| Berean Study Bible | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which is from God. The authorities that exist have been appointed by God. | 1Everyone must submit to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those that exist are instituted by God. |
| 2Consequently, whoever resists authority is opposing what God has set in place, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. | 2So then, the one who resists the authority is opposing God's command, and those who oppose it will bring judgment on themselves. |
| 3For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you want to be unafraid of the one in authority? Then do what is right, and you will have his approval. | 3For rulers are not a terror 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. |
| 4For he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not carry the sword in vain. He is God’s servant, an agent of retribution to the wrongdoer. | 4For 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 that brings wrath on the one who does wrong. |
| 5Therefore it is necessary to submit to authority, not only to avoid punishment, but also as a matter of conscience. | 5Therefore, you must submit, not only because of wrath, but also because of your conscience. |
| 6This is also why you pay taxes. For the authorities are God’s servants, who devote themselves to their work. | 6And for this reason you pay taxes, since the authorities are God's public servants, continually attending to these tasks. |
| 7Pay everyone what you owe him: taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due. | 7Pay your obligations to everyone: taxes to those you owe taxes, tolls to those you owe tolls, respect to those you owe respect, and honor to those you owe honor. |
| 8Be indebted to no one, except to one another in love. For he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. | 8Do not owe anyone anything, except to love one another, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. |
| 9The commandments “Do not commit adultery,” “Do not murder,” “Do not steal,” “Do not covet,” and any other commandments, are summed up in this one decree: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” | 9The commandments: Do not commit adultery; do not murder; do not steal; do not covet; and whatever other commandment--all are summed up by this: Love your neighbor as yourself. |
| 10Love does no wrong to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. | 10Love does no wrong to a neighbor. Love, therefore, is the fulfillment of the law. |
| 11And do this, understanding the occasion. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. | 11Besides this, knowing the time, it is already the hour for you to wake up from sleep, for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. |
| 12The night is nearly over; the day has drawn near. So let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. | 12The night is nearly over, and the daylight is near, so let us discard the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. |
| 13Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. | 13Let us walk with decency, as in the daylight: not in carousing and drunkenness; not in sexual impurity and promiscuity; not in quarreling and jealousy. |
| 14Instead, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh. | 14But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no plans to satisfy the fleshly desires. |
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