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 unto them that understand the law am I speaking, that, the law, hath lordship over a men as long 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 married woman, unto her living husband is bound by law; but, if her husband have died, she hath received a full release from the law of her 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.

Hence then, her husband being alive, an adulteress, shall she be called—if she become another man’s, but, if the husband have died, she is free from the law; so that she is not an adulteress, though she become another man’s.

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.

So, then, my brethren, ye also, were made dead unto the law through the body of the Christ, to the end ye might become another’s—his who from among the dead was raised, in order 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 susceptibilities of sins which were through the law, used to be energized in our members unto the bringing forth of 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 received full release from the law, by dying [in that] wherein we used to be held fast, so that we should be doing service—in newness of spirit and not in obsoleteness of 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, then, shall we say? Is the law sin? Far be it! On the contrary, I had not discovered, sin, save through law, for even, of coveting, I had not been aware if, the law, had not kept on saying—Thou shall 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.

Howbeit sin taking, occasion—through the commandment, wrought out in me all manner of coveting; for, apart from 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 law, at one time, but, the commandment coming, sin sprang up to life,

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

Whereas, I, died, —and the commandment which was unto life was found by me to be, itself, unto death;

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

For, sin, —taking occasion—through the commandment, completely deceived 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, indeed, 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, unto me become death? Far be it! But [it was] sin, that it might appear sin, through that which was good unto me working out death, in order that, exceeding sinful, might sin become through the commandment.

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, —I, however, am a creature of flesh, 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 am working out, I do not approve, —for not, what I wish, the same I practise, but, what I hate, the same I do:

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

Now, if what I wish not the same I do, I consent unto the law that [it is] right.

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

Now, however, no longer am, I, working it out, but the, sin, that 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.

I know, in fact, that there dwelleth not in me, that is, in my flesh, anything good; for, the wishing, lieth near me, but, the working out of what is right, 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 not, the good that I wish, I do, but, the evil that I do not wish, the same 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.

Now, if what I wish not, the same, I do, no longer am, I, working it out, but the, sin, that dwelleth in me.

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

Hence, I find the law, to me who wish to be doing the right, that, unto me, the wrong lieth near:

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

I have, in fact, a sympathetic pleasure in the law of God; according to the inner 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 behold a diverse law in my members, warring against the law of my mind and taking me captive in the law of sin which existeth in my members: —

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

Wretched, man am, I! Who shall rescue me out of this body doomed to 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.

[But] thanks be unto God!—Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Hence, then, —I myself, with the mind, indeed, am in servitude unto a law of God; but; with the flesh; unto a law of sin.