Aroma 7
1 Atĩrĩrĩ, ariũ na aarĩ a Ithe witũ (nĩgũkorwo ndĩraaria na inyuĩ mũrĩ andũ arĩa mooĩ watho), kaĩ mũtooĩ atĩ watho wathaga mũndũ o rĩrĩa arĩ muoyo?
My fellow believers, you know about laws. So you certainly know (OR, I want you to remember) that people have to obey laws [PRS] [only] while [they are] alive. [RHQ]
2 Nĩ ũndũ mũtũmia ũrĩ na mũthuuri aikaraga ohanĩtio na mũthuuriwe nĩ watho ihinda rĩrĩa rĩothe mũthuuriwe arĩ muoyo; no mũthuuriwe angĩkua-rĩ, mũtumia ũcio ti muohe nĩ watho ũcio wa ũhiki.
For example, a woman is required by the law {the law requires a woman} [to obey and be faithful to her husband] as long as he is alive. But if her husband dies, she is freed [from having to] {[no longer has to]} [obey] the law about [remaining married to] her husband.
3 Tondũ mũtumia ũcio angĩhikĩra mũndũ ũngĩ rĩrĩa mũthuuriwe arĩ muoyo, atuĩkaga mũtharia. No mũthuuriwe angĩkua, mũtumia ũcio ti muohe nĩ watho ũcio, na ndangĩtuĩka gĩtharia o na angĩhikio nĩ mũndũ ũngĩ.
Therefore, a woman will be called {people will call a woman} an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she no longer [has to obey] that law. Then she will not be an adulteress if she marries another man.
4 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio, ariũ na aarĩ a Ithe witũ, o na inyuĩ nĩmwakuire ũhoro-inĩ wa watho nĩ ũndũ wa mwĩrĩ wa Kristũ, nĩguo mũtuĩke a mũndũ ũngĩ, o we ũrĩa wariũkirio akiuma kũrĩ arĩa akuũ, nĩgeetha tũciaragĩre Ngai maciaro.
Likewise, my fellow believers, [just like people are free from having to obey any law after they die] [MET], you [and I] have been freed {[God] has freed you [and me]} from having [to obey] all the Jewish rituals and laws [MET]. [That is because it is as though] we died with Christ [when he was crucified]. Now you [and I] belong to someone else [MET], [like a woman who marries again after her husband dies belongs to another man]. Specifically, you [and I] belong to [Christ], who has come back to life {whom [God] has caused to live again after he died}, in order that we may live righteously [IDM] to [honor] God.
5 Nĩgũkorwo hĩndĩ ĩrĩa twathagwo nĩ mwĩrĩ ũyũ wa mehia-rĩ, merirĩria ma mehia marĩa maarahũragwo nĩ watho nĩmarutaga wĩra thĩinĩ wa mĩĩrĩ iitũ, magaciaragĩra gĩkuũ maciaro.
When our self-directed nature [controlled] us, desires [that led us to] sin were acting in our bodies. [Those desires were increased because of our knowing God’s] laws [PRS]. As a result [we did evil things] [IDM] [that] caused us to be separated from God.
6 No rĩu, nĩtuohoretwo tũkoima watho-inĩ, tondũ nĩtũkuĩte ũhoro-inĩ ũrĩa watuohete nĩgeetha tũtungatage na mũtungatĩre mwerũ wa Roho, no ti mũtungatĩre ũrĩa mũkũrũ wa watho ũrĩa mwandĩke.
But now we are freed {free} from [having to obey all the Jewish] rituals— [it is as though] we have died. The result is that now we are not controlled by those rituals {those rituals do not control us now}. So we serve God, not by [having to obey] those rituals, which is the old way, but in the new way, as [God’s] Spirit [helps us to serve him].
7 Rĩu rĩ, tũkiuge atĩa? Watho ũkĩrĩ wĩhia? Aca ti ũguo! Ti-itherũ tiga nĩ ũndũ wa watho ndingĩamenyire wĩhia nĩ kĩĩ. Nĩgũkorwo ndingĩamenyire ũhoro wa gũcumĩkĩra korwo watho ndwoigĩte, “Ndũkanacumĩkĩre kĩndũ kĩene.”
[Someone might object], saying, “(The laws [that God gave Moses] must be evil [if our sinful desires] are increased because of our knowing those laws. [MTY]/Are not the laws [that God gave Moses] evil [if they stir up our sinful desires]?)” [MTY, RHQ] [I would reply] that they certainly are not [evil, even though our sinful desires are increased]. What I would reply is that I, [for example], realized that [what I was doing] was sinful only because [of what is written] {[Moses wrote]} [in] those laws. For example, I realized that coveting [is sinful] only because he wrote in those laws [PRS], “You must not covet.”
8 No wĩhia, tondũ wa kuona kamweke karĩa kaaheanĩtwo nĩ rĩathani rĩu, ũgĩtũma ngĩe na merirĩria ma mĩthemba yothe thĩinĩ wakwa. Nĩgũkorwo hatarĩ watho, wĩhia nĩ mũkuũ.
And because of what that commandment [stated], my sinful [desire to have things that belong to others] [PRS] caused me to covet in many ways. [Our desire to] sin is not stimulated [MET] when there is no law [that prohibits our doing sinful things].
9 Kũrĩ hĩndĩ niĩ ndaarĩ muoyo itanamenya watho; no hĩndĩ ĩrĩa rĩathani rĩokire, wĩhia ũkĩgĩa muoyo na niĩ ngĩkua.
Formerly, when I did not [know] what God’s laws [required], I used to live [without worrying about what I was doing]. But when I [became aware that God] commanded, [“You must not covet],” I suddenly realized [PRS] that I was sinning,
10 Ngĩmenya atĩ rĩathani o rĩu rĩarĩ rĩa gũtũma mũndũ atũũre muoyo-rĩ, norĩo rĩarehire gĩkuũ.
and [I realized that] I was separated from God. The laws that [I thought would enable me to] live [eternally as a result of my obeying them] caused me [to realize that] I was separated from God!
11 Nĩgũkorwo rĩrĩa wĩhia wonire kamweke karĩa kaaheanĩtwo nĩ rĩathani rĩu-rĩ, nĩ kũũheenia waheenirie, na ũkĩnjũraga narĩo.
[My desire to] sin found a way [PRS] to deceive me [by making me think wrongly that] I could keep [on sinning and at the same time obey] those laws [enough so that I would live eternally], and [thus it] caused me to be separated from God [PRS].
12 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio-rĩ, watho nĩ mũtheru, o na rĩathani no rĩtheru, na nĩ rĩa kĩhooto na nĩ rĩega.
So [we conclude that] the laws [that God gave to Moses] are holy. What God commanded [about not coveting, along with all the other things that he commanded], is also holy, and it is just and good.
13 Kaĩ ũndũ ũcio mwega ũgĩcookete gũtuĩka gĩkuũ harĩ niĩ? Gũtikanatuĩke ũguo! No nĩgeetha wĩhia ũkũũrĩkane atĩ nĩ wĩhia, nĩwarehire gĩkuũ thĩinĩ wakwa na ũndũ wa kũhũthĩra ũndũ ũcio mwega, nĩguo wĩhia ũtuĩke wĩhia kũna.
So, [if someone were to object] saying, “[The laws that God gave Moses], which are good, (resulted in my being separated from God!/did they result in my being separated from God?) [RHQ]” [I would reply], “Certainly they did not [do that]!” But instead, those [laws], which are good, stimulated [my desire to] sin. I knew that the result was that I was separated from God. And also, because I [learned what God had] commanded, [I knew that] what I was doing was [truly] sinful.
14 Nĩtũũĩ atĩ watho uumanĩte na Roho; no niĩ ndĩ mũndũ ũrĩ na mwĩrĩ wendetio agatuĩka ngombo ya wĩhia.
We know that the laws [that God gave Moses came from God’s] Spirit. But as for me, I am [influenced by my] self-directed nature. [It is as though] I have been forced to become a slave of [my desire to] sin [MET].
15 Ndimenyaga maũndũ marĩa njĩkaga. Nĩgũkorwo ũrĩa nyendaga gwĩka tiguo njĩkaga, no ũndũ ũrĩa thũire nĩguo njĩkaga.
The things that I do, I [often] [HYP] do not understand. That is, [sometimes] [HYP] it is [the good things] that I want [to do] that I do not do. [And sometimes] [HYP] it is the [evil] things that I detest that I do.
16 O na ingĩtuĩka njĩkaga ũrĩa itekwenda gwĩka-rĩ, nĩnjĩtĩkĩrĩte atĩ watho nĩ mwega.
Since I [do] the [evil] things that I do not want [to] do, I agree that the laws [of God] are good.
17 Tondũ ũcio nĩngũũranĩte atĩ ti niĩ mwene njĩkaga maũndũ macio, no nĩ wĩhia ũrĩa ũtũũraga thĩinĩ wakwa wĩkaga ũguo.
So, it is not that I do [evil things because I wish to do them]. Instead, [what happens is that] I do sinful things because the desire to sin [causes me to do them]. The [desire to] sin (is within/permeates) me [PRS].
18 Nĩnjũũĩ atĩ gũtirĩ ũndũ mwega ũtũũraga thĩinĩ wakwa, ũguo nĩ kuuga thĩinĩ wa mwĩrĩ ũyũ wakwa wĩhagia. Nĩgũkorwo nĩndĩriragĩria gwĩka wega, no hinya wa gwĩka ũguo nĩguo itarĩ.
I know that my self-directed nature will not [let me] [PRS] [do] anything that is good. I know this because I want [to do what is good], but I do not do what is good.
19 Nĩgũkorwo wega ũrĩa nyendaga gwĩka tiguo njĩkaga, no ũũru ũrĩa itendaga gwĩka nĩguo thiiaga na mbere gwĩka.
I do not do the good things that I want to do. Instead, it is evil things that I do not want to do that I do.
20 Na rĩrĩ, ingĩkorwo nĩnjĩkaga ũrĩa itekwenda gwĩka-rĩ, ti niĩ mwene njĩkaga maũndũ macio, no nĩ wĩhia ũrĩa ũtũũraga thĩinĩ wakwa wĩkaga ũguo.
Because I do [evil things] that I do not want to do, it is not that I do [evil things because I want to]. Instead, [I do them because] my self-directed nature, which permeates me [PRS], [causes me to do them].
21 Ũndũ ũyũ nĩũtũmaga nyone atĩ watho ũyũ nĩguo ũrutaga wĩra thĩinĩ wakwa: Rĩrĩa ngwenda gwĩka wega-rĩ, ũũru ũkoragwo o hamwe na niĩ.
I find, then, that what always happens is that when I want to do what is good, there is an evil [desire] present within me that [PRS] [prevents me from doing good].
22 Nĩgũkorwo ngoro-inĩ yakwa thĩinĩ, nĩngenagĩra watho wa Ngai;
With my new inner nature I like the laws of God very much.
23 no nĩnyonaga watho ũngĩ ũkĩruta wĩra thĩinĩ wa ciĩga cia mwĩrĩ wakwa, ũkarehaga mbaara, na ũkarũaga na watho wa meciiria makwa, na ũkandua mũndũ muohe nĩ watho wa wĩhia ũrĩa ũrutaga wĩra thĩinĩ wa ciĩga ciakwa.
Nevertheless, I sense that there is a different force that is in (my body/me) [PRS, SYN]. It is opposed to what with my mind [I desire to do] [MET], and it puts me inescapably under the control of [MET] the sinful [desires] that I have [SYN].
24 Kaĩ niĩ ndĩkĩrĩ mũndũ mũthĩĩnĩku-ĩ! Nũũ ũkũũhonokia harĩ mwĩrĩ ũyũ wa gĩkuũ?
[When I consider this], I [feel that I] am a very wretched person. I want someone to set me free from the control of what my body [desires], in order that I might not be separated from God. [RHQ] [I also think that what I have experienced is the same as what all believers experience].
25 Nĩndacookeria Ngai ngaatho nĩ ũndũ wa Jesũ Kristũ Mwathani witũ! Nĩ ũndũ ũcio-rĩ, niĩ mwene thĩinĩ wa meciiria makwa ndĩ ngombo ya watho wa Ngai, no ha ũhoro wa mwĩrĩ ũyũ wa wĩhia, niĩ ndĩ ngombo ya watho wa wĩhia.
I thank God that it is by Jesus Christ our Lord [that we can be free from the control of what our bodies desire]. So, [with our minds, you and] I on the one hand want to obey God’s laws. [But also], [you and] I [often let] our sinful [desires control us] because of our self-directed nature.
