Romans 13

Every one of you must submit yourselves to those whom God has authorized to govern you. {This is} because no one {can govern} unless God authorizes them {to do so}. God has instituted the existing governments.

So people who resist those whom God has authorized {to govern} are opposing what God has commanded. God will punish those people who oppose {those whom he has authorized to govern}. \*

Indeed, the people who rule are {not supposed} to terrify {those people who do} what is good. Rather, {they are supposed to terrify} {those people who do} what is evil. If you do not want to fear those whom God authorizes to rule, {then} do what is good and those who rule will commend you for doing so.

{This is} because the people {whom God authorizes to rule} serve God for your benefit. But if you do what is evil, you should be afraid, because God has authorized those people who rule to punish {people} for a good reason. Indeed, those people who rule serve God by avenging {what is evil} in order to punish anyone who practices what is evil.

Consequently, you must submit yourselves {to those people whom God authorizes to rule}. {You must do this} not only because they can punish you, but also because you know {that to disobey them is to disobey God}! \*

Indeed, you also pay taxes because of these things. {You also pay taxes} because those people {whom God authorizes to rule} serve God. They devote themselves to serving {by governing}.

Give to everyone what you owe them: Pay taxes to whom you owe taxes. Pay fees to whom you owe fees. Fear those people whom you should fear. Honor those people whom you should honor. \*

Do not owe anything to anyone. Rather, continue to love other {people who believe in the Messiah} {as if you owe it to them}. {Do this} because someone who loves another person accomplishes {what God required in} the laws {he gave the Jews}.

{This is true} because {God commanded} these things {in his laws when he said}, “Do not have sexual relations with someone whom you did not marry. Do not murder. Do not rob people. Do not lust for what belongs to other people.” You could summarize anything else that God commands {in the laws he gave the Jews} with this {other} thing {God commanded}: “Love other people in the same way you love yourself.”

{When you} love other people, {you} do not do evil things {to them}. This is why loving {other people} accomplishes {what God required in} the laws {he gave the Jews}. \*

{Do} these things because you know what time it is. It is already the time for you to be spiritually alert because {the time when Jesus will return} to {finally} save us is now closer than when we began trusting {in him}.

{In the same way that} the night ends just before the day begins{, the time of this sinful world is almost over, and Jesus will return soon}. So, we must stop doing {what is evil, which is like} what people do when it is dark. Instead, we must {oppose what is evil by doing what is good, which is like} a soldier puts on his armor {to fight the enemy} during the day. \*

We must behave appropriately, as if it were daytime {and people could see what we do}. We must not celebrate drunkenly or get drunk {at all}. We must not do any unrestrained sexually immoral acts {at all}. We must not quarrel {with others} or be jealous {of others}.

Rather {than doing those things}, act like the Lord Jesus the Messiah would act. Do not concern yourselves with {anything that is related to} what your {sinful} self wants to do. \*