Romans 7
1 Remember ye not brethren (I speake to them yt know the lawe) how that the lawe hath power over a man as longe as it endureth?
Surely, Brothers, you know (for I am speaking to men who know what Law means) that Law has power over a man only as long as he lives.
2 For the woman which is in subieccion to a man is bounde by the lawe to the man as longe as he liveth. Yf the man be deed she is lowsed from the lawe of the man.
For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband while he is living; but, if her husband dies, she is set free from the law that bound her to him.
3 So then yf whill the man liveth she couple her selfe with another man she shalbe counted a wedlocke breaker. But yf the man be deed she is fre fro the lawe: so that she is no wedlocke breaker though she couple her selfe with another man.
If, then, during her husband’s lifetime, she unites herself to another man, she will be called an adulteress; but, if her husband dies, the law has no further hold on her, nor, if she unites herself to another man, is she an adulteress.
4 Even so ye my brethren are deed concerninge the lawe by the body of Christ yt ye shuld be coupled to another (I meane to him that is rysen agayne fro deeth) that we shuld bringe forth frute vnto God.
And so with you, my Brothers; as far as the Law was concerned, you underwent death in the crucified body of the Christ, so that you might be united to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that our lives might bear fruit for God.
5 For when we were in the flesshe the lustes of synne which were stered vppe by ye lawe raygned in oure membres to bringe forth frute vnto deeth.
When we were living merely earthly lives, our sinful passions, aroused by the Law, were active in every part of our bodies, with the result that our lives bore fruit for Death.
6 But now are we delivered fro the lawe and deed fro that whervnto we werein bondage that we shuld serve in a newe conversacion of ye sprete and not in ye olde conversacion of the letter.
But now we are set free from the Law, because we are dead to that which once kept us under restraint; and so we serve under new, spiritual conditions, and not under old, written regulations.
7 What shall we saye then? is ye lawe synne? God forbid: but I knewe not what synne meant but by the lawe. For I had not knowne what lust had meant excepte the lawe had sayde thou shalt not lust.
What are we to say, then? That Law and sin are the same thing? Heaven forbid! On the contrary, I should not have learned what sin is, had not it been for Law. If the Law did not say ‘Thou shalt not covet,’ I should not know what it is to covet.
8 But synne toke an occasion by the meanes of the commaundement and wrought in me all manner of concupiscece. For with out the lawe synne was deed.
But sin took advantage of the Commandment to arouse in me every form of covetousness, for where there is no consciousness of Law sin shows no sign of life.
9 I once lived with out lawe. But when the commaundement came synne revyved and I was deed.
There was a time when I myself, unconscious of Law, was alive; but when the Commandment was brought home to me, sin sprang into life, while I died!
10 And the very same comaundement which was ordeyned vnto lyfe was founde to be vnto me an occasion of deeth.
The very Commandment that should have meant Life I found to result in Death!
11 For synne toke occasion by the meanes of the comaundement and so disceaved me and by the selfe commaundement slewe we.
Sin took advantage of the Commandment to deceive me, and used it to bring about my Death.
12 Wherfore the lawe is holy and the commaundement holy iust and good.
And so the Law is holy, and each Commandment is also holy, and just, and good.
13 Was that then which is good made deeth vnto me? God forbyd. Naye synne was deeth vnto me that it myght appere how that synne by the meanes of that which is good had wrought deeth in me: that synne which is vnder the commandemet myght be out of measure synfull.
Did, then, a thing, which in itself was good, involve Death in my case? Heaven forbid! It was sin that involved Death; so that, by its use of what I regarded as good to bring about my Death, its true nature might appear; and in this way the Commandment showed how intensely sinful sin is.
14 For we knowe that the lawe is spirituall: but I am carnall solde vnder synne
We know that the Law is spiritual, but I am earthly — sold into slavery to Sin.
15 because I wote not what I doo. For what I wold that do I not: but what I hate that do I.
I do not understand my own actions. For I am so far from habitually doing what I want to do, that I find myself doing the very thing that I hate.
16 Yf I do now that which I wolde not I graute to the lawe that it is good.
But when I do what I want not to do, I am admitting that the Law is right.
17 So then nowe it is not I that do it but synne that dwelleth in me.
This being so, the action is no longer my own, but that of Sin which is within me.
18 For I knowe that in me (that is to saye in my flesshe) dwelleth no good thinge. To will is present with me: but I fynde no meanes to performe that which is good.
I know that there is nothing good in me — I mean in my earthly nature. For, although it is easy for me to want to do right, to act rightly is not easy.
19 For I doo not yt good thinge which I wold: but that evill do I which I wolde not.
I fail to do the good thing that I want to do, but the bad thing that I want not to do — that I habitually do.
20 Finally yf I do that I wolde not then is it not I that doo it but synne that dwelleth in me doeth it.
But, when I do the very thing that I want not to do, the action is no longer my own, but that of Sin which is within me.
21 I fynde then by the lawe that when I wolde do good evyll is present with me.
This, then, is the law that I find — when I want to do right, wrong presents itself!
22 I delite in the lawe of God concerninge the inner man.
At heart I delight in the Law of God;
23 But I se another lawe in my membres rebellinge agaynst the lawe of my mynde and subduynge me vnto the lawe of synne which is in my membres.
but throughout my body I see a different law, one which is in conflict with the law accepted by my reason, and which endeavours to make me a prisoner to that law of Sin which exists throughout my body.
24 O wretched man yt I am: who shall delyver me fro this body of deeth?
Miserable man that I am! Who will deliver me from the body that is bringing me to this Death?
25 I thanke God thorow Iesus Christ oure Lorde. So then I my silfe in my mynde serve the lawe of God and in my flesshe the lawe of synne.
Thank God, there is deliverance through Jesus Christ, our Lord! Well then, for myself, with my reason I serve the Law of God, but with my earthly nature the Law of Sin.
