< KwabaseRoma 7 >

1 Kalazi yini, bazalwane (ngoba ngikhuluma lalabo abawaziyo umlayo), ukuthi umlayo ubusa umuntu selokhu esaphila?
Or do you not know, brothers (for I speak to those who know the law), that the law has authority over a person for as long as he lives?
2 Ngoba umfazi owendileyo ubotshelwe ngomlayo endodeni ephilayo; kodwa uba indoda isifile, ukhululiwe emlayweni wendoda.
For the 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 concerning 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 then if, while the husband lives, she is joined to another man, she is called an adulteress. But if the husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is not an adulteress, though she is joined to another man.
4 Ngakho, bazalwane bami, selenziwe lafa lani emlayweni ngomzimba kaKristu, ukuze libe ngabomunye, ngabalowo owavuswa kwabafileyo, ukuze sithelele uNkulunkulu izithelo.
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 may bear fruit to God.
5 Ngoba sathi sisenyameni, inkanuko zezono ezingomlayo zasebenza ezithweni zethu ukuthelela ukufa izithelo.
For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were through the law, worked in our members to bring forth fruit for death.
6 Kodwa khathesi-ke sesikhululiwe emthethweni, sifile mayelana lalokho esasibanjwe yikho, ukuze sikhonze ngobutsha bomoya, njalo kungeyisikho ngobudala bokulotshiweyo.
But now we have been released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit, and not in oldness 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 should we say then? Is the law sin? Absolutely not. However, I would not have known sin, except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness, unless the law had said, "Do not covet."
8 Kodwa isono, sizuze ithuba ngomthetho, sasebenza kimi umhawu wonke; ngoba ngaphandle komlayo isono sifile.
But sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin is dead.
9 Mina-ke ngake ngaphila ngaphandle komlayo; kodwa kwathi sekufike umthetho, isono savuka, njalo ngafa mina;
I was alive apart from the law once, but when the commandment came, sin became alive, and I died.
10 njalo umthetho ongowempilo, wona waficwa yimi ungowokufa;
The commandment, which was for life, this I found to be for death;
11 ngoba isono, sizuze ithuba ngomthetho, sangikhohlisa, sangibulala ngawo.
for sin, taking the opportunity through the commandment, deceived me, and through it killed me.
12 Ngakho umthetho ungcwele, lomlayo ungcwele njalo ulungile, futhi muhle.
Therefore the law indeed is holy, and the commandment holy, and righteous, 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.
Did that which is good, then, become death to me? Absolutely not. But sin, that it might be shown to be sin, by working death to me through that which is good; that through the commandment sin might become exceeding sinful.
14 Ngoba siyazi ukuthi umthetho ungowomoya; kanti mina ngingowenyama, ngithengisiwe ngaphansi kwesono.
For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am fleshly, sold under sin.
15 Ngoba lokhu engikwenzayo, angivumelanilakho; ngoba kakusikho engikuthandayo, lokho engikwenzayo; kodwa lokho engikuzondayo, yikho engikwenzayo.
For I do not know what I am doing. For I do not practice what I desire to do; but what I hate, that I do.
16 Uba ngisenza lokho engingakuthandiyo, ngiyawuvumela umthetho ukuthi ulungile.
But if I do what I do not want to do, I agree with the law that it is good.
17 Kodwa khathesi-ke kakuseyimi engikwenzayo, kodwa yisono esihlala kimi.
So now it is no more I that do it, but sin which dwells in me.
18 Ngoba ngiyazi ukuthi kimi, lokhu kuyikuthi enyameni yami, kakuhlali okuhle; ngoba kukhona ukuthanda kimi, kodwa ukwenza okuhle kangikutholi.
For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwells no good thing. For the desire is present in me, but the doing of the good is not.
19 Ngoba okuhle engikuthandayo, kangikwenzi; kodwa okubi engingakuthandiyo, yikho engikwenzayo.
For the good which I desire, I do not do; but the evil which I do not desire, that I practice.
20 Kodwa uba ngisenza lokho mina engingakuthandiyo, kakuseyimi engikwenzayo, kodwa yisono esihlala kimi.
But if what I do not desire, that I do, it is no more I that do it, but sin which dwells in me.
21 Ngakho ngithola umthetho wokuthi lapho ngithanda ukwenza okuhle, okubi kukhona kimi.
I find then the law, that, to me, while I desire to do good, evil is present.
22 Ngoba ngiyathokoza emthethweni kaNkulunkulu ngomuntu ophakathi;
For I delight in God's law in my inner being,
23 kodwa ngibona ezithweni zami omunye umthetho olwa lomthetho wengqondo yami, longithumbela emthethweni wesono osezithweni 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 Mina muntu olusizi! Ngubani ozangikhulula kulumzimba walokhukufa?
What a wretched man I am. Who will deliver me out of the body of this death?
25 Ngiyabonga uNkulunkulu ngoJesu Kristu iNkosi yethu. Ngalokho-ke mina ngokwami ngikhonza umthetho kaNkulunkulu ngengqondo, kodwa ngenyama umthetho wesono.
Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord. So then with the mind, I myself serve God's law, but with the flesh, the sin's law.

< KwabaseRoma 7 >