Therefore he who resists the authorities resists what God has
appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. [3] For rulers are not
a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of him who is
in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, [4]
for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for
he does not bear the sword in vain; he is the servant of God to execute his
wrath on the wrongdoer. [5] Therefore one must be subject, not only to
avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience. [6] For the same
reason you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God,
attending to this very thing. [7] Pay all of them their dues, taxes to whom
taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is
due, honor to whom honor is due. [8] Owe no one anything, except to love
one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. [9] The
commandments, "You shall not commit adultery, You shall not kill, You shall
not steal, You shall not covet," and any other commandment, are summed up
in this sentence, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." [10] Love
does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
[11] Besides this you know what hour it is, how it is full time now for you
to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first
believed; [12] the night is far gone, the day is at hand. Let us then cast
off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; [13] let us
conduct ourselves becomingly as in the day, not in reveling and
drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and
jealousy. [14] But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for
the flesh, to gratify its desires.
