---
title: "Romans 13 – Catholic Bible (CPDV) & Latin Vulgate · Bless"
url: https://blessbible.app/bible/romans/13/
description: "Lessons of obedience to superiors and mutual charity. Romans 13 in the Catholic Public Domain Version, with the Latin Vulgate."
---

# Romans 13

Romans 13 is chapter 13 of 16 in the Letter to the Romans. Here are all 14 verses in the Catholic Public Domain Version, with the Latin of the Clementine Vulgate beside them.

> Lessons of obedience to superiors and mutual charity.
>
> — Bp. Richard Challoner, chapter summary

## Romans 13 (Catholic Public Domain Version)

1. Let every soul be subject to higher authorities. For there is no authority except from God and those who have been ordained by God.
2. And so, whoever resists authority, resists what has been ordained by God. And those who resist are acquiring damnation for themselves.
3. For leaders are not a source of fear to those who work good, but to those who work evil. And would you prefer not to be afraid of authority? Then do what is good, and you shall have praise from them.
4. For he is a minister of God for you unto good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid. For it is not without reason that he carries a sword. For he is a minister of God; an avenger to execute wrath upon whomever does evil.
5. For this reason, it is necessary to be subject, not solely because of wrath, but also because of conscience.
6. Therefore, you must also offer tribute. For they are the ministers of God, serving him in this.
7. Therefore, render to all whatever is owed. Taxes, to whom taxes is due; revenue, to whom revenue is due; fear, to whom fear is due; honor, to whom honor is due.
8. You should owe nothing to anyone, except so as to love one another. For whoever loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.
9. For example: You shall not commit adultery. You shall not kill. You shall not steal. You shall not speak false testimony. You shall not covet. And if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this word: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
10. The love of neighbor does no harm. Therefore, love is the plenitude of the law.
11. And we know the present time, that now is the hour for us to rise up from sleep. For already our salvation is closer than when we first believed.
12. The night has passed, and the day draws near. Therefore, let us cast aside the works of darkness, and be clothed with the armor of light.
13. Let us walk honestly, as in the daylight, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in promiscuity and sexual immorality, not in contention and envy.
14. Instead, be clothed with the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in its desires.

## Romans 13 in Latin (Clementine Vulgate, 1592)

1. Omnis anima potestatibus sublimioribus subdita sit: non est enim potestas nisi a Deo: quæ autem sunt, a Deo ordinatæ sunt.
2. Itaque qui resistit potestati, Dei ordinationi resistit. Qui autem resistunt, ipsi sibi damnationem acquirunt:
3. nam principes non sunt timori boni operis, sed mali. Vis autem non timere potestatem? Bonum fac: et habebis laudem ex illa:
4. Dei enim minister est tibi in bonum. Si autem malum feceris, time: non enim sine causa gladium portat. Dei enim minister est: vindex in iram ei qui malum agit.
5. Ideo necessitate subditi estote non solum propter iram, sed etiam propter conscientiam.
6. Ideo enim et tributa præstatis: ministri enim Dei sunt, in hoc ipsum servientes.
7. Reddite ergo omnibus debita: cui tributum, tributum: cui vectigal, vectigal: cui timorem, timorem: cui honorem, honorem.
8. Nemini quidquam debeatis, nisi ut invicem diligatis: qui enim diligit proximum, legem implevit.
9. Nam: Non adulterabis: non occides: non furaberis: non falsum testimonium dices: non concupisces: et si quod est aliud mandatum, in hoc verbo instauratur: diliges proximum tuum sicut teipsum.
10. Dilectio proximi malum non operatur. Plenitudo ergo legis est dilectio.
11. Et hoc scientes tempus: quia hora est jam nos de somno surgere. Nunc enim propior est nostra salus, quam cum credidimus.
12. Nox præcessit, dies autem appropinquavit. Abjiciamus ergo opera tenebrarum, et induamur arma lucis.
13. Sicut in die honeste ambulemus: non in comessationibus, et ebrietatibus, non in cubilibus, et impudicitiis, non in contentione, et æmulatione:
14. sed induimini Dominum Jesum Christum, et carnis curam ne feceritis in desideriis.

## Catechism of the Catholic Church

Paragraph numbers and the Catechism's own section headings (never quoted); text at vatican.va.
- CCC ¶ 1899: Authority ([vatican.va index](https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM))
- cf. CCC ¶ 2238: The Authorities In Civil Society ([vatican.va index](https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM))
- CCC ¶ 2240: The Authorities In Civil Society ([vatican.va index](https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM))
- CCC ¶ 1824: The Theological Virtues ([vatican.va index](https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM))
- CCC ¶ 2196: You Shall Love Your Neighbor As Yourself ([vatican.va index](https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM))
- CCC ¶ 2845: "And Forgive Us Our Trespasses, as We Forgive Those Who Trespass AGAINST US" ([vatican.va index](https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM))
- CCC ¶ 2055: The Ten Commandments ([vatican.va index](https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM))

## The saints

- “Take up and read; take up and read.” — St. Augustine of Hippo, Confessions, VIII.12, c. 400 (On this verse: verse 13)
- “Love, and do what thou wilt.” — St. Augustine of Hippo, Homilies on 1 John, VII.8, c. 407 (On this theme: verse 10)

## Read at Mass (US)

- Wed, Nov 3, 2027 (computed): Wednesday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time — First Reading, Romans 13:8-10
- Sun, Dec 3, 2028 (computed): First Sunday of Advent — Second Reading, Romans 13:11-14

Dates after May 31, 2027 are computed by Bless from the US Lectionary cycle — confirm with your parish.

Source: Catholic Public Domain Version (Ronald L. Conte Jr., 2009), public domain; Latin: Clementine Vulgate (1592).