| NET Bible | International Standard Version |
| 1Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except by God's appointment, and the authorities that exist have been instituted by God. | 1Every person must be subject to the governing authorities, for no authority exists except by God's permission. The existing authorities have been established by God, |
| 2So the person who resists such authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will incur judgment | 2so that whoever resists the authorities opposes what God has established, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. |
| 3(for rulers cause no fear for good conduct but for bad). Do you desire not to fear authority? Do good and you will receive its commendation, | 3For the authorities are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you like to live without being afraid of the authorities? Then do what is right, and you will receive their approval. |
| 4for it is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be in fear, for it does not bear the sword in vain. It is God's servant to administer retribution on the wrongdoer. | 4For they are God's servants, working for your good. But if you do what is wrong, you should be afraid, for it is not without reason that they bear the sword. Indeed, they are God's servants to administer punishment to anyone who does wrong. |
| 5Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of the wrath of the authorities but also because of your conscience. | 5Therefore, it is necessary for you to be acquiescent to the authorities, not only for the sake of God's punishment, but also for the sake of your own conscience. |
| 6For this reason you also pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants devoted to governing. | 6This is also why you pay taxes. For rulers are God's servants faithfully devoting themselves to their work. |
| 7Pay everyone what is owed: 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 everyone whatever you owe them—taxes to whom taxes are due, tolls to whom tolls are due, fear to whom fear is due, honor to whom honor is due. |
| 8Owe no one anything, except to love one another, for the one 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. |
| 9For the commandments, "Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not covet," (and if there is any other commandment) are summed up in this, "Love your neighbor as yourself." | 9For the commandments, "You must not commit adultery; you must not murder; you must not steal; you must not covet," and every other commandment are summed up in this statement: "You must love your neighbor as yourself." |
| 10Love does no wrong to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. | 10Love never does anything that is harmful to its neighbor. Therefore, love is the fulfillment of the Law. |
| 11And do this because we know the time, that it is already the hour for us to awake from sleep, for our salvation is now nearer than when we became believers. | 11This is necessary because you know the times—it's already time for you to wake up from sleep, because our salvation is nearer now than when we became believers. |
| 12The night has advanced toward dawn; the day is near. So then we must lay aside the works of darkness, and put on the weapons of light. | 12The night is almost over, and the day is near. Let's therefore put aside the actions of darkness and put on the armor of light. |
| 13Let us live decently as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in discord and jealousy. | 13Let's behave decently, as people who live in the light of day. No wild parties, drunkenness, sexual immorality, promiscuity, quarreling, or jealousy! |
| 14Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh to arouse its desires. | 14Instead, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, and do not obey your flesh and its desires. |
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