Everybody must obey the civil authorities that are over him, for no authority exists except by God's permission; the existing authorities have been established by Him,

Stop owing anybody anything, except the obligation to love one another, for whoever practices loving others has perfectly satisfied the law.

Do this in particular because you know the present crisis, that it is high time for you to wake up out of your sleep, for our salvation is now nearer to us than when we first believed.

Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and put a stop to gratifying the evil desires that lurk in your lower nature.

For the civil authorities are God's servants to do you good. But if you practice doing wrong, you should dread them, for they do not wield the sword for nothing. Indeed, they are God's servants to inflict punishment upon people who do wrong.

For the commandments, "You must not commit adultery; you must not murder; you must not steal; you must not have an evil desire," and any other commandment if there is any, are summed up in this command, "You must love your neighbor as you do yourself."

Let us live becomingly for people who are in the light of day, not in carousing and drunkenness, nor in sexual immorality and licentiousness, nor in quarreling and jealousy.

Love never does a wrong to one's neighbor; so love is the perfect satisfaction of the law.

so that anyone who resists the authorities sets himself against what God has established, and those who set themselves against Him will get the penalty due them.

The night has almost passed; the day is at hand. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness, and put on the weapons of light.

Pay all of them what is due them -- tribute to the officer to receive it, taxes to the officer to receive them, respect to the man entitled to it, and honor to the man entitled to it.

For civil authorities are not a terror to the man who does right, but they are to the man who does wrong. Do you want to have no dread of the civil authorities? Then practice doing right and you will be commended for it.

Therefore, you must obey them, not only for the sake of escaping punishment, but also for conscience' sake;

for this is the reason why you pay your taxes, for the civil authorities are God's official servants faithfully devoting themselves to this very end.