Jeremiah 29:4-7; Romans 13:1-7; Matthew 22:15-22

Jeremiah 29:4-7

4 Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon:

5 Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat what they produce.

6 Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease.

7 But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.

Romans 13:1-7

1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities; for there is no authority except from God, and those authorities that exist have been instituted by God.

2 Therefore whoever resists authority 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. Do you wish to have no fear of the authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive its approval;

4 for it is God's servant for your good. But if you do what is wrong, you should be afraid, for the authority does not bear the sword in vain! It is the servant of God to execute wrath on the wrongdoer.

5 Therefore one must be subject, not only because of wrath but also because of conscience.

6 For the same reason you also pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, busy with this very thing.

7 Pay to all what is due them—taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due.

Matthew 22:15-22

15 Then the Pharisees went and plotted to entrap him in what he said.

16 So they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with truth, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality.

17 Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?"

18 But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, "Why are you putting me to the test, you hypocrites?

19 Show me the coin used for the tax." And they brought him a denarius.

20 Then he said to them, "Whose head is this, and whose title?"

21 They answered, "The emperor's." Then he said to them, "Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor's, and to God the things that are God's."

22 When they heard this, they were amazed; and they left him and went away.