Romans 13
What Happens in This Chapter
Paul tells believers to obey the governing rulers, because God is the one who put authority in place, and to pay taxes and give respect and honor. He then says the only debt to keep owing is love, since loving your neighbor does what the whole law asks. He closes by saying the night is nearly over, so they should put away the deeds of darkness and clothe themselves with the Lord Jesus Christ.
Plain reading written for kids. Short sentences, everyday words, one idea at a time.
Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
1Everyone should obey the rulers who are in charge. No one has power to rule unless God allows it. The rulers who are in charge were placed there by God.
2Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.
2So anyone who fights against the rulers is fighting what God set up. People who do that will bring punishment on themselves.
In 1611, "damnation" meant a judgment or a punishment. Here it means the punishment the rulers give, not a final sentence forever.
3For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:
3Rulers are not scary to people who do good. They are scary to people who do wrong. Do you want to stop being afraid of the ruler? Then do what is right. He will say you did well.
4For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.
4The ruler is God's worker, there to help you. But if you do wrong, then be afraid. He does not carry a sword for nothing. He is God's worker, and he punishes people who do wrong.
"Minister" in old English meant a servant or a worker, not a church leader.
5Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.
5So you must obey the rulers. Not only because you fear being punished. Also because you know inside that it is right.
6For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God’s ministers, attending continually upon this very thing.
6This is also why you pay your taxes. The rulers are God's workers. They spend their days doing this very job.
"Tribute" and "custom" are old words for taxes and fees paid to the government.
7Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.
7Give every person what you owe them. Pay taxes to those who collect taxes. Pay fees to those who collect fees. Respect the ones who should be respected. Honor the ones who should be honored.
8Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
8Do not owe anyone anything. The one thing you always owe is to love each other. Whoever loves another person has done what God's law asks.
9For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
9The rules say this. Do not be unfaithful to the person you married. Do not murder. Do not steal. Do not tell lies about someone. Do not want what belongs to someone else. These rules, and every other rule, all fit into one short saying. Love your neighbor as much as you love yourself.
10Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
10Love never does anything to hurt a neighbor. So love does everything that God's law asks.
11And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.
11Do this, because you know what time it is. It is time to wake up from sleep. God's rescue is closer now than when we first believed.
12The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
12The night is almost over. Daylight is almost here. So let us stop doing the wrong things people do in the dark. Let us put on light, the way a soldier puts on armor.
13Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.
13Let us live in a good and honest way, the way people act in daylight. Not with wild parties or getting drunk. Not with sexual sin or doing whatever we please. Not with fighting or being jealous.
"Chambering and wantonness" is old English for sexual sin and wild living with no limits.
14But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.
14Instead, let the Lord Jesus Christ cover you like clothes. Do not make plans to feed the wrong things your body wants.
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