4. for it is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be in fear, for it does not bear the sword in vain. It is God’s servant to administer retribution on the wrongdoer.
5. Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of the wrath of the authorities but also because of your conscience.
6. For this reason you also pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants devoted to governing.
7. Pay everyone what is owed: taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due.
8. Owe no one anything, except to love one another, for the one who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.
9. For the commandments, “Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not covet,” (and if there is any other commandment) are summed up in this, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
10. Love does no wrong to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
11. And do this because we know the time, that it is already the hour for us to awake from sleep, for our salvation is now nearer than when we became believers.