HEBREWS 13:17

Listening to AM radio, I finally got the citation for verses which some people have claimed require strict obedience to our political leaders because that is what God wants. I thought this might be a problem with the translation so I went to Crosswalk and got 6 different ones:

The New Revised Standard Version
13:17
Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls and will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with sighing—for that would be harmful to you.

The American Standard Version
13:17
Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit [to them]: for they watch in behalf of your souls, as they that shall give account; that they may do this with joy, and not with grief: for this [were] unprofitable for you.

The King James Version (Authorized)
13:17
Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.

The New American Standard Bible
13:17
Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.

The New King James Version
13:17
Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.

The Douay-Rheims Bible
13:17
Obey your prelates and be subject to them. For they watch as being to render an account of your souls: that they may do this with joy and not with grief. For this is not expedient for you.

I next looked at some of the commentaries available at Crosswalk:

Matthew Henry Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
The apostle then states what is their duty to living ministers; to obey and submit to them, so far as is agreeable to the mind and will of God, made known in his word. Christians must not think themselves too wise, too good, or too great, to learn. The people must search the Scriptures, and so far as the ministers teach according to that rule, they ought to receive their instructions
as the word of God, which works in those that believe.

John Wesley's Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible
How vigilant then ought every pastor to be! How careful of every soul committed to his charge! ... Whoever answers this character of a Christian pastor may undoubtedly demand this obedience.

The commentaries indicate that "those who rule over you" or "leaders" refer to priests, pastors, ministers, etc., NOT political leaders but only the Catholic translation (Douay-Rheims) makes this clear. Of course, if Falwell, Dobson and Weyrich get their way, there will be no distinction between religious and political leaders.