Romans 13

All 14 verses in the Clear Bible Translation. Tap a verse to compare the KJV and read what it means.

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  1. 1Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist have been ordained by God.
  2. 2So whoever resists the authority is opposing what God has established, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.
  3. 3For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to evil. Do you want to live without fear of the authority? Do what is good, and you will receive its approval.
  4. 4For he is God's servant for your good. But if you do evil, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who does evil.
  5. 5Therefore you must submit, not only because of wrath, but also for the sake of conscience.
  6. 6For this reason you also pay tribute, for they are God's ministers, attending continually to this very thing.
  7. 7Give to everyone what you owe them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, customs to whom customs are owed, fear to whom fear is owed, and honor to whom honor is owed.
  8. 8Owe no one anything, except to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.
  9. 9The commandments — "You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not covet" — and any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying: "Love your neighbor as yourself."
  10. 10Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
  11. 11And do this, knowing the time, that now it is the hour to wake from sleep, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.
  12. 12The night is far gone, and the day is near. So let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.
  13. 13Let us walk properly, as in the daytime — not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy.
  14. 14Instead, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.