New Testament · Easy read · Romans
Romans 13
1Let every soul submit to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except under God, and those that exist have been appointed by God.
2So the one who resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God, and those who have opposed will receive verdict on themselves.
3For rulers are not a fear to good works but to evil — do you want to have no fear of the authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from it,
4for it is a servant of God to you for good; but if you do evil, fear — for it does not bear the sword in vain, for it is a servant of God, an avenger for wrath to the one who practices evil.
5Therefore it is necessary to submit — not only because of wrath but also because of conscience.
6For this reason you also pay taxes, for they are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing.
7Render to all what is owed: taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, fear to whom fear is due, honor to whom honor is due.
8Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another, for the one who loves the other has fulfilled the law.
9For the commandments — "You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet" — and if there is any other commandment, are summed up in this word: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
10Love works no evil to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
11And knowing this appointed time — that it is already the that hour for you to awaken from sleep — for now our Salvation is nearer than when we first believed.
12The night has advanced and the day has drawn near; so let us put aside the works of darkness and put on the weapons of light.
13Let us walk properly as in the daytime — not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and licentiousness, not in strife and jealousy —
14but put on the Lord Yeshua Messiah and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its desires.