Romans 7

1 Do you not know, brothers (for I am speaking to those who know the law), that the law has dominion over a person only as long as he lives?

Are ye ignorant, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law) that the law hath power over a man, only so long as it liveth?

2 For a married woman is bound by the law to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law concerning her husband.

For a married woman is bound by the law to her husband while he is living; but if her husband die, she is discharged from the law of her husband.

3 So then, she will be called an adulteress if she is joined to another man while her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law and is not committing adultery if she is joined to another man.

Therefore while her husband is living, she shall be called an adulteress if she become another man's: but if her husband be dead, she is free from the law; so that she is not an adulteress, though she become another man's.

4 So then, my brothers, you also were put to death with respect to the law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to him who was raised from the dead, so that we might bear fruit for God.

And thus, my brethren, ye also are dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye might become another's, even his who is raised from the dead, that we might bring forth fruit unto God.

5 For when we were in the flesh, our sinful passions, which were aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit leading to death.

For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions while we were under the law operated in our bodies so as to bring forth fruit unto death.

6 But now we have been released from the law, having died to that by which we were held, so that we may serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.

But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead by which we were bound, that we might serve God in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.

7 What then shall we say? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Yet I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness if the law had not said, “Yoʋ shall not covet.”

What shall we say then? is the law sin? God forbid! Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust to be sinful, if the law had not said, "Thou shalt not covet."

8 But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetousness. For apart from the law sin is dead.

But sin taking occasion by the commandment wrought in me all manner of concupiscence: for without the law sin was dead.

9 Once I was alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came to life and I died.

And I was heretofore alive without the law: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died:

10 So I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death.

and the commandment which was intended to life, I found to be unto death.

11 For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me.

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

12 So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous, and good.

So that the law is holy; and the commandment holy, and just, and good.

13 Has that then which is good brought death to me? Certainly not! But sin, so that it would be shown to be sin, produced death in me through that which is good, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.

Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid! But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good: that sin might be shewn by the commandment to be exceeding sinful.

14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold as a slave to sin.

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

15 I do not understand what I do. Instead of doing what I want to do, I do the very thing I hate.

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

16 Now if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good.

And if I do that which I would not, I consent to the law that it is good:

17 But now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.

but now I am no more the doer of it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. I have the desire to do what is right, but I find that the ability to carry it out is lacking.

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

19 For I do not do the good that I want to do, but I do the very evil that I do not want to do.

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

20 Now if I do the very thing I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.

Now if I do that which I would not, I am no more the doer of it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

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

I find then a kind of law, that when I would do good, evil besets me.

22 For I delight in the law of God in my inner being,

For I delight in the law of God, as to the inward man:

23 but I see another law at work in my members, warring against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner to the law of sin that is in my members.

but I perceive another law in my body warring against the law of my mind, and captivating me to the law of sin, which is in my body.

24 Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?

Wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from this body of death?

25 I thank God that he will do so 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.

The grace of God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with my mind I serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.