| English Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 1Let 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. | 1Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except by God's appointment, and the authorities that exist have been instituted by God. |
| 2Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. | 2So the person who resists such authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will incur judgment |
| 3For 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, | 3(for rulers cause no fear for good conduct but for bad). Do you desire not to fear authority? Do good and you will receive its commendation, |
| 4for 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. | 4for it is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be in fear, for it does not bear the sword in vain. It is God's servant to administer retribution on the wrongdoer. |
| 5Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. | 5Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of the wrath of the authorities but also because of your conscience. |
| 6For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. | 6For this reason you also pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants devoted to governing. |
| 7Pay 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. | 7Pay everyone what is owed: taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due. |
| 8Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. | 8Owe no one anything, except to love one another, for the one who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. |
| 9For 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.” | 9For the commandments, "Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not covet," (and if there is any other commandment) are summed up in this, "Love your neighbor as yourself." |
| 10Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. | 10Love does no wrong to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. |
| 11Besides 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. | 11And do this because we know the time, that it is already the hour for us to awake from sleep, for our salvation is now nearer than when we became believers. |
| 12The 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. | 12The night has advanced toward dawn; the day is near. So then we must lay aside the works of darkness, and put on the weapons of light. |
| 13Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. | 13Let us live decently as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in discord and jealousy. |
| 14But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. | 14Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh to arouse its desires. |
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