| International Standard Version | New International Version |
| 1Every person must be subject to the governing authorities, for no authority exists except by God's permission. The existing authorities have been established by God, | 1Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. |
| 2so that whoever resists the authorities opposes what God has established, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. | 2Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. |
| 3For the authorities are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you like to live without being afraid of the authorities? Then do what is right, and you will receive their approval. | 3For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. |
| 4For they are God's servants, working for your good. But if you do what is wrong, you should be afraid, for it is not without reason that they bear the sword. Indeed, they are God's servants to administer punishment to anyone who does wrong. | 4For the one in authority is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God's servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. |
| 5Therefore, it is necessary for you to be acquiescent to the authorities, not only for the sake of God's punishment, but also for the sake of your own conscience. | 5Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience. |
| 6This is also why you pay taxes. For rulers are God's servants faithfully devoting themselves to their work. | 6This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing. |
| 7Pay everyone whatever you owe them—taxes to whom taxes are due, tolls to whom tolls are due, fear to whom fear is due, honor to whom honor is due. | 7Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor. |
| 8Do not owe anyone anything—except to love one another. For the one who loves another has fulfilled the Law. | 8Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. |
| 9For the commandments, "You must not commit adultery; you must not murder; you must not steal; you must not covet," and every other commandment are summed up in this statement: "You must love your neighbor as yourself." | 9The commandments, "You shall not commit adultery," "You shall not murder," "You shall not steal," "You shall not covet," and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." |
| 10Love never does anything that is harmful to its neighbor. Therefore, love is the fulfillment of the Law. | 10Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. |
| 11This is necessary because you know the times—it's already time for you to wake up from sleep, because our salvation is nearer now than when we became believers. | 11And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. |
| 12The night is almost over, and the day is near. Let's therefore put aside the actions of darkness and put on the armor of light. | 12The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. |
| 13Let's behave decently, as people who live in the light of day. No wild parties, drunkenness, sexual immorality, promiscuity, quarreling, or jealousy! | 13Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. |
| 14Instead, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, and do not obey your flesh and its desires. | 14Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh. |
The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. | New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. |
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