Romans 7
1 Know ye not, brethren, (for I am speaking to those who are acquainted with the Law, ) that the Law hath dominion over a man only as long as he liveth?
Ndugu zangu, bila shaka mtaelewa yafuatayo, maana ninawazungumzia watu wanaojua Sheria. Sheria humtawala mtu wakati akiwa hai.
2 For the married woman is bound by law to her husband while he liveth; but if the husband die, she is released from the law which bound her to him.
Mathalan: mwanamke aliyeolewa anafungwa na sheria muda wote mumewe anapokuw hai; lakini mumewe akifa, hiyo sheria haimtawali tena huyo mwanamke.
3 So then, if while her husband is living she connect herself with another man, she will be called an adulteress; but if her husband die, she is no longer bound by that law, so that she will not be an adulteress, though she connect herself with another man.
Hivyo mwanamke huyo akiishi na mwanamume mwingine wakati mumewe yungali hai, ataitwa mzinzi; lakini mumewe akifa, mwanamke huyo yu huru kisheria, na akiolewa na mwanamume mwingine, yeye si mzinzi.
4 So then, my brethren, ye also were slain to the Law through the body of Christ, that ye might be connected with another, even with him who was raised from the dead, that we might bear fruit to God.
Hali kadhalika ninyi ndugu zangu: ninyi pia mmekufa kuhusu Sheria kwa kuwa ninyi ni sehemu ya mwili wa Kristo; sasa mmekuwa wake yeye aliyefufuliwa kutoka wafu ili tupate kuzaa matunda mema kwa ajili ya Mungu.
5 For when we were in the flesh, the affections of sins, which were through the Law, were working in our members to bear fruit unto death.
Maana, tulipokuwa tukiishi kimaumbile tu, tamaa mbaya zikichochewa na Sheria, zilifanya kazi katika miili yetu, na kuchuma pato la kifo.
6 But now we are delivered from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, that we might serve in the new life of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the letter.
Lakini sasa tumekuwa huru kutoka vifungo vya Sheria, kwa sababu tumekufa kuhusu lile jambo lililotufanya sisi watumwa. Sasa tunatumikia kufuatana na maisha mapya ya Roho, na si kufuatana na hali ile ya kale ya Sheria iliyoandikwa.
7 What then shall we say? Is the Law sin? God forbid! But I should not have known sin, except by the Law; for I should not have known sinful desire, unless the Law had said, “Thou shalt not covet.”
Je, tuseme basi, kwamba Sheria ni dhambi? Hata kidogo! Lakini bila Sheria, mimi nisingalijua dhambi ni kitu gani. Maana, nisingalijua ni nini hasa kutamani mabaya, kama Sheria isingalikuwa imesema: “Usitamani.”
8 But sin, seizing the opportunity, wrought in me by means of the commandment all manner of sinful desire; for without the Law sin is dead.
Kwa kuitumia hiyo amri, dhambi ilipata fursa ya kuamsha kila aina ya tamaa mbaya ndani yangu. Maana, bila Sheria dhambi ni kitu kilichokufa.
9 And I, apart from the Law, was once alive; but when the commandment came, sin came to life again, and I died;
Wakati mmoja mimi nilikuwa hai mbali na Sheria; lakini amri ilipokuja, dhambi ilifufuka,
10 and the very commandment whose design was life, I found to issue in death.
nami nikafa. Hiyo amri ambayo shabaha yake ilikuwa kuleta uhai, kwangu imeleta kifo.
11 For sin, seizing the opportunity, deceived me through the commandment, and through it slew me.
Maana, dhambi ilichukua fursa iliyopatiwa na amri hiyo, ikanidanganya na kuniua.
12 So that the Law is holy, and the commandment holy, and right, and good.
Basi, Sheria yenyewe ni takatifu, na amri yenyewe ni takatifu, ni ya haki na nzuri.
13 Did then that which is good become death to me? Far be it! but sin; that it might become manifest as sin, causing death to me by means of that which is good; that sin by means of the commandment might become exceedingly sinful.
Je, hii inamaanisha kwamba kile kilicho kizuri kimesababisha kifo changu? Hata kidogo! Iliyo ni kwamba, dhambi, ili ionekane dhahiri kuwa ni dhambi, imekitumia kile kilicho kizuri na kusababisha kifo changu. Hivyo dhambi, kwa njia ya ile amri, ilijionyesha kikamilifu jinsi ilivyo mbaya mno.
14 For we know that the Law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, a slave sold to sin.
Tunajua kwamba Sheria ni ya kiroho, lakini mimi ni wa kidunia, mimi nimeuzwa kuwa mtumwa wa dhambi.
15 For I know not what I do. For I do not what I would, but I do what I hate.
Sielewi nifanyacho, maana kile ninachotaka sikifanyi, bali kile ninachochukia ndicho nikifanyacho.
16 But if I do what I would not, I assent to the Law that it is good.
Ikiwa basi, ninatenda kinyume cha matakwa yangu, hii inamaanisha kwamba nakubali kuwa ile Sheria ni nzuri.
17 Now, however, it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
Basi, si mimi hasa ninayefanya kitu hicho, bali ile dhambi iliyo ndani yangu.
18 For I know that there dwelleth not in me, that is, in my flesh, any good thing; for to desire is present with me, but not to perform that which is good.
Najua kwamba hamna jema lolote ndani yangu mimi, kadiri ya ubinadamu wangu. Kwa maana, ingawa nataka kufanya jambo jema, siwezi kulitekeleza.
19 For the good that I would, I do not; but the evil which I would not, that I do.
Yaani, badala ya kufanya lile jambo jema ninalotaka, nafanya lile baya nisilotaka.
20 But if I do what I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
Basi, kama ninafanya kinyume cha matakwa yangu, hii inamaanisha kwamba si mimi ninayefanya hayo, bali ni ile dhambi iliyo ndani yangu.
21 I find then that there is a law to me, that when I would do good, evil is present with me.
Basi, nimegundua kanuni hii: ninataka kufanya jema, lakini najikuta kwamba lile lililo baya ndilo ninalochagua.
22 For I delight in the Law of God, as to the inward man;
Ndani kabisa katika moyo wangu naifurahia sheria ya Mungu.
23 but I perceive 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.
Lakini naona kwamba kuna sheria nyingine inayofanya kazi mwilini mwangu, sheria ambayo inapingana na ile inayokubaliwa na akili yangu. Hiyo inanifanya niwe mtumwa wa sheria ya dhambi ifanyayo kazi mwilini mwangu.
24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from the body of this death?
Maskini miye! Nani atakayeniokoa kutoka katika mwili huu unaonipeleka kifoni?
25 Thanks be to God, [[who hath delivered me]] through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then, I, the same person, with the mind serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.
Shukrani kwa Mungu afanyaye hayo kwa njia ya Bwana wetu Yesu Kristo! Hii basi, ndiyo hali yangu: mimi binafsi, kwa akili yangu, ninaitumikia sheria ya dhambi.
