Epistle to the Romans - The New Testament

¹ Everyone is to obey the governing authorities, because there is no authority except from God and so whatever authorities exist have been appointed by God.

² So anyone who disobeys an authority is rebelling against God's ordinance; and rebels must expect to receive the condemnation they deserve.

³ Magistrates bring fear not to those who do good, but to those who do evil. So if you want to live with no fear of authority, live honestly and you will have its approval;

⁴ it is there to serve God for you and for your good. But if you do wrong, then you may well be afraid; because it is not for nothing that the symbol of authority is the sword: it is there to serve God, too, as his avenger, to bring retribution to wrongdoers.

⁵ You must be obedient, therefore, not only because of this retribution, but also for conscience's sake.

⁶ And this is why you should pay taxes, too, because the authorities are all serving God as his agents, even while they are busily occupied with that particular task.

⁷ Pay to each one what is due to each: taxes to the one to whom tax is due, tolls to the one to whom tolls are due, respect to the one to whom respect is due, honour to the one to whom honour is due.

⁸ The only thing you should owe to anyone is love for one another, for to love the other person is to fulfil the law.

⁹ All these: You shall not commit adultery, You shall not kill, You shall not steal, You shall not covet, and all the other commandments that there are, are summed up in this single phrase: You must love your neighbour as yourself.

¹⁰ Love can cause no harm to your neighbour, and so love is the fulfilment of the Law.

¹¹ Besides, you know the time has come; the moment is here for you to stop sleeping and wake up, because by now our salvation is nearer than when we first began to believe.

¹² The night is nearly over, daylight is on the way; so let us throw off everything that belongs to the darkness and equip ourselves for the light.

¹³ Let us live decently, as in the light of day; with no orgies or drunkenness, no promiscuity or licentiousness, and no wrangling or jealousy.

¹⁴ Let your armour be the Lord Jesus Christ, and stop worrying about how your disordered natural inclinations may be fulfilled.