1 E very person must obey the leaders of the land. There is no power given but from God, and all leaders are allowed by God.

¶ Let every soul submit itself to the higher powers. For there is no power but of God, and the powers that be are ordained of God.

2 T he person who does not obey the leaders of the land is working against what God has done. Anyone who does that will be punished.

Whosoever therefore resists the power, resists the ordinance of God, and those that resist shall receive condemnation to themselves.

3 T hose who do right do not have to be afraid of the leaders. Those who do wrong are afraid of them. Do you want to be free from fear of them? Then do what is right. You will be respected instead.

For the magistrates are not a terror unto those who do good, but to the doer of evil. Is thy desire therefore to not fear the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same;

4 L eaders are God’s servants to help you. If you do wrong, you should be afraid. They have the power to punish you. They work for God. They do what God wants done to those who do wrong.

for he is a minister of God for thy good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain, for he is a minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that does evil.

5 Y ou must obey the leaders of the land, not only to keep from God’s anger, but so your own heart will have peace.

Therefore it is necessary that ye be subject, not only for punishment, but also for conscience sake.

6 I t is right for you to pay taxes because the leaders of the land are servants for God who care for these things.

For this cause ye also pay them tribute, for they are God’s ministers, attending continually to this very thing.

7 P ay taxes to whom taxes are to be paid. Be afraid of those you should fear. Respect those you should respect.

¶ Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.

8 D o not owe anyone anything, but love each other. Whoever loves his neighbor has done what the Law says to do.

Owe no one anything, but love one unto another; for he that loves his neighbour has fulfilled the law.

9 T he Law says, “You must not do any sex sin. You must not kill another person. You must not steal. You must not tell a lie about another person. You must not want something someone else has.” The Law also says that these and many other Laws are brought together in one Law, “You must love your neighbor as yourself.”

For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not murder, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet, and if there is any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

10 A nyone who loves his neighbor will do no wrong to him. You keep the Law with love.

Charity works no evil to a neighbour; therefore, charity is the fulfillment of the law.

11 T here is another reason for doing what is right. You know what time it is. It is time for you to wake up from your sleep. The time when we will be taken up to be with Christ is not as far off as when we first put our trust in Him.

¶ And this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awaken ourselves out of sleep, for now is our saving health nearer than when we believed.

12 N ight is almost gone. Day is almost here. We must stop doing the sinful things that are done in the dark. We must put on all the things God gives us to fight with for the day.

The night is past, and the day is come; let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us clothe ourselves with the weapons of light.

13 W e must act all the time as if it were day. Keep away from wild parties and do not be drunk. Keep yourself free from sex sins and bad actions. Do not fight or be jealous.

Let us walk honestly, as in the day, not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.

14 L et every part of you belong to the Lord Jesus Christ. Do not allow your weak thoughts to lead you into sinful actions.

But be clothed with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not listen to the flesh, to fulfil its desires.