| New King James Version | Berean Study Bible |
| 1Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. | 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. |
| 2Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. | 2Consequently, whoever resists authority is opposing what God has set in place, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. |
| 3For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. | 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. |
| 4For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. | 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. |
| 5Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience’ sake. | 5Therefore it is necessary to submit to authority, not only to avoid punishment, but also as a matter of conscience. |
| 6For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God’s ministers attending continually to this very thing. | 6This is also why you pay taxes. For the authorities are God’s servants, who devote themselves to their work. |
| 7Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor. | 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. |
| 8Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. | 8Be indebted to no one, except to one another in love. For he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. |
| 9For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not bear false witness,” “You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” | 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.” |
| 10Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. | 10Love does no wrong to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. |
| 11And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. | 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. |
| 12The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. | 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. |
| 13Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. | 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 fulfill its lusts. | 14Instead, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh. |
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