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every person submit himself to the governing authorities, no there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 So then, whoever resists the authority is opposing what God has instituted, and those who oppose will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers hold not terror to those of good conduct, but to those who do wrong. Do you want to have no fear of the authority? Then do what is right and you will receive his approval. 4 For he is God’s servant to you for good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God’s servant, an avenger to execute wrath on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore, you must submit to the authorities, not only because of wrath but also because of your conscience.
6 This is also the reason you pay taxes, since the authorities are God’s servants who are continually attending to their duties. 7 Pay everyone what you owe: taxes to those whom you owe taxes, tolls to those whom you owe tolls, respect to those whom you owe respect, honour to those whom you owe honour.
8 Owe no one anything, except to love one another, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery”, “you shall not murder”, “you shall not steal”, “you shall not covet”, and whatever other commandment there may be, are all summed up by this one rule: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself”. 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbour; therefore love is the fulfilment of the law.
11 Besides this, understanding the present time, that now it is the hour for you to wake from sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. 12 The night is nearly over, and the day is almost here. So let us cast off the deeds of darkness and put on the armour of light. 13 Let us live decently, as in the daytime, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in sexual impurity and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.