12 Obey every officer of the government to please the Lord. Obey the king because he is over all.
13 Obey the rulers because they are sent by him. They are sent to punish those who do wrong things and to praise those who do good things.
14 That is what God wants you to do. He wants you to do good things. By doing good things, you will stop foolish people from saying wrong things about you. They say wrong things about you because they do not know you.