Romans 13

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Everyone is to obey the governing authorities, because there is no authority except from God and sowhatever authorities exist have been appointed by God.	1 Let every person be subordinate to the higher authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been established by God.
2 So anyone who disobeys an authority is rebel ing against God's ordinance; and rebels must expect toreceive the condemnation they deserve.	2 Therefore, whoever resists authority opposes what God has appointed, and those who oppose it will bring judgment upon themselves.
3 Magistrates bring fear not to those who do good, but to those who do evil. So if you want to live withno fear of authority, live honestly and you wil have its approval;	3 For rulers are not a cause of fear to good conduct, but to evil. Do you wish to have no fear of authority? Then do what is good and you will receive approval from it,
4 it is there to serve God for you and for your good. But if you do wrong, then you may wel be afraid;because it is not for nothing that the symbol of authority is the sword: it is there to serve God, too, as hisavenger, to bring retribution to wrongdoers.	4 for it is a servant of God for your good. But if you do evil, be afraid, for it does not bear the sword without purpose; it is the servant of God to inflict wrath on the evildoer.
5 You must be obedient, therefore, not only because of this retribution, but also for conscience's sake.	5 Therefore, it is necessary to be subject not only because of the wrath but also because of conscience.
6 And this is why you should pay taxes, too, because the authorities are al serving God as his agents,even while they are busily occupied with that particular task.	6 This is why you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, devoting themselves to this very thing.
7 Pay to each one what is due to each: taxes to the one to whom tax is due, tol s to the one to whomtol s are due, respect to the one to whom respect is due, honour to the one to whom honour is due.	7 Pay to all their dues, taxes to whom taxes are due, toll to whom toll is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due.
8 The only thing you should owe to anyone is love for one another, for to love the other person is tofulfil the law.	8 Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.
9 Al these: You shal not commit adultery, You shal not kil , You shal not steal, You shal not covet,and all the other commandments that there are, are summed up in this single phrase: You must love yourneighbour as yourself.	9 The commandments, "You shall not commit adultery; you shall not kill; you shall not steal; you shall not covet," and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this saying, (namely) "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
10 Love can cause no harm to your neighbour, and so love is the fulfilment of the Law.	10 Love does no evil to the neighbor; hence, love is the fulfillment of the law.
11 Besides, you know the time has come; the moment is here for you to stop sleeping and wake up,because by now our salvation is nearer than when we first began to believe.	11 And do this because you know the time; it is the hour now for you to awake from sleep. For our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed;
12 The night is nearly over, daylight is on the way; so let us throw off everything that belongs to thedarkness and equip ourselves for the light.	12 the night is advanced, the day is at hand. Let us then throw off the works of darkness (and) put on the armor of light;
13 Let us live decently, as in the light of day; with no orgies or drunkenness, no promiscuity orlicentiousness, and no wrangling or jealousy.	13 let us conduct ourselves properly as in the day, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in promiscuity and licentiousness, not in rivalry and jealousy.
14 Let your armour be the Lord Jesus Christ, and stop worrying about how your disordered naturalinclinations may be fulfil ed.	14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.