Romans 7

1 Do you not know, brothers (for I am speaking to those who know the law), that the law has authority over a man only as long as he lives?

Or are ye ignorant, brethren (for I speak to men that know the law), how that the law hath dominion over a man for so long time as he liveth?

2 For instance, a married woman is bound by law to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage.

For the woman that hath a husband is bound by law to the husband while he liveth; but if the husband die, she is discharged from the law of the husband.

3 So then, if she is joined to another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law and is not an adulteress, even if she marries another man.

So then if, while the husband liveth, she be joined to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if the husband die, she is free from the law, so that she is no adulteress, though she be joined to another man.

4 Therefore, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God.

Wherefore, my brethren, ye also were made dead to the law through the body of Christ; that ye should be joined to another, [even] to him who was raised from the dead, that we might bring forth fruit unto God.

5 For when we lived according to the flesh, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our bodies, bearing fruit for death.

For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were through the law, wrought in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.

6 But now, having died to what bound us, we have been released from the law, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.

But now we have been discharged from the law, having died to that wherein we were holden; so that we serve in newness of the spirit, and not in oldness of the letter.

7 What then shall we say? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed, I would not have been mindful of sin if not for the law. For I would not have been aware of coveting if the law had not said, “Do not covet.”

What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Howbeit, I had not known sin, except through the law: for I had not known coveting, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet:

8 But sin, seizing its opportunity through the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from the law, sin is dead.

but sin, finding occasion, wrought in me through the commandment all manner of coveting: for apart from the law sin [is] dead.

9 Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died.

And I was alive apart from the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died;

10 So I discovered that the very commandment that was meant to bring life actually brought death.

and the commandment, which [was] unto life, this I found [to be] unto death:

11 For sin, seizing its opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through the commandment put me to death.

for sin, finding occasion, through the commandment beguiled me, and through it slew me.

12 So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous, and good.

So that the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and righteous, and good.

13 Did that which is good, then, become death to me? Certainly not! But in order that sin might be exposed as sin, it produced death in me through what was good, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.

Did then that which is good become death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might be shewn to be sin, by working death to me through that which is good; —that through the commandment sin might become exceeding sinful.

14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin.

For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.

15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do, I do not do. But what I hate, I do.

For that which I do I know not: for not what I would, that do I practise; but what I hate, that I do.

16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I admit that the law is good.

But if what I would not, that I do, I consent unto the law that it is good.

17 In that case, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

So now it is no more I that do it, but sin which dwelleth in me.

18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh; for I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.

For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me, but to do that which is good [is] not.

19 For I do not do the good I want to do. Instead, I keep on doing the evil I do not want to do.

For the good which I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I practise.

20 And if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

But if what I would not, that I do, it is no more I that do it, but sin which dwelleth in me.

21 So this is the principle I have discovered: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me.

I find then the law, that, to me who would do good, evil is present.

22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law.

For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:

23 But I see another law at work in my body, warring against the law of my mind and holding me captive to the law of sin that dwells within me.

but I see a different law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity under the law of sin which is in my members.

24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?

O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me out of the body of this death?

25 Thanks be to God, through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with my mind I serve the law of God, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.

I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then I myself with the mind serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.