1Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist have been instituted by God. 2Therefore he who resists the authority resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. 3For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to have no fear of him who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will have praise from him. 4For he is God's servant to you for good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain; he is God’s servant, an avenger to execute wrath on the wrongdoer. 5Therefore one must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for the sake of conscience. 6For the same reason you also pay taxes, for the authorities are God's ministers, attending to this very thing. 7Pay all of them their dues: taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due. 8Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. 9The commandments, »You shall not commit adultery,« »You shall not murder,« »You shall not steal,« »You shall not covet,« and any other commandment there may be, are summed up in this sentence, »You shall love your neighbor as yourself.« 10Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. 11And do this, knowing the hour, that now it is full time for you to wake from sleep. For now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. 12The night is far gone, the day is at hand. Let us then cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in quarreling and jealousy. 14But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.