But then David's conscience began to hurt,

and he said to his men, "May the LORD keep me from doing any harm to my master, whom the LORD chose as king! I must not harm him in the least, because he is the king chosen by the LORD!"

Do what the king says, and don't make any rash promises to God.

Remind your people to submit to rulers and authorities, to obey them, and to be ready to do good in every way.

Tell them not to speak evil of anyone, but to be peaceful and friendly, and always to show a gentle attitude toward everyone.

For the sake of the Lord submit yourselves to every human authority: to the Emperor, who is the supreme authority,

For God wants you to silence the ignorant talk of foolish people by the good things you do.

And so I do my best always to have a clear conscience before God and people.

Keep on praying for us. We are sure we have a clear conscience, because we want to do the right thing at all times.

God will bless you for this, if you endure the pain of undeserved suffering because you are conscious of his will.

but do it with gentleness and respect. Keep your conscience clear, so that when you are insulted, those who speak evil of your good conduct as followers of Christ will become ashamed of what they say.