Romans 13:4

Easy To Read Version

A ruler is God’s servant to help you. But if you do wrong, then be afraid. The ruler has the power to punish, and he will use that power. He is God’s servant to punish people that do wrong.

Cross References

1 Kings 10:9

Praise the Lord your God! He was pleased to make you king of Israel. The Lord God loves Israel. So he made you the king. You follow the law and treat people fairly.”

2 Chronicles 19:6

Jehoshaphat said to those judges, “Be careful in what you are doing, because you are not judging for people, but for the Lord. The Lord will be with you when you make a decision.

Proverbs 16:14

When a king is angry, he can kill someone. And a wise person will try to keep the king happy.

Proverbs 20:2

The anger of a king is like the roar of a lion. If you make the king angry, then you could lose your life.

Proverbs 20:26

A wise king will decide which people are evil. And that king will punish those people.

Proverbs 20:8

When the king sits and judges people, he must look carefully to separate the evil \{from the good\}.

Isaiah 1:17

Learn to do good things. Be fair with other people. Punish the people that hurt others. Help the children that have no parents. Help the women whose husbands are dead.”

Jeremiah 5:28

They have grown big and fat\par \{from the evil things they have done\}.\par There is no end to the evil things they do.\par They will not plead the case\par of children that have no parents.\par They will not help those orphans.\par They will not let poor people\par be judged fairly.\par

Ezekiel 22:27

“The leaders in Jerusalem are like a wolf eating the animal it has caught. Those leaders attack and kill people just to get rich.

Ezekiel 25:14

I will use my people Israel and get even against Edom. In this way, the people of Israel will show my anger against Edom. Then those people of Edom will know that I punished them.” The Lord my Master said these things.

Micah 3:9

Leaders of Jacob and rulers of Israel,\par listen to me!\par You hate the right way of living!\par If something is straight,\par then you make it crooked!\par

Romans 12:19

My friends, don’t try to punish people when they do wrong to you. Wait for God to punish them with his anger. It is written: “I am the One who punishes; I will pay people back,” {\cf2\super [132]} says the Lord.

Romans 13:6

And this is why you pay taxes too. Those rulers are working for God and give all their time to the work of ruling.

1 Thessalonians 4:6

None of you should do wrong to your brother \{in Christ\} or cheat him in this way. The Lord will punish people that do those things. We have already told you and warned you about that.

Joshua 20:5

But the man who is chasing that person might follow him to that city. If this happens, the leaders of the city must not give him up. They must protect the person who came to them for safety because he killed a person by accident. He was not angry and did not plan to kill the person. It was something that just happened.

Joshua 20:9

Any Israelite or any foreigner living among them who killed someone accidentally was allowed to run away to one of those cities of safety. Then the person could be safe there and would not be killed by anyone who was chasing him. The person would be judged by the court in that city.

1 Peter 2:14

And obey the leaders who are sent by the king. They are sent to punish people who do wrong and to praise those people who do good.