The Message Bible MSG
New American Standard Bible NAS
1 Be a good citizen. All governments are under God. Insofar as there is peace and order, it's God's order. So live responsibly as a citizen.
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Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.
2 If you're irresponsible to the state, then you're irresponsible with God, and God will hold you responsible.
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Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves.
3 Duly constituted authorities are only a threat if you're trying to get by with something. Decent citizens should have nothing to fear.
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For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same;
4 the government working to your advantage. But if you're breaking the rules right and left, watch out. The police aren't there just to be admired in their uniforms. God also has an interest in keeping order, and he uses them to do it.
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for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil.
5 That's why you must live responsibly - not just to avoid punishment but also because it's the right way to live.
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Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience' sake.
6 That's also why you pay taxes - so that an orderly way of life can be maintained.
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For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing.
7 Fulfill your obligations as a citizen. Pay your taxes, pay your bills, respect your leaders.
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Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.
8 Don't run up debts, except for the huge debt of love you owe each other. When you love others, you complete what the law has been after all along.
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Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.
9 The law code - don't sleep with another person's spouse, don't take someone's life, don't take what isn't yours, don't always be wanting what you don't have, and any other "don't" you can think of - finally adds up to this: Love other people as well as you do yourself.
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For this, "YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, YOU SHALL NOT MURDER, YOU SHALL NOT STEAL, YOU SHALL NOT COVET," and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF."
10 You can't go wrong when you love others. When you add up everything in the law code, the sum total is love.
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Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
11 But make sure that you don't get so absorbed and exhausted in taking care of all your day-by-day obligations that you lose track of the time and doze off, oblivious to God.
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Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed.
12 The night is about over, dawn is about to break. Be up and awake to what God is doing! God is putting the finishing touches on the salvation work he began when we first believed.
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The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.
13 We can't afford to waste a minute, must not squander these precious daylight hours in frivolity and indulgence, in sleeping around and dissipation, in bickering and grabbing everything in sight.
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Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy.
14 Get out of bed and get dressed! Don't loiter and linger, waiting until the very last minute. Dress yourselves in Christ, and be up and about!
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But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.
New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, California. All rights reserved.