| English Standard Version | New International Version |
| 1Let 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. | 1Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. |
| 2Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. | 2Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. |
| 3For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, | 3For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. |
| 4for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. | 4For the one in authority is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God's servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. |
| 5Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. | 5Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience. |
| 6For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. | 6This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing. |
| 7Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed. | 7Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor. |
| 8Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. | 8Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. |
| 9For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” | 9The commandments, "You shall not commit adultery," "You shall not murder," "You shall not steal," "You shall not covet," and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." |
| 10Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. | 10Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. |
| 11Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. | 11And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. |
| 12The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. | 12The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. |
| 13Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. | 13Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. |
| 14But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. | 14Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh. |
| ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. | New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. |
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