KwabaseRoma 7
1 Kalazi yini, bazalwane (ngoba ngikhuluma lalabo abawaziyo umlayo), ukuthi umlayo ubusa umuntu selokhu esaphila?
Is it not clear, my brothers (I am using an argument to those who have knowledge of the law), that the law has power over a man as long as he is living?
2 Ngoba umfazi owendileyo ubotshelwe ngomlayo endodeni ephilayo; kodwa uba indoda isifile, ukhululiwe emlayweni wendoda.
For the woman who has a husband is placed by the law under the power of her husband as long as he is living; but if her husband is dead, she is free from the law of the husband.
3 Ngakho uba indoda isaphila, uzathiwa yisifebe uba esiba ngowenye indoda; kodwa uba indoda isifile, ukhululekile emlayweni, ukuze angabi yisifebe uba esiba ngowenye indoda.
So if, while the husband is living, she is joined to another man, she will get the name of one who is untrue to her husband: but if the husband is dead, she is free from the law, so that she is not untrue, even if she takes another man.
4 Ngakho, bazalwane bami, selenziwe lafa lani emlayweni ngomzimba kaKristu, ukuze libe ngabomunye, ngabalowo owavuswa kwabafileyo, ukuze sithelele uNkulunkulu izithelo.
In the same way, my brothers, you were made dead to the law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, even to him who came again from the dead, so that we might give fruit to God.
5 Ngoba sathi sisenyameni, inkanuko zezono ezingomlayo zasebenza ezithweni zethu ukuthelela ukufa izithelo.
For when we were in the flesh, the evil passions which came into being through the law were working in our bodies to give the fruit of death.
6 Kodwa khathesi-ke sesikhululiwe emthethweni, sifile mayelana lalokho esasibanjwe yikho, ukuze sikhonze ngobutsha bomoya, njalo kungeyisikho ngobudala bokulotshiweyo.
But now we are free from the law, having been made dead to that which had power over us; so that we are servants in the new way of the spirit, not in the old way of the letter.
7 Pho-ke sizakuthini? Umthetho uyisono yini? Phinde! Kodwa bengingasazi isono, ngaphandle ngomthetho; ngoba bengingawazi umhawu futhi, uba umthetho ubungatshongo ukuthi: Ungabi lomhawu.
What then is to be said? is the law sin? in no way. But I would not have had knowledge of sin but for the law: for I would not have been conscious of desire if the law had not said, You may not have a desire for what is another's.
8 Kodwa isono, sizuze ithuba ngomthetho, sasebenza kimi umhawu wonke; ngoba ngaphandle komlayo isono sifile.
But sin, taking its chance through that which was ordered by the law, was working in me every form of desire: because without the law sin is dead.
9 Mina-ke ngake ngaphila ngaphandle komlayo; kodwa kwathi sekufike umthetho, isono savuka, njalo ngafa mina;
And there was a time when I was living without the law: but when the law gave its orders, sin came to life and put me to death;
10 njalo umthetho ongowempilo, wona waficwa yimi ungowokufa;
And I made the discovery that the law whose purpose was to give life had become a cause of death:
11 ngoba isono, sizuze ithuba ngomthetho, sangikhohlisa, sangibulala ngawo.
For I was tricked and put to death by sin, which took its chance through the law.
12 Ngakho umthetho ungcwele, lomlayo ungcwele njalo ulungile, futhi muhle.
But the law is holy, and its orders are holy, upright, and good.
13 Ngakho okulungileyo kwaba yikufa kimi yini? Phinde! Kodwa isono, ukuze sibonakaliswe ukuthi siyisono, sisebenza ukufa kimi ngokulungileyo; ukuze isono ngomthetho sibe yikonakala okukhulu kakhulu.
Was then that which is good, death to me? In no way. But the purpose was that sin might be seen to be sin by working death to me through that which is good; so that through the orders of the law sin might seem much more evil.
14 Ngoba siyazi ukuthi umthetho ungowomoya; kanti mina ngingowenyama, ngithengisiwe ngaphansi kwesono.
For we are conscious that the law is of the spirit; but I am of the flesh, given into the power of sin.
15 Ngoba lokhu engikwenzayo, angivumelanilakho; ngoba kakusikho engikuthandayo, lokho engikwenzayo; kodwa lokho engikuzondayo, yikho engikwenzayo.
And I have no clear knowledge of what I am doing, for that which I have a mind to do, I do not, but what I have hate for, that I do.
16 Uba ngisenza lokho engingakuthandiyo, ngiyawuvumela umthetho ukuthi ulungile.
But, if I do that which I have no mind to do, I am in agreement with the law that the law is good.
17 Kodwa khathesi-ke kakuseyimi engikwenzayo, kodwa yisono esihlala kimi.
So it is no longer I who do it, but the sin living in me.
18 Ngoba ngiyazi ukuthi kimi, lokhu kuyikuthi enyameni yami, kakuhlali okuhle; ngoba kukhona ukuthanda kimi, kodwa ukwenza okuhle kangikutholi.
For I am conscious that in me, that is, in my flesh, there is nothing good: I have the mind but not the power to do what is right.
19 Ngoba okuhle engikuthandayo, kangikwenzi; kodwa okubi engingakuthandiyo, yikho engikwenzayo.
For the good which I have a mind to do, I do not: but the evil which I have no mind to do, that I do.
20 Kodwa uba ngisenza lokho mina engingakuthandiyo, kakuseyimi engikwenzayo, kodwa yisono esihlala kimi.
But if I do what I have no mind to do, it is no longer I who do it, but the sin living in me.
21 Ngakho ngithola umthetho wokuthi lapho ngithanda ukwenza okuhle, okubi kukhona kimi.
So I see a law that, though I have a mind to do good, evil is present in me.
22 Ngoba ngiyathokoza emthethweni kaNkulunkulu ngomuntu ophakathi;
In my heart I take pleasure in the law of God,
23 kodwa ngibona ezithweni zami omunye umthetho olwa lomthetho wengqondo yami, longithumbela emthethweni wesono osezithweni zami.
But I see another law in my body, working against the law of my mind, and making me the servant of the law of sin which is in my flesh.
24 Mina muntu olusizi! Ngubani ozangikhulula kulumzimba walokhukufa?
How unhappy am I! who will make me free from the body of this death?
25 Ngiyabonga uNkulunkulu ngoJesu Kristu iNkosi yethu. Ngalokho-ke mina ngokwami ngikhonza umthetho kaNkulunkulu ngengqondo, kodwa ngenyama umthetho wesono.
I give praise to God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So with my mind I am a servant to the law of God, but with my flesh to the law of sin.
