Ndị Rom 7
1 Ọ bụ na unu amaghị ụmụnna m, unu ndị maara iwu nke ọma na ọ bụ oge mmadụ dị ndụ ka iwu na-ejide ya?
Brothers and sisters, (I'm speaking here to people who know the law), don't you see that the law has authority over someone only while they're alive?
2 Dịka ihe ịmaatụ, iwu na-ejikọta nwanyị lụrụ di na di ya mgbe di ya ka nọ ndụ, ma ọ bụrụ na di nwanyị ahụ anwụọ, ọ nọkwaghị nʼokpuru iwu jikọtara ha dịka di na nwunye.
For example, a married woman is bound by the law to her husband while he's alive, but if he dies, she's released from this legal obligation to him.
3 A ga-akpọ ya nwanyị na-akwa iko ma ọ bụrụ na ọ lakwuru nwoke ọzọ mgbe di ya ka dị ndụ. Ma ọ bụrụ na di ya anwụọ, ọ ga-abụ onye nwere onwe ya site nʼiwu ahụ. Ọ kwaghị iko ma ọ bụrụ na ọ lụọ nwoke ọzọ.
So if she lives with another man while her husband is alive, she would be committing adultery. However, if her husband dies and then she marries another man, she wouldn't be guilty of adultery.
4 Ya mere, ụmụnna m, unu onwe unu kwa anwụọla nʼebe iwu dị site nʼahụ Kraịst, ka e nwe ike kenye unu onye ọzọ, bụ onye ahụ e mere ka o si nʼọnwụ bilie. Ka anyị site na ya mịa mkpụrụ nye Chineke.
In the same way, my friends, you've become dead to the law through the body of Christ, and so now you belong to someone else—Christ, who was raised from the dead so that we could live a productive life for God.
5 Mgbe anụ ahụ mmehie na-achị anyị, ọchịchọ ọjọọ nke iwu na-akpali jupụtara nʼime anyị, nke mere na anyị na-amị mkpụrụ nye ọnwụ.
While we were controlled by old nature, our sinful desires (as revealed by the law) were at work within us and resulted in death.
6 Ugbu a, a tọghapụla anyị pụọ nʼaka iwu ebe anyị nwụrụ nye ihe ndị kere anyị agbụ na mbụ, anyị anaghị ebikwa ndụ nʼusoro iwu ochie nke e dere nʼakwụkwọ, kama anyị na-eje ozi nʼusoro ndụ ọhụrụ nke mmụọ.
But now we've been set free from the law, and have died to what kept us in chains, so that we can serve in the newness of the spirit and not the old letter of the law.
7 Ugbu a, gịnị ka anyị ga-ekwu? Iwu ahụ ọ bụ mmehie? Nʼezie, mbaa! Agaraghị m ama ihe mmehie bụ ma ọ bụghị site nʼiwu. Ọ bụrụ na iwu asịghị, “Enwela anya ukwu,” agaraghị m ama na ọ bụ mmehie.
So what do we conclude? That the law is sin? Of course not! I wouldn't have known what sin was unless the law defined it. I wouldn't have realized that wanting to have other people's things for myself was wrong without the law that says, “Don't desire for yourself what belongs to someone else.”
8 Ma mmehie sitere nʼiwu a megidere ọchịchọ ọjọọ, mee ka echiche m mgbe niile bụrụ ihe gbasara ihe ọjọọ, na otu m ga-esi mee ha. A sị na iwu adịghị, mmehie agaraghị adị.
But through this commandment sin found a way to stir up in me all kinds of selfish desires—for without law, sin is dead.
9 Na mbụ, abụ m onye dị ndụ mgbe iwu na-adịghị, ma mgbe iwu bịara, e mere ka mmehie nwe ntute.
I used to live without realizing what the law really meant, but when I understood the implications of that commandment, then sin came back to life, and I died.
10 Anwụrụ m, ma chọpụta na iwu ahụ kwesiri iwetara m ndụ ghọziri ihe wetara ọnwụ.
I discovered that the very commandment that was meant to bring life brought death instead,
11 Nʼihi na mmehie jiri ohere ahụ iwu webatara ghọgbuo m, sitekwa nʼiwu ahụ gbuo m.
because sin found a way through the commandment to deceive me, and used the commandment to kill me!
12 Nʼezie, iwu ahụ dị nsọ, ihe e nyere nʼiwu dị nsọ, bụrụkwa ezi omume na ihe dị mma.
However, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, right, and good.
13 Mgbe ahụ, ọ pụtara na ihe ahụ dị mma wetaara m ọnwụ? Mba! Kama ọ bụ mmehie sitere nʼihe dị mma wetara m ọnwụ, ka e nwee ike gosipụta na mmehie bụ ihe jọgburu onwe ya site nʼihe e nyere nʼiwu.
Now would something that is good kill me? Of course not! But sin shows itself to be sin by using good to cause my death. So by means of the commandment, it's revealed how evil sin really is.
14 Anyị matara na iwu bụ ihe nke mmụọ ebe mụ onwe m bụ anụ ahụ efu, onye e rere dịka ohu nye mmehie.
We realize that the law is spiritual; but I'm all-too-human, a slave to sin.
15 O nweghị ụzọ ihe m na-eme si doo m anya. Nʼihi na ihe m na-eme abụghị ihe m chọrọ ime, ọ bụ ihe m kpọrọ asị bụ ihe na-agara m aka ime mgbe niile.
I really don't understand what I'm doing. I do the things I don't want to do, and what I hate doing, that's what I do!
16 Ma ọ bụrụ na m eme ihe m na-achọghị ime, ana m ekwenye na iwu dị mma.
But if I'm saying that I do what I don't want to, this shows that I admit the law is good and right.
17 Ma dịka ọ dị, ọ bụkwaghị mụ onwe m na-eme ihe ndị a, kama ọ bụ mmehie bi nʼime m.
So it's no longer me who does this, but sin living in me—
18 O doro m anya na o nweghị ihe ọma ọbụla dị nʼime m, ya bụ nʼime anụ ahụ m. Nʼihi na ọ na-agụ m agụụ ime ezi ihe, ma ike ime ezi ihe adịghị nʼime m.
for I know that there's nothing good in me as far as my sinful human nature is concerned. Even though I want to do good, I'm just not able to do it.
19 Ihe m na-eme mgbe m chọrọ ime ezi ihe abụghị ezi ihe ahụ m chọrọ ime kama ọ bụ ajọọ ihe ahụ m na-achọghị ime ka m na-eme.
The good I want to do, I don't do; while the evil I don't want to do, that's what I end up doing!
20 Ọ bụrụ na m na-eme ihe ahụ m na-achọghị ime, ọ pụtara na ọ bụghị mụ onwe m na-eme ihe ndị ahụ. Kama ọ bụ mmehie bi nʼime m na-eme ha.
However, if I'm doing what I don't want to, then it's no longer me doing it, but sin living in me.
21 Achọpụtara m iwu nke na-arụ ọrụ nʼime m. Mgbe m chọrọ ime ihe ọma, naanị ihe ọjọọ bụ ihe na-agara m aka ime.
This is the principle I've discovered: if I want to do what's good, evil is always there too.
22 Nʼime ime onwe m, ọ na-agụ m agụụ ime ihe iwu Chineke kwuru.
My inner self is delighted with God's law,
23 Ma ana m ahụta iwu ọzọ dị nʼime m nke na-agba mgba megide iwu nke dị nʼuche m, ime ka m bụrụ ohu nye iwu nke mmehie na-arụ ọrụ ya nʼanụ ahụ m.
but I see a different law at work within me that is at war with the law my mind has decided to follow, making me a prisoner of the law of sin that is within me.
24 Lee ụdị ọnọdụ ọjọọ nke m hụtara onwe m nʼime ya! Onye pụrụ ịnapụta m site nʼanụ ahụ a nke na-eduba m nʼọnwụ?
I'm totally miserable! Who will rescue me from this body that's causing my death? Thank God—for he does this through Jesus Christ our Lord!
25 Ma ekele dịrị Chineke, onye na-anapụta m site na Kraịst Jisọs Onyenwe anyị! Ya mere, nʼime mmụọ m, abụ m odibo nye iwu Chineke, ma nʼime anụ ahụ mmehie m, abụ m ohu nye iwu nke mmehie.
Here's the situation: while I myself choose with my mind to obey God's law, my human nature obeys the law of sin.
