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?

Or do you not know, brothers (for I am speaking to people who know about law), that the law controls a person for as long as he lives?

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 the married woman is bound by law to the husband while he lives, but if the husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage.

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, while her husband is living, if she lives with another man, she will be called an adulteress. But if the husband dies, she is free from the law, so she is not an adulteress if she lives 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.

Therefore, my brothers, you were also made dead to the law through the body of Christ. This is so that you could be joined to another, that is, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might produce 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 when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for 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. We have died to that by which we were held. This is so that we might serve in newness of the Spirit, and not in oldness of the letter.

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 will we say then? Is the law itself sin? May it never be. However, I would never have known sin, if it were not through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law said, “You must not covet.”

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

But sin took the opportunity through the commandment and brought about every lust in me. For without the law, sin is dead.

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

At one time I was alive without the law, but when the commandment came, sin regained life, and I died.

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

The commandment that was to bring life turned out to be death for me.

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

For sin took the opportunity through the commandment and deceived me. Through the commandment it killed me.

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

So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, 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.

So did what is good become death to me? May it never be. But sin, in order that it might be shown to be sin through what is good, brought about death in me. This was in order that through the commandment, sin might become sinful beyond measure.

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 I am of the flesh. I have been sold under slavery to 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 do, I do not really understand. For what I want to do, I do not do, and what I hate, I do.

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

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

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

But now it is no longer I who do it, but the sin that lives 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, lives no good thing. For the desire for good is with me, but I cannot do it.

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 want I do not do, but the evil that I do not want, that I do.

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.

Now if I do what I do not want to do, then it is no longer I who am acting, but rather sin that lives in me.

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

I find, then, the principle in me that I want to do what is good, but that evil is actually present in me.

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

For I rejoice in the law of God with the inner man.

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 see a different principle in my body parts. It fights against that new principle in my mind. It takes me captive by the principle of sin that is in my body parts.

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

I am a miserable man! Who will deliver me from this body 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.

But thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind. However, with the flesh I serve the principle of sin.