1 Let every soul be subject to the higher authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are ordained by God.2 Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will receive 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? 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 it is necessary to be subject, not only because of wrath but also because of conscience.6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God’s ministers attending continually to this very thing.7 Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.8 Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the Law.9 For: Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not covet; and if there is any other commandment, all are summed up in this saying, namely, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.10 Love does no evil to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the Law.11 And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time 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. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.13 Let us walk decently, as in the day, not in carousings and drunkenness, not in cohabitation and licentiousness, not in strife and envy.14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.

1 Euery soule be suget to heiyere powers. For ther is no power but of God, and tho thingis that ben of God, ben ordeyned.2 Therfor he that ayenstondith power, ayenstondith the ordynaunce of God; and thei that ayenstonden, geten to hem silf dampnacioun.3 For princes ben not to the drede of good work, but of yuel. But wilt thou, that thou drede not power? Do thou good thing, and thou schalt haue preisyng of it;4 for he is the mynystre of God to thee in to good. But if thou doist yuel, drede thou; for not with outen cause he berith the swerd, for he is the mynystre of God, vengere in to wraththe to hym that doith yuel.5 And therfor bi nede be ye suget, not oneli for wraththe, but also for conscience.6 For therfor ye yyuen tributis, thei ben the mynystris of God, and seruen for this same thing.7 Therfor yelde ye to alle men dettis, to whom tribut, tribut, to whom tol, tol, to whom drede, drede, to whom onour, onour.8 To no man owe ye ony thing, but that ye loue togidere. For he that loueth his neiybore, hath fulfillid the lawe.9 For, Thou schalt do no letcherie, Thou schalt not sle, Thou schalt not stele, Thou schalt not seie fals witnessyng, Thou schalt not coueyte the thing of thi neiybore, and if ther be ony othere maundement, it is instorid in this word, Thou schalt loue thi neiybore as thi silf.10 The loue of neiybore worchith not yuel; therfor loue is the fulfillyng of the lawe.11 And we knowen this tyme, that the our is now, that we rise fro sleep; for now oure heelthe is neer, than whanne we bileueden.12 The nyyt wente bifore, but the dai hath neiyed. Therfor caste we awei the werkis of derknessis, and be we clothid in the armeris of liyt.13 As in dai wandre we onestli, not in superflu feestis and drunkenessis, not in beddis and vnchastitees, not in strijf and in enuye;14 but be ye clothid in the Lord Jhesu Crist, and do ye not the bisynesse of fleisch in desiris.