Romatɔwo 7
1 Nɔvi lɔlɔ̃awo, mele nu ƒom na ame siwo nya se la; ɖe mienyae bena ne ame aɖe ku la, se la megablae o mahã?
Or are ye ignorant, brothers (for I speak to men who know the law), that the law has dominion over the man for as long a time as he lives?
2 Elabena srɔ̃nyɔnu la, zi ale si srɔ̃ŋutsu la le agbe la, se blae ɖe eŋuti; ke ne srɔ̃ŋutsu la ku la, srɔ̃ɖeɖe ƒe se la megabla nyɔnu la o.
For the woman under authority to the living husband has been bound by law, but if the husband should die, she has been released from the law of the husband.
3 Eya ta ne srɔ̃nyɔnu la gale ŋutsu bubu gbɔ dem esime srɔ̃ŋutsu la le agbe la, ekema nyɔnu la nye ahasiwɔla; ke ne srɔ̃ŋutsu la ku la, ekema srɔ̃ɖeɖe ƒe se la megablae o, eye ne eɖe ŋutsu bubu la, meganye ahasiwɔla o.
So then, of the living husband, she will be called an adulteress if she becomes to another man, but if the husband should die, she is free from the law, for her not to be an adulteress having become to another man.
4 Eya ta nɔvi lɔlɔ̃awo, miawo hã mieku na se la to Kristo ƒe ŋutilã me, be miazu ame bubu si wofɔ ɖe tsitre tso ame kukuwo dome la tɔ, be míatse ku na Mawu.
Therefore, my brothers, ye also became dead to the law through the body of Christ in order for ye to become to another, to him who was raised from the dead, so that we would bear fruit to God.
5 Elabena esi míenɔ ŋutilã me tsã la, nu vɔ̃ ƒe nudzodzro siwo dzɔ tso se la me la nɔa dɔ wɔm le mía me, be míatse ku na ku.
For when we were in the flesh, the passions of the sins were working in our body-parts (through the law) in order to bear fruit to death.
6 Ke azɔ esi míeku na se si ƒe kpɔkplɔ te míenɔ kpɔ la, míevo tso se la me, be míasubɔ le Gbɔgbɔ la ƒe mɔ yeye nu, ke menye le se la ƒe mɔ xoxo nu o.
But now we have been released from the law, having died to what we were held, so as for us to serve in newness of spirit, and not in oldness of a document.
7 Azɔ nya ka gblɔ ge míala? Ɖe se la nye nu vɔ̃ mahã? Gbeɖe! Ne se la meli o la, nyemate ŋu anya nu si nu vɔ̃ nye la o. Elabena nyemanya nu si nye ŋubiabiã ne womegblɔe le se la me o be, “Mègabiã ŋu o.”
What will we say then? The law is sin? May it not happen! Yet I did not know sin except through law. For likewise I would not have known lust, if the law did not say, Thou shall not covet.
8 Ke esi mɔnukpɔkpɔ su nu vɔ̃ si to sedede me la, eho ŋubiabiã ƒomevi ɖe sia ɖe ɖe dzi le menye; elabena ne se meli o la, ekema nu vɔ̃ ku.
But sin, having taken opportunity through the commandment, wrought in me every evil desire, for apart from law sin is dead.
9 Nye la, menɔ agbe kpɔ se aɖeke te manɔmanɔe; ke esi sedede la va la, nu vɔ̃ gbɔ agbe, eye meku.
And I was alive once apart from law, but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.
10 Elabena mekpɔe dze sii be se si wode hena agbe la he ku vɛ boŋ.
And I found to me, the commandment being for life, this is for death.
11 Ke esi mɔnukpɔkpɔ su nu vɔ̃ si to sedede me la, eblem, eye to sedede me la, wotso kufia nam.
For sin, having taken opportunity through the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me.
12 Eya ta se la le kɔkɔe, eye sedede la le kɔkɔe; ele dzɔdzɔe eye wònyo.
So the law is indeed holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.
13 Ekema ɖe nu nyui la zu ku nama? Gbeɖe! Ke boŋ nu vɔ̃ lae, bena wòadze ƒãa be etsɔ nu nyui wɔ ku nam, be to sedede la me la, nu vɔ̃ navɔ̃ɖi ɖe edzi ŋutɔ.
Has therefore what is good become death to me? May it not happen! Instead, it is sin, so that it might be revealed, sin working death in me through what is good, so that through the commandment sin might become sinful to extreme.
14 Míenya be se la nye gbɔgbɔmenu; ke nye la, ŋutilã me menye, elabena wodzram mezu kluvi na nu vɔ̃.
For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, having been sold under sin.
15 Nyemesea nu si mewɔna la gɔme o. Elabena menye nu si medina be mawɔ la mewɔna o, ke nu si melé fui la, eya boŋ mewɔna.
For I do not understand what I do, for I do not do this that I want, but what I hate, this I do.
16 Eye ne mewɔ nu si nyemedina be mawɔ o la, melɔ̃na be se la nyo.
But if I do this that I do not want, I agree with the law that it is good.
17 Ke azɔ meganye nyee le esia wɔm o, ke boŋ nu vɔ̃ si le menye lae.
But now I no longer perform it, but the sin dwelling in me.
18 Elabena menya be nu nyui aɖeke menɔa menye o, ɖe ale si menye nu vɔ̃ ƒe ŋutilã ta. Elabena nu nyui wɔwɔ dzroam, gake nyemetea ŋu wɔnɛ o.
For I know that good does not dwell in me, that is, in my flesh, for to will is present in me, but to do the good, I find not.
19 Elabena nyemewɔa nu nyui si medina be mawɔ la o; ke nu vɔ̃ si nyemedina be mawɔ o la, eya boŋ mewɔna.
For I do not do good that I want, instead, wrong that I do not want, this I do.
20 Azɔ ne mewɔ nu si nyemedina be mawɔ o la, ekema meganye nyee le ewɔm o, ke boŋ nu vɔ̃ si le menye lae le ewɔm.
But if I do this that I do not want, I no longer perform it, but sin dwelling in me.
21 Eya ta mekpɔ se sia be ele dɔ wɔm; togbɔ be medina be mawɔ nu nyui hã la, nu vɔ̃ gaxea mɔ nam.
Consequently I find the law in my wanting to do good, that evil is present in me.
22 Elabena le ememe ke la, mekpɔa dzidzɔ le Mawu ƒe se la me;
For I delight in the law of God according to the inner man,
23 gake mekpɔ be se bubu le dɔ wɔm le menye, esi le aʋa wɔm kple se si le nye susu me, eye wòna mezu kluvi na nu vɔ̃ ƒe se si le menye la.
but I see a different law in my body-parts, warring against the law of my mind, and taking me captive in the law of sin, which is in my body-parts.
24 O, nye nu wɔ nublanui ŋutɔ! Ame kae aɖem tso ŋutilã si kplɔm yina ɖe ku mee la si me?
I am a wretched man. Who will rescue me out of the body of this death?
25 Meda akpe na Mawu be eɖem to Yesu Kristo míaƒe Aƒetɔ la dzi. Eya ta azɔ la, menye kluvi na Mawu ƒe se la le nye susu me, ke menye kluvi na nu vɔ̃ ƒe se la le ŋutilã nu.
I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then, I of myself in the mind indeed serve a law of God, but in the flesh a law of sin.
