The phrase first appeared in the
Tyndale Bible,
William Tyndale's 1526 translation of Romans Chapter 13 verse 1 in the
New Testament, as: "Let every soul submit himself unto the authority of the
higher powers. There is no power but of God. The powers that be, are ordained of God". In the 1611
King James Version it became, "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: The powers that be are ordained of God." (), whence it eventually passed into popular language. The phrase comes from a translation of the ; is also translated as "authorities" in some other translations. ==Examples==