1 Every person must submit himself to the governing authorities. No one has power to rule unless God permits it, you see, and the existing authorities have been set in place by God. 2 So then, if someone is rebelling against the authority, it is the appointment of God himself against which he is in rebellion, and those who are in rebellion will bring upon themselves punishment. 3 It isn’t those who do good, you see, who need to be afraid of rulers, but those who do evil. Would ˢyou like to live without having to be afraid of the authority? Continually do what is good, and you will receive praise from the governing authority, 4 because it is God’s very servant for ˢyour good. If ˢyou are doing, however, what is evil, then you should be afraid, because it is not without reason that it bears the sword. It is, again, the very servant of God, an avenger appointed to execute punishment against those who do evil. 5 That is why one must submit himself, not simply to avoid punishment, but also to maintain a clear conscience. 6 That is also the reason why ᵖyou pay taxes. The authorities are working in the service of God, you see, when they fulfill their duties, giving focused time and attention to their task. 7 Pay everyone what is owed them: To whom taxes are due, taxes; to whom revenue is due, revenue; to whom respect is due, respect; to whom honor is due, honor. 8 Let nothing you owe, to ­anyone, go unpaid, although there is one obligation you will never get out of: Loving one another. If a person loves his neighbor, it is Torah that he has fulfilled. 9 Indeed, the commandments, “ˢYou must not commit adultery,”+ “ˢYou must not murder,”+ “ˢYou must not steal,”+ “ˢYou must not covet,”+ and any other commandment besides, are summed up in this command: “ˢYou are to love your neighbor as yourself.”+ 10 Love, to its neighbor, does no harm. Love is the fulfillment, therefore, of Torah.

11 Yes, you must do this, since you understand the appointed time, that already here is the critical time for you to wake up from sleep. At this moment, you see, our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. 12 The night is almost over, the Day is drawing near! We must throw aside, therefore, the kinds of wicked things that people love to do in the darkness, and must put on the armor of light. 13 It is as people who belong to the daytime that we are to live our lives, honorably, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and licentious behaviors, not in strife and jealousy. 14 Rather, let the Lord Jesus the Messiah himself be your armor, and, in regard to the mortal nature, don’t let your minds plan ways to gratify its sinful desires.