Romana 7
1 Tsy fantatrareo, va, ry rahalahy (fa miteny amin’ izay mahalala ny lalàna aho), fa ny lalàna dia manapaka ny olona, raha mbola velona izy?
Do you not know, brothers (for I am speaking to those who know the law), that the law has authority over a man only as long as he lives?
2 Fa ny vehivavy izay manambady dia fehezin’ ny lalàna ho an’ ny lahy, raha mbola velona ny lahy; fa raha maty kosa ny lahy, dia afaka amin’ ny lalàn’ ny lahy izy.
For instance, a married woman is bound by law to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage.
3 Koa raha mbola velona ny lahy, ka manambady olon-kafa ravehivavy, dia hatao hoe mpijangajanga izy; fa raha maty kosa ny lahy, dia afaka amin’ izany lalàna izany izy ka tsy mba mpijangajanga, na dia manambady olon-kafa aza.
So then, if she is joined to another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law and is not an adulteress, even if she marries another man.
4 Ary amin’ izany ianareo koa, ry rahalahiko, dia efa natao maty ny amin’ ny lalàna noho ny tenan’ i Kristy, mba ho vadin’ ny hafa ianareo, dia Izay natsangana tamin’ ny maty, mba hahavokarantsika ho an’ Andriamanitra.
Therefore, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God.
5 Fa fony tao amin’ ny nofo isika, dia ny filan’ ny ota, izay nohetsehin’ ny lalàna, no niasa tao amin’ ny momba ny tenantsika hahavokatra ho amin’ ny fahafatesana.
For when we lived according to the flesh, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our bodies, bearing fruit for death.
6 Fa ankehitriny dia efa afaka tamin’ ny lalàna isika, satria maty ny amin’ izay nihazonana antsika, ka dia manompo amin’ ny havaozam-panahy isika, fa tsy amin’ ny hahelan-tsoratra.
But now, having died to what bound us, we have been released from the law, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.
7 Inona ary no holazaintsika? Ota va ny lalàna? Sanatria izany! Kanefa tsy nahalala ny ota aho, raha tsy tamin’ ny lalàna, satria tsy fantatro akory ny fitsiriritana, raha tsy ny lalàna no nanao hoe: Aza mitsiriritra.
What then shall we say? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed, I would not have been mindful of sin if not for the law. For I would not have been aware of coveting if the law had not said, “Do not covet.”
8 Fa io didy io dia nentin’ ny ota nampihetsika ny fitsiriritana rehetra tato anatiko; fa maty ny ota, raha tsy misy lalàna.
But sin, seizing its opportunity through the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from the law, sin is dead.
9 Ary izaho dia velona tsy nanan-dalàna fahiny; fa rehefa tonga kosa ny didy, dia velona indray ny ota, ka dia maty aho.
Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died.
10 Ary ny didy izay natao hahazoana fiainana, dia hitako fa nahatonga fahafatesana tamiko kosa.
So I discovered that the very commandment that was meant to bring life actually brought death.
11 Fa io didy io dia nentin’ ny ota namitaka sy nahafaty ahy.
For sin, seizing its opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through the commandment put me to death.
12 Ka dia masìna tokoa ny lalàna, ary masìna ny didy sady marina no tsara.
So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous, and good.
13 Koa ny tsara va no nahafaty ahy? Sanatria izany! Fa ny ota no nahafaty ahy, mba hiseho ho ota; fa ny tsara no nentiny nahafaty ahy, mba ho tonga ota indrindra ny ota noho ny nataon’ ny lalàna.
Did that which is good, then, become death to me? Certainly not! But in order that sin might be exposed as sin, it produced death in me through what was good, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.
14 Fa fantatsika fa araka ny fanahy ny lalàna; fa izaho kosa nofo, namidy ho andevon’ ny ota.
We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin.
15 Fa izay ataoko dia tsy fantatro; fa tsy izay sitrako no ataoko; fa izay halako no ataoko.
I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do, I do not do. But what I hate, I do.
16 Fa raha manao ny tsy sitrako aho, dia manaiky fa tsara ny lalàna.
And if I do what I do not want to do, I admit that the law is good.
17 Ary amin’ izany tsy izaho intsony no manao izany, fa ny ota izay mitoetra ato anatiko.
In that case, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
18 Fa fantatro fa tsy misy zavatra tsara mitoetra ato amiko, dia ato amin’ ny nofoko; fa ato anatiko ihany ny fikasana, saingy ny hahatanteraka ny tsara no tsy ato.
I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh; for I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.
19 Fa tsy ny tsara izay sitrako no ataoko; fa ny ratsy izay tsy sitrako no ataoko.
For I do not do the good I want to do. Instead, I keep on doing the evil I do not want to do.
20 Fa raha ny tsy sitrako no ataoko, dia tsy izaho intsony no manao izany, fa ny ota izay mitoetra ato amiko.
And if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
21 Koa hitako izao lalàna izao: raha ta-hanao ny marina aho, dia ato amiko ihany ny ratsy.
So this is the principle I have discovered: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me.
22 Fa mankasitraka ny lalàn’ Andriamanitra aho araka ny toetra anaty;
For in my inner being I delight in God’s law.
23 nefa mahita lalàna hafa amin’ ny momba ny tenako aho, miady amin’ ny lalàn’ ny saiko ka mamabo ahy ho an’ ny lalàn’ ny ota izay ao amin’ ny momba ny tenako.
But I see another law at work in my body, warring against the law of my mind and holding me captive to the law of sin that dwells within me.
24 Indrisy! olo-mahantra aho! Iza no hanafaka ahy amin’ ny tenan’ ity fahafatesana ity?
What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?
25 Misaotra an’ Andriamanitra aho amin’ ny alalan’ i Jesosy Kristy Tompontsika. Koa raha ny amiko, dia mankatò ny lalàn’ Andriamanitra aho amin’ ny saiko, fa ny lalàn’ ny ota kosa amin’ ny nofoko.
Thanks be to God, through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with my mind I serve the law of God, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.
