Romans 7

1 Or do you not know, brothers (for I speak to those who know the law), that the law has authority over a person for as long as he lives?

Surely, brothers, you know (for I am speaking to those who know what law means) that law governs a person only during his lifetime?

2 For the 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 concerning the husband.

For a married woman who has a husband is bound by law to her husband during his lifetime; but if her husband dies, she is released from the law of her husband.

3 So then if, while the husband lives, she is joined to another man, she is called an adulteress. But if the husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is not an adulteress, though she is joined to another man.

So then, if during her husband lifetime, she unites herself with another man, she will be counted an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from the Law, so that she is no adulteress, even if she unites herself with another man.

4 Therefore, my brothers, you also were made dead to the law through the body of Messiah, that you would be joined to another, to him who was raised from the dead, that we may bear fruit to God.

So also, my brother, you were made dead to the Law through the body of Christ; that you should be joined to another, even to Him who was raised from the dead that we might bear fruit for God.

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

For while we were unspiritual, the sinful passions, aroused by the Law, were ever active in every part of our bodies, leading us to bear fruit unto death.

6 But now we have been released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit, and not in oldness of the letter.

But now we have been released from the Law, because we are dead to that in which we were held; so that we are now in thraldom in new and spiritual conditions, and not under the old written code.

7 What should we say then? Is the law sin? Absolutely not. However, I would not have known sin, except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness, unless the law had said, "Do not covet."

What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? Certainly not. On the contrary I should not have become acquainted with sin had it not been for the Law; for except the Law had repeatedly said, "Thou shalt not lust," I should never have known the sin of lust.

8 But sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin is dead.

But when sin had gained a vantage-ground, by means of the commandment, it stirred up within me all manner of lust; for where there is no law, sin is dead.

9 I was alive apart from the law once, but when the commandment came, sin became alive, and I died.

Once I lived apart from the Law, myself; but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died;

10 The commandment, which was for life, this I found to be for death;

and the very commandment which should have meant life, this I found to mean death.

11 for sin, taking the opportunity through the commandment, deceived me, and through it killed me.

For sin, when it had gained a vantage-ground through the commandment, beguiled me, and through it slew me.

12 Therefore the law indeed is holy, and the commandment holy, and righteous, and good.

So then the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.

13 Did that which is good, then, become death to me? Absolutely not. But sin, that it might be shown to be sin, by working death to me through that which is good; that through the commandment sin might become exceeding sinful.

Did then that which was good become for me death? Never! but sin did; that it might be manifest as sin, by that the unutterable malignity of sin might become plain through the commandment.

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

For we know that the Law is spiritual; but as for me, I am a creature of flesh, bought and sold under the dominion of sin.

15 For I do not know what I am doing. For I do not practice what I desire to do; but what I hate, that I do.

For what I perform I know not; what I practise is not what I intend to do, but what I detest, that I habitually do.

16 But if I do what I do not want to do, I agree with the law that it is good.

If then I habitually do what I do not intend to do, I am consenting to the Law, that it is right.

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

And now it is longer I myself who do the deed, but it is sin which has its home in me.

18 For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwells no good thing. For the desire is present in me, but the doing of the good is not.

For I know that in me, that is in my flesh, no good thing has its home; for while to will is present with me, to carry out that which is right is not.

19 For the good which I desire, I do not do; but the evil which I do not desire, that I practice.

For the good that I intend to do, I do not; but the evil which I do not; but the evil which I do not intend to do, that I am ever practising.

20 But if what I do not desire, that I do, it is no more I that do it, but sin which dwells in me.

But if I do the very thing I do not intend to do, it is no more I who practise it, but sin which has its home in me.

21 I find then the law, that, to me, while I desire to do good, evil is present.

I find, then, this law, that when I intend to do good, evil is ever present with me.

22 For I delight in God's law in my inner being,

For in my inmost self I delight in the law of God;

23 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.

but I find a different law in my bodily faculties, waging war with the law of my will, and taking me prisoner to that law of sin which is in my bodily faculties.

24 What a wretched man I am. Who will deliver me out of the body of this death?

Oh, wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from this slave of death?

25 Thanks be to God through Jesus (the) Messiah, our Lord. So then with the mind, I myself serve God's law, but with the flesh, the sin's law.

Oh, thank God! it is through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then I myself in my will am in thraldom to the law of God; yet in my animal nature I am in thraldom to the law of sin.