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?
Surely, brothers, you know (for I am speaking to those who know what law means) that law governs a person only during his lifetime?
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 a married woman who has a husband is bound by law to her husband during his lifetime; but if her husband dies, she is released from the law of her 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, if during her husband lifetime, she unites herself with another man, she will be counted an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from the Law, so that she is no adulteress, even if she unites herself with 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.
So also, my brother, you were made dead to the Law through the body of Christ; that you should be joined to another, even to Him who was raised from the dead that we might bear fruit for 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 while we were unspiritual, the sinful passions, aroused by the Law, were ever active in every part of our bodies, leading us to bear fruit unto 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, because we are dead to that in which we were held; so that we are now in thraldom in new and spiritual conditions, and not under the old written code.
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 shall we say then? Is the Law sin? Certainly not. On the contrary I should not have become acquainted with sin had it not been for the Law; for except the Law had repeatedly said, "Thou shalt not lust," I should never have known the sin of lust.
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 when sin had gained a vantage-ground, by means of the commandment, it stirred up within me all manner of lust; for where there is no 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.
Once I lived apart from the Law, myself; 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 the very commandment which should have meant life, this I found to mean death.
11 Ke esi mɔnukpɔkpɔ su nu vɔ̃ si to sedede me la, eblem, eye to sedede me la, wotso kufia nam.
For sin, when it had gained a vantage-ground through the commandment, beguiled me, and through it slew me.
12 Eya ta se la le kɔkɔe, eye sedede la le kɔkɔe; ele dzɔdzɔe eye wònyo.
So then the Law is 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.
Did then that which was good become for me death? Never! but sin did; that it might be manifest as sin, by that the unutterable malignity of sin might become plain through the commandment.
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 as for me, I am a creature of flesh, bought and sold under the dominion of 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 what I perform I know not; what I practise is not what I intend to do, but what I detest, that I habitually do.
16 Eye ne mewɔ nu si nyemedina be mawɔ o la, melɔ̃na be se la nyo.
If then I habitually do what I do not intend to do, I am consenting to the Law, that it is right.
17 Ke azɔ meganye nyee le esia wɔm o, ke boŋ nu vɔ̃ si le menye lae.
And now it is longer I myself who do the deed, but it is sin which has its home 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 in me, that is in my flesh, no good thing has its home; for while to will is present with me, to carry out that which is right is 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 the good that I intend to do, I do not; but the evil which I do not; but the evil which I do not intend to do, that I am ever practising.
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 the very thing I do not intend to do, it is no more I who practise it, but sin which has its home 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.
I find, then, this law, that when I intend to do good, evil is ever present with me.
22 Elabena le ememe ke la, mekpɔa dzidzɔ le Mawu ƒe se la me;
For in my inmost self I delight in the law of God;
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 find a different law in my bodily faculties, waging war with the law of my will, and taking me prisoner to that law of sin which is in my bodily faculties.
24 O, nye nu wɔ nublanui ŋutɔ! Ame kae aɖem tso ŋutilã si kplɔm yina ɖe ku mee la si me?
Oh, wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from this slave of 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.
Oh, thank God! it is through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then I myself in my will am in thraldom to the law of God; yet in my animal nature I am in thraldom to the law of sin.
