English Standard Version ESV
Common English Bible CEB
1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.
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Every person should place themselves under the authority of the government. There isn't any authority unless it comes from God, and the authorities that are there have been put in place by God.
2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.
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So anyone who opposes the authority is standing against what God has established. People who take this kind of stand will get punished.
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 will receive his approval,
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The authorities don't frighten people who are doing the right thing. Rather, they frighten people who are doing wrong. Would you rather not be afraid of authority? Do what's right, and you will receive its approval.
4 for he 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, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer.
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It is God's servant given for your benefit. But if you do what's wrong, be afraid because it doesn't have weapons to enforce the law for nothing. It is God's servant put in place to carry out his punishment on those who do what is wrong.
5 Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience.
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That is why it is necessary to place yourself under the government's authority, not only to avoid God's punishment but also for the sake of your conscience.
6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing.
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You should also pay taxes for the same reason, because the authorities are God's assistants, concerned with this very thing.
7 Pay 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.
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So pay everyone what you owe them. Pay the taxes you owe, pay the duties you are charged, give respect to those you should respect, and honor those you should honor.
8 Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.
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Don't be in debt to anyone, except for the obligation to love each other. Whoever loves another person has fulfilled the Law.
9 For the commandments, "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: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
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The commandments, Don't commit adultery, don't murder, don't steal, don't desire what others have, and any other commandments, are all summed up in one word: You must love your neighbor as yourself.
10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
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Love doesn't do anything wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is what fulfills the Law.
11 Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed.
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As you do all this, you know what time it is. The hour has already come for you to wake up from your sleep. Now our salvation is nearer than when we first had faith.
12 The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.
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The night is almost over, and the day is near. So let's get rid of the actions that belong to the darkness and put on the weapons of light.
13 Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy.
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Let's behave appropriately as people who live in the day, not in partying and getting drunk, not in sleeping around and obscene behavior, not in fighting and obsession.
14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
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Instead, dress yourself with the Lord Jesus Christ, and don't plan to indulge your selfish desires.
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible