KwabaseRoma 7
1 Kalazi yini bazalwane, ngoba ngikhuluma ebantwini abawaziyo umthetho, ukuthi umthetho ulamandla phezu komuntu nxa esaphila kuphela na?
Or don’t you know, brothers (for I speak to men who know the law), that the law has dominion over a man for as long as he lives?
2 Njengesibonelo, ngomthetho owesifazane owendileyo ubotshelwe kumkakhe nxa esaphila, kodwa umkakhe angafa, uyakhululwa emthethweni wokuthathana.
For the woman that has a husband is bound by law to the husband while he lives, but if the husband dies, she is discharged 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 if, while the husband lives, she is joined to another man, she would be called an adulteress. But if the husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is no adulteress, though she is joined to another man.
4 Ngakho-ke, bazalwane bami, lani lafela emthethweni ngomzimba kaKhristu, ukuze libe ngabomunye, kuye owavuswa kwabafileyo, ukuze sithele izithelo kuNkulunkulu.
Therefore, my brothers, you also were made dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you would be joined to another, to him who was raised from the dead, that we might produce 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 sinful passions which were through the law worked in our members to bring out fruit to death.
6 Kodwa khathesi, ngokufela kulokho okwake kwasibopha, sesikhululiwe emthethweni ukuze sikhonze ngendlela entsha yoMoya hatshi ngendlela endala yezimiso ezilotshiweyo.
But now we have been discharged from the law, having died to that in which we were held; so that we serve in newness of the spirit, and not in oldness of the 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 shall we say then? Is the law sin? May it never be! However, I wouldn’t have known sin except through the law. For I wouldn’t have known coveting unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.”
8 Kodwa isono, sathatha ithuba elalethwa ngumlayo, saveza kimi inhlobo zonke zenkanuko yokuhawukela. Ngoba ngaphandle komthetho, isono sifile.
But sin, finding occasion through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of coveting. For apart from the law, sin is dead.
9 Mina ngake ngaphila ngaphandle komthetho; kodwa kwathi ekufikeni komlayo, isono savuka saphila, mina ngafa.
I was alive apart from the law once, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died.
10 Ngathola ukuthi umlayo lowo owawuhlose ukuletha ukuphila waletha ukufa.
The commandment which was for life, this I found to be for death;
11 Ngoba isono sathatha ithuba elalethwa ngumlayo, sangikhohlisa, kwathi ngomthetho sangibulala.
for sin, finding occasion through the commandment, deceived me, and through it killed me.
12 Ngakho-ke, umthetho ungcwele, lomlayo ungcwele, ulungile njalo muhle.
Therefore the law indeed is holy, and the commandment holy, 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.
Did then that which is good become death to me? May it never be! But sin, that it might be shown to be sin, was producing death in me through that which is good; that through the commandment sin might become exceedingly sinful.
14 Siyakwazi ukuthi umthetho ungokomoya; kodwa mina ngingowenyama, ngathengiswa esonweni njengesigqili.
For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am fleshly, sold under sin.
15 Engikwenzayo angikuzwisisi. Ngoba lokho engifuna ukukwenza angikwenzi, kodwa lokho engikuzondayo ngiyakwenza.
For I don’t understand what I am doing. For I don’t practice what I desire to do; but what I hate, that I do.
16 Ngakho nxa ngisenza lokho engingafuni kukwenza, ngiyavuma ukuthi umthetho ulungile.
But if what I don’t desire, that I do, I consent to the law that it is good.
17 Njengoba kunje, akuseyimi uqobo okwenzayo, kodwa isono esihlala kimi.
So now it is no more I that do it, but sin which dwells in me.
18 Ngiyakwazi ukuthi akulalutho oluhle oluhlala kimi, okutsho imvelo yami elesono. Ngoba ngilesifiso sokwenza okuhle, kodwa angingeke ngikufeze.
For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwells no good thing. For desire is present with me, but I don’t find it doing that which is good.
19 Ngoba engikwenzayo akusikho okuhle engifuna ukukwenza; hatshi, okubi engingafuniyo ukukwenza, lokhu ngiqhubeka ngikwenza.
For the good which I desire, I don’t do; but the evil which I don’t desire, that I practice.
20 Nxa ngisenza engingafuni kukwenza, akuseyimi okwenzayo, kodwa yisono esihlala kimi esikwenzayo.
But if what I don’t desire, that I do, it is no more I that do it, but sin which dwells in me.
21 Ngakho ngithola umthetho lo usebenza ukuthi: Lapho ngifuna ukwenza okuhle, okubi kulami khonapho.
I find then the law that, while I desire to do good, evil is present.
22 Ngoba ebuntwini bami bangaphakathi ngiyathokoza ngomthetho kaNkulunkulu;
For I delight in God’s law after the inward person,
23 kodwa ngibona omunye umthetho usebenza ezithweni zami, usilwa lomthetho wengqondo yami ungenza ngibe yisibotshwa somthetho wesono osebenzayo ezithweni zami.
but I see a different law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity under the law of sin which is in my members.
24 Yeka isinothongwana esengiyiso sona. Ngubani ozangihlenga kulo umzimba wokufa?
What 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 with the mind, I myself serve God’s law, but with the flesh, sin’s law.
