| New King James Version | NET 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. | 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. |
| 2Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. | 2So the person who resists such authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will incur judgment |
| 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. | 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, |
| 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 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. |
| 5Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience’ sake. | 5Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of the wrath of the authorities but also because of your conscience. |
| 6For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God’s ministers attending continually to this very thing. | 6For this reason you also pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants devoted to governing. |
| 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 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. |
| 8Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. | 8Owe no one anything, except to love one another, for the one 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.” | 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." |
| 10Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. | 10Love does no wrong to a 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 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. |
| 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 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. |
| 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 live decently as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in discord and jealousy. |
| 14But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts. | 14Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh to arouse its desires. |
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