13:1 Every person must be subject to the governing authorities because there is no authority except by God’s appointment, and those that presently exist have been instituted by God.
13:2 Therefore whoever resists · authority resists what · God has decreed, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.
13:3 · For rulers are not a source of fear for those who do good, but for those who do wrong. Would you · have no fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will receive approval from him,
13:4 for he is a servant of God for your · good. But if you do what is wrong, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is a servant of God, an avenger to carry out wrath on the one who does · wrong.
13:5 Therefore one must be subject, not only because of · wrath, but also because of · conscience.
13:6 For this is also why you pay taxes, for authorities are servants of God, devoted to this very thing.
13:7 Pay everyone what is owed to them: taxes to whom · taxes are due; · revenue to whom · revenue is due; · respect to whom · respect is due; · honor to whom · honor is due. ·
13:8 Owe no one anything, except · to love one another; for the one who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.
13:9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” (and any other commandment there may be) are summed up in · this saying, · “You shall love · your neighbor as yourself.”
13:10 · Love does no wrong to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. ·
13:11 And live this way because you are aware of the time, that the hour has come for us to wake from sleep, for our salvation is nearer now · than when we first believed.
13:12 The night is nearly over and the day is at hand. So we must lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.
13:13 Let us live becomingly, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy.
13:14 Rather, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the sinful nature to gratify its desires.
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