Romans 7

1 Are you ignorant, brothers—for to those knowing law I speak—that the law has lordship over the man as long as he lives?

Know you not, brothers, (for I speak to them that know the law, ) how that the law has dominion over a man as long as he lives?

2 For the married woman to the living husband has been bound by law, and if the husband may die, she has been free from the law of the husband;

For the woman which has an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he lives; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.

3 so then, the husband being alive, she will be called an adulteress if she may become another man’s; and if the husband may die, she is free from the law, so as not to be an adulteress, having become another man’s.

So then if, while her husband lives, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.

4 So that, my brothers, you also were made dead to the law through the body of the Christ, for your becoming another’s, who was raised up out of the dead, that we might bear fruit to God;

Why, my brothers, you also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that you should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit to God.

5 for when we were in the flesh, the passions of sins, that [are] through the Law, were working in our members, to bear fruit to death;

For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit to death.

6 and now we have ceased from the Law, that being dead in which we were held, so that we may serve in newness of spirit, and not in oldness of letter.

But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.

7 What, then, will we say? The Law [is] sin? Let it not be! But I did not know sin except through law, for also the covetousness I had not known if the Law had not said:

What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. No, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, You shall not covet.

8 “You will not covet”; and sin having received an opportunity, through the command, worked in me all covetousness—for apart from law sin is dead.

But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, worked in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.

9 And I was alive apart from law once, and the command having come, sin revived, and I died;

For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.

10 and the command that [is] for life, this was found by me for death;

And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be to death.

11 for sin, having received an opportunity, through the command, deceived me, and through it, slew [me],

For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.

12 so that the Law, indeed, [is] holy, and the command holy, and righteous, and good.

Why the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.

13 That which is good then, has it become death to me? Let it not be! But sin, that it might appear sin, through the good, working death to me, that sin might become exceedingly sinful through the command.

Was then that which is good made death to me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.

14 For we have known that the Law is spiritual, and I am fleshly, sold by sin;

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

15 for that which I work, I do not acknowledge; for not what I will, this I practice, but what I hate, this I do.

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

16 And if what I do not will, this I do, I consent to the Law that [it is] good,

If then I do that which I would not, I consent to the law that it is good.

17 and now it is no longer I that work it, but sin dwelling in me,

Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwells in me.

18 for I have known that there does not dwell in me, that is, in my flesh, good: for to will is present with me, and I do not find to work that which is right,

For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh, ) dwells no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

19 for the good that I will, I do not do; but the evil that I do not will, this I practice.

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

20 And if what I do not will, this I do, it is no longer I that work it, but sin that is dwelling in me.

Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwells in me.

21 I find, then, the law, that when I desire to do what is right, the evil is present with me,

I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.

22 for I delight in the Law of God according to the inward man,

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

23 and I behold another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin that [is] in my members.

But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

24 A wretched man I [am]! Who will deliver me out of the body of this death?

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

25 I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord; so then, I myself indeed serve the Law of God with the mind, and with the flesh, the law of sin.

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