KwabaseRoma 7
1 Kalazi yini bazalwane, ngoba ngikhuluma ebantwini abawaziyo umthetho, ukuthi umthetho ulamandla phezu komuntu nxa esaphila kuphela na?
Are you ignorant, brothers—for to those knowing law I speak—that the law has lordship over the man as long as he lives?
2 Njengesibonelo, ngomthetho owesifazane owendileyo ubotshelwe kumkakhe nxa esaphila, kodwa umkakhe angafa, uyakhululwa emthethweni wokuthathana.
For the married woman to the living husband has been bound by law, and if the husband may die, she has been free from the law of the husband;
3 Kungakho-ke, angendela kwenye indoda umkakhe esaphila uthiwa yisifebe. Kodwa umkakhe angafa, uyakhululwa kulowomthetho angabi yisifebe, lanxa esesendela kwenye indoda.
so then, the husband being alive, she will be called an adulteress if she may become another man’s; and if the husband may die, she is free from the law, so as not to be an adulteress, having become another man’s.
4 Ngakho-ke, bazalwane bami, lani lafela emthethweni ngomzimba kaKhristu, ukuze libe ngabomunye, kuye owavuswa kwabafileyo, ukuze sithele izithelo kuNkulunkulu.
So that, my brothers, you also were made dead to the law through the body of the Christ, for your becoming another’s, who was raised up out of the dead, that we might bear fruit to God;
5 Ngoba sisabuswa yimvelo elesono, izinkanuko zesono ezavuswa ngumthetho zazisebenza emzimbeni yethu, okwenza sathelela ukufa izithelo.
for when we were in the flesh, the passions of sins, that [are] through the Law, were working in our members, to bear fruit to death;
6 Kodwa khathesi, ngokufela kulokho okwake kwasibopha, sesikhululiwe emthethweni ukuze sikhonze ngendlela entsha yoMoya hatshi ngendlela endala yezimiso ezilotshiweyo.
and now we have ceased from the Law, that being dead in which we were held, so that we may serve in newness of spirit, and not in oldness of letter.
7 Ngakho sizakuthini na? Umthetho uyisono na? Ngempela kawusiso! Ngeqiniso mina ngangingasoze ngazi ukuthi isono siyini kungesiwo umthetho. Ngoba ngangingayikwazi ukuthi ukuhawukela ngempela kuyini aluba umthetho ungatshongo ukuthi, “Ungahawukeli.”
What, then, will we say? The Law [is] sin? Let it not be! But I did not know sin except through law, for also the covetousness I had not known if the Law had not said:
8 Kodwa isono, sathatha ithuba elalethwa ngumlayo, saveza kimi inhlobo zonke zenkanuko yokuhawukela. Ngoba ngaphandle komthetho, isono sifile.
“You will not covet”; and sin having received an opportunity, through the command, worked in me all covetousness—for apart from law sin is dead.
9 Mina ngake ngaphila ngaphandle komthetho; kodwa kwathi ekufikeni komlayo, isono savuka saphila, mina ngafa.
And I was alive apart from law once, and the command having come, sin revived, and I died;
10 Ngathola ukuthi umlayo lowo owawuhlose ukuletha ukuphila waletha ukufa.
and the command that [is] for life, this was found by me for death;
11 Ngoba isono sathatha ithuba elalethwa ngumlayo, sangikhohlisa, kwathi ngomthetho sangibulala.
for sin, having received an opportunity, through the command, deceived me, and through it, slew [me],
12 Ngakho-ke, umthetho ungcwele, lomlayo ungcwele, ulungile njalo muhle.
so that the Law, indeed, [is] holy, and the command holy, and righteous, and good.
13 Kanti lokho okuhle kube yikufa kimi na? Akunjalo! Kodwa ukuze isono sibonakale siyisono, saletha ukufa kimi ngalokho okwakukuhle, ukuze kuthi ngomlayo isono sibe yisono esipheleleyo.
That which is good then, has it become death to me? Let it not be! But sin, that it might appear sin, through the good, working death to me, that sin might become exceedingly sinful through the command.
14 Siyakwazi ukuthi umthetho ungokomoya; kodwa mina ngingowenyama, ngathengiswa esonweni njengesigqili.
For we have known that the Law is spiritual, and I am fleshly, sold by sin;
15 Engikwenzayo angikuzwisisi. Ngoba lokho engifuna ukukwenza angikwenzi, kodwa lokho engikuzondayo ngiyakwenza.
for that which I work, I do not acknowledge; for not what I will, this I practice, but what I hate, this I do.
16 Ngakho nxa ngisenza lokho engingafuni kukwenza, ngiyavuma ukuthi umthetho ulungile.
And if what I do not will, this I do, I consent to the Law that [it is] good,
17 Njengoba kunje, akuseyimi uqobo okwenzayo, kodwa isono esihlala kimi.
and now it is no longer I that work it, but sin dwelling in me,
18 Ngiyakwazi ukuthi akulalutho oluhle oluhlala kimi, okutsho imvelo yami elesono. Ngoba ngilesifiso sokwenza okuhle, kodwa angingeke ngikufeze.
for I have known that there does not dwell in me, that is, in my flesh, good: for to will is present with me, and I do not find to work that which is right,
19 Ngoba engikwenzayo akusikho okuhle engifuna ukukwenza; hatshi, okubi engingafuniyo ukukwenza, lokhu ngiqhubeka ngikwenza.
for the good that I will, I do not do; but the evil that I do not will, this I practice.
20 Nxa ngisenza engingafuni kukwenza, akuseyimi okwenzayo, kodwa yisono esihlala kimi esikwenzayo.
And if what I do not will, this I do, it is no longer I that work it, but sin that is dwelling in me.
21 Ngakho ngithola umthetho lo usebenza ukuthi: Lapho ngifuna ukwenza okuhle, okubi kulami khonapho.
I find, then, the law, that when I desire to do what is right, the evil is present with me,
22 Ngoba ebuntwini bami bangaphakathi ngiyathokoza ngomthetho kaNkulunkulu;
for I delight in the Law of God according to the inward man,
23 kodwa ngibona omunye umthetho usebenza ezithweni zami, usilwa lomthetho wengqondo yami ungenza ngibe yisibotshwa somthetho wesono osebenzayo ezithweni zami.
and I behold another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin that [is] in my members.
24 Yeka isinothongwana esengiyiso sona. Ngubani ozangihlenga kulo umzimba wokufa?
A wretched man I [am]! Who will deliver me out of the body of this death?
25 Kabongwe uNkulunkulu ngoJesu Khristu iNkosi yethu! Ngakho-ke, mina engqondweni yami ngiyisigqili somthetho kaNkulunkulu, kodwa ngokwemvelo yami yesono ngiyisigqili somthetho wesono.
I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord; so then, I myself indeed serve the Law of God with the mind, and with the flesh, the law of sin.
