Understand every verse you read with Bible Gateway Plus. Read Scripture ad-free and access trusted study tools beside every passage. Try it FREE for 7 days.
Log In/Sign Up

#
Romans 13
New King James Version

### Submit to Government

13 Let every soul be (A)subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists (B)the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will [a]bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? (C)Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. 4 For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. 5 Therefore (D)you must be subject, not only because of wrath (E)but also for conscience’ sake. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God’s ministers attending continually to this very thing. 7 (F)Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.

### Love Your Neighbor(G)

8 Owe no one anything except to love one another, for (H)he who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, (I)“You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” [b]“You shall not bear false witness,” “You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, (J)“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore (K)love is the fulfillment of the law.

### Put on Christ

11 And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time (L)to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. (M)Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and (N)let us put on the armor of light. 13 (O)Let us walk [c]properly, as in the day, (P)not in revelry and drunkenness, (Q)not in lewdness and lust, (R)not in strife and envy. 14 But (S)put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and (T)make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.

#### Footnotes

1. Romans 13:2 Lit. receive
2. Romans 13:9 NU omits “You shall not bear false witness,”
3. Romans 13:13 decently

#### Cross references

1. Romans 13:1 : Titus 3:1; 1 Pet. 2:13
2. Romans 13:2 : [Titus 3:1]
3. Romans 13:3 : 1 Pet. 2:14
4. Romans 13:5 : Eccl. 8:2
5. Romans 13:5 : Acts 24:16; [1 Pet. 2:13, 19]
6. Romans 13:7 : Matt. 22:21; Mark 12:17; Luke 20:25
7. Romans 13:8 : cf. Mark 12:31; James 2:8
8. Romans 13:8 : [Matt. 7:12; 22:39; John 13:34; Rom. 13:10; Gal. 5:13, 14; 1 Tim. 1:5; James 2:8]
9. Romans 13:9 : Ex. 20:13–17; Deut. 5:17–21; Matt. 19:18
10. Romans 13:9 : Lev. 19:18; Mark 12:31; James 2:8
11. Romans 13:10 : [Matt. 7:12; 22:39, 40; John 13:34]; Rom. 13:8; Gal. 5:14; James 2:8
12. Romans 13:11 : Mark 13:37; [1 Cor. 15:34; Eph. 5:14]; 1 Thess. 5:6
13. Romans 13:12 : Eph. 5:11
14. Romans 13:12 : [2 Cor. 6:7; 10:4; Eph. 6:11, 13; 1 Thess. 5:8]
15. Romans 13:13 : Phil. 4:8
16. Romans 13:13 : Prov. 23:20
17. Romans 13:13 : [1 Cor. 6:9]
18. Romans 13:13 : James 3:14
19. Romans 13:14 : Job 29:14; Gal. 3:27; [Eph. 4:24; Col. 3:10, 12]
20. Romans 13:14 : [Gal. 5:16]; 1 Pet. 2:11

New King James Version (NKJV)

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

#### Bible Gateway Recommends

NKJV, Woman's Study Bible, Red Letter, Full-Color: Receiving God's Truth for Balance, Hope, and Transformation
Retail: $49.99
Our Price: $34.99
Save: $15.00 (30%)
Buy Now
NKJV, Chronological Study Bible, Comfort Print: Holy Bible, New King James Version
Retail: $49.99
Our Price: $34.99
Save: $15.00 (30%)
Buy Now
NKJV, Spirit-Filled Life Bible, Third Edition, Red Letter Edition, Comfort Print: Kingdom Equipping Through the Power of the Word
Retail: $59.99
Our Price: $41.99
Save: $18.00 (30%)
Buy Now
NKJV, The Story: The Bible as One Continuing Story of God and His People
Retail: $19.98
Our Price: $13.99
Save: $5.99 (30%)
Buy Now
NKJV, Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, 2nd Edition, Comfort Print: Growing in Knowledge and Understanding of God Through His Word
Retail: $59.99
Our Price: $41.99
Save: $18.00 (30%)
Buy Now
NKJV, The Prayer Bible, Red Letter, Comfort Print
Retail: $59.99
Our Price: $35.99
Save: $24.00 (40%)
Buy Now
View more titles