Romans 13
Submission to the Authorities
Let every person abe subject to the governing authorities. For bthere is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3 For 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 awill receive his approval, 4 for ahe 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, ban avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also afor the sake of conscience. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. 7 aPay 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.
Fulfilling the Law Through Love
8 aOwe no one anything, except to love each other, for bthe one who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, a“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: b“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore alove is the fulfilling of the law.
11 Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you ato wake from sleep. bFor salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. 12 aThe night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us bcast off cthe works of darkness and dput on the armor of light. 13 aLet us walk properly as in the daytime, bnot in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, cnot in quarreling and jealousy. 14 But aput on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, bto gratify its desires.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway,
a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.