Bilingual reading

Let every soul be in subjection to the higher authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those who exist are ordained by God.

Therefore he who resists the authority withstands the ordinance of God; and those who withstand will receive to themselves judgment.

For rulers are not a terror to the good work, but to the evil. Do you desire to have no fear of the authority? Do that which is good, and you will have praise from the authority,

for he is a servant of God to you for good. But if you do that which is evil, be afraid, for he doesn’t bear the sword in vain; for he is a servant of God, an avenger for wrath to him who does evil.

Therefore you need to be in subjection, not only because of the wrath, but also for conscience’ sake.

For this reason you also pay taxes, for they are servants of God’s service, continually doing this very thing.

Therefore give everyone what you owe: if you owe taxes, pay taxes; if customs, then customs; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.

For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other commandments there are, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Love doesn’t harm a neighbor. Love therefore is the fulfillment of the law.

Do this, knowing the time, that it is already time for you to awaken out of sleep, for salvation is now nearer to us than when we first believed.

The night is far gone, and the day is near. Let’s therefore throw off the deeds of darkness, and let’s put on the armor of light.

Let’s walk properly, as in the day; not in reveling and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and lustful acts, and not in strife and jealousy.

But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, for its lusts.

لِيَخضَعْ كُلُّ ٱمرِئٍ لِلسُّلُطاتِ الَّتي بِأَيدِيها الأَمْر، فلا سُلْطَةَ إِلَّا مِن عِندِ الله، والسُّلُطاتُ القائِمة هو الَّذي أَقامَها

فمَن عارَضَ السُّلْطَةَ قاوَمَ النِّظامَ الَّذي أَرادَهُ الله، والمُقاوِمونَ يَجلُبونَ الحُكْمَ على أَنفُسِهم

فلا خَوفَ مِنَ الرُّؤَساءِ عِندَما يُفعَلُ الخَير، بل عِندَما يُفعَل الشَّرّ. أَتُريدُ أَلَّا تَخافَ السُّلْطَة؟ إِفعَلِ الخَيرَ تَنَلْ ثَناءَها

فإِنَّها في خِدمَةِ اللهِ في سَبيلِ خَيرِكَ. ولٰكِن خَفْ إِذا فَعَلتَ الشَّرّ، فإِنَّها لم تَتَقَلَّدِ السَّيفَ عَبَثًا، لأَنَّها في خِدمَةِ اللهِ كَيما تَنتَقِمُ لِغَضَبِه مِن فاعِلِ الشَّرّ

ولِذٰلِكَ لا بُدَّ مِنَ الخُضوع، لا خَوفًا مِنَ الغَضَبِ فَقَط، بل مُراعاةً لِلضَّميرِ أَيضًا

ولِذٰلِكَ تُؤَدُّونَ الضَّرائِب، والَّذينَ يَجْبُونَها هم خَدَمٌ للهِ يَعمَلونَ ذٰلِكَ بِنَشاط

أَدُّوا لِكُلٍّ حَقَّه: الضَّريبَةَ لِمَن لَه الضَّرِيبة، والخَراجَ لِمَن لَه الخَراج، والمَهابَةَ لِمَن لَه المَهابَة، والإِكرامَ لِمَن لَه الإِكرام

لا يَكونَنَّ علَيكم لِأَحَدٍ دَيْنٌ إِلَّا حُبُّ بَعضِكُم لِبَعْض، فمَن أَحَبَّ غَيرَه أَتَمَّ الشَّريعة

فإِنَّ الوَصايا الَّتي تَقول: «لا تَزْنِ، لا تَقتُلْ، لا تَسْرِقْ، لا تَشتَهِ» وسِواها مِنَ الوَصايا، مُجتَمِعَةٌ في هٰذِهِ الكَلِمَة: «أَحبِبْ قَريبَكَ حُبَّكَ لِنَفْسِكَ»

فالمَحبَّةُ لا تَنزِلُ بِالقَريبِ شَرًّا، فالمَحبَّةُ إِذًا كَمالُ الشَّريعة

هٰذا وإِنَّكُم لَعالِمونَ بِأَيِّ وَقْتٍ نَحنُ: قد حانَت ساعةُ تَنَبُّهِكم مِنَ النَّوم، فإِنَّ الخَلاصَ أَقرَبُ إِلَينا الآنَ مِنه يَومَ آمَنَّا

قد تَناهى اللَّيلُ وٱقتَرَبَ اليَوم. فلْنَخْلَعْ أَعمالَ الظَّلام ولْنَلْبَس سِلاحَ النُّور

لِنَسِرْ سيرةً كَريمةً كما نَسيرُ في وَضَحِ النَّهار. لا قَصْفٌ ولا سُكْر، ولا فاحِشَةٌ ولا فُجور، ولا خِصامٌ ولا حَسَد

بلِ ٱلبَسوا الرَّبَّ يسوعَ المسيح، ولا تُشغَلوا بِالجَسَدِ لِقَضاءِ شَهَواتِه