Roomaa 7

1 Yaa obboloota, ani warra seera beekanitti nan dubbadhaatii; seerri nama tokko irratti taayitaa kan qabaatu hamma namichi sun lubbuun jiru qofa akka taʼe isin hin beektanii ree?

Brothers and sisters, (I'm speaking here to people who know the law), don't you see that the law has authority over someone only while they're alive?

2 Dubartiin heerumte tokko hamma inni lubbuudhaan jirutti seeraan dhirsa isheetti hidhamteerti; yoo dhirsi ishee duʼe garuu seera fuudhaa fi heerumaa sana irraa hiikamteerti.

For example, a married woman is bound by the law to her husband while he's alive, but if he dies, she's released from this legal obligation to him.

3 Kanaafuu utuu dhirsi ishee lubbuudhaan jiruu yoo nama biraatti heerumte isheen ejjituu jedhamti. Yoo dhirsi ishee duʼe garuu waan seera sana irraa hiikamteef yoo nama biraatti heerumte illee ejjitu miti.

So if she lives with another man while her husband is alive, she would be committing adultery. However, if her husband dies and then she marries another man, she wouldn't be guilty of adultery.

4 Kanaafuu yaa obboloota ko, isinis akkasuma karaa dhagna Kiristoosiin seeraaf duutaniirtu; kunis akka isin kan biraa, kan isa warra duʼan keessaa kaafame sanaa taataniif; kun immoo akka nu Waaqaaf ija naqannuuf.

In the same way, my friends, you've become dead to the law through the body of Christ, and so now you belong to someone else—Christ, who was raised from the dead so that we could live a productive life for God.

5 Yeroo nu akka namummaa cubbamaatti jiraachaa turretti, hawwiin cubbuu kan seeraan kakaafame sun akka nu duʼaaf ija naqannuuf dhagna keenya keessatti hojjechaa ture.

While we were controlled by old nature, our sinful desires (as revealed by the law) were at work within us and resulted in death.

6 Amma garuu waan duraan nu hidhee ture sanaaf duʼuudhaan seera irraa hiikamneerra; kunis akka seera moofaa barreeffame sana jalatti tajaajilluuf utuu hin taʼin akka jireenya Hafuuraa haaraa sanaan tajaajilluuf.

But now we've been set free from the law, and have died to what kept us in chains, so that we can serve in the newness of the spirit and not the old letter of the law.

7 Egaa maal jenna ree? Seerri cubbuudhaa? Gonkumaa akkas miti! Garuu ani utuu seeraan taʼuu baatee cubbuun maal akka taʼe hin beeku ture. Utuu seerri “Hin hawwin” jechuu baatee ani silaa hawwiin maal akka taʼe dhugumaan hin beeku ture.

So what do we conclude? That the law is sin? Of course not! I wouldn't have known what sin was unless the law defined it. I wouldn't have realized that wanting to have other people's things for myself was wrong without the law that says, “Don't desire for yourself what belongs to someone else.”

8 Cubbuun garuu carraa ajajni argamsiiseen hawwii hamaa gosa hundaa na keessatti uume. Lafa seerri hin jirretti cubbuun duʼaadhaatii.

But through this commandment sin found a way to stir up in me all kinds of selfish desires—for without law, sin is dead.

9 Ani dur seera malee jiraachaan ture; yommuu ajajni dhufetti garuu cubbuun ni bayyanatte; anis nan duʼe.

I used to live without realizing what the law really meant, but when I understood the implications of that commandment, then sin came back to life, and I died.

10 Ajajni jireenya fida jedhamee eegame sunis akka duʼa natti fide nan hubadhe.

I discovered that the very commandment that was meant to bring life brought death instead,

11 Cubbuun carraa ajajni argamsiiseen na gowwoomse; ajajuma sanaanis na ajjeese.

because sin found a way through the commandment to deceive me, and used the commandment to kill me!

12 Kanaafuu seerri qulqulluu dha; ajajni sunis qulqulluu dha; qajeelaa dha; gaarii dhas.

However, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, right, and good.

13 Egaa waan gaarii sanatu duʼa natti taʼee ree? Gonkumaa akkas miti! Cubbuunis akka cubbuutti akka ilaalamuuf, akka karaa ajajaatiin ittuma caalee cubbuu taʼuufis cubbuun karaa waan gaarii sanaatiin duʼa natti fide.

Now would something that is good kill me? Of course not! But sin shows itself to be sin by using good to cause my death. So by means of the commandment, it's revealed how evil sin really is.

14 Nus akka seerri sun seera hafuuraa taʼe ni beekna; ani garuu nama foonii kan akkuma garbaatti cubbuutti gurguramee dha.

We realize that the law is spiritual; but I'm all-too-human, a slave to sin.

15 Ani waanan hojjedhu hin beeku. Ani waanan jibbun hojjedha malee waanan hojjechuu barbaadu hin hojjedhuutii.

I really don't understand what I'm doing. I do the things I don't want to do, and what I hate doing, that's what I do!

16 Ani erga waanan hojjechuu hin barbaanne hojjedhee, akka seerri sun gaarii taʼe walii nan gala.

But if I'm saying that I do what I don't want to, this shows that I admit the law is good and right.

17 Yoos, siʼachi cubbuu na keessa jiraatutu waan kana hojjeta malee ana miti.

So it's no longer me who does this, but sin living in me—

18 Na keessa jechuunis namummaa koo cubbamaa keessa akka wanni gaariin tokko iyyuu hin jirre nan beeka. Ani waan gaarii hojjechuu nan hawwa; garuu hojjechuu hin dandaʼu.

for I know that there's nothing good in me as far as my sinful human nature is concerned. Even though I want to do good, I'm just not able to do it.

19 Wanti ani hojjedhu waan hamaa ani hojjechuu hin barbaanne malee waan gaarii ani hojjechuu barbaadu mitiitii.

The good I want to do, I don't do; while the evil I don't want to do, that's what I end up doing!

20 Egaa ani waanan hojjechuu hin barbaanne yoon hojjedhe, siʼachi cubbuu na keessa jiraatu sanatu waan kana hojjeta malee ana miti.

However, if I'm doing what I don't want to, then it's no longer me doing it, but sin living in me.

21 Kanaafuu akka seerri sun hojjechaa jiru nan hubadha; yommuu ani waan gaarii hojjechuu barbaadu hamminni na biratti argama.

This is the principle I've discovered: if I want to do what's good, evil is always there too.

22 Ani keessa namummaa kootti seera Waaqaattin nan gammadaatii;

My inner self is delighted with God's law,

23 ani garuu utuu seerri biraa seera qalbii koo wajjin kutaa dhagna koo keessatti wal lolee seera cubbuu kan kutaa dhagna koo keessa jiruuf na boojiʼuu nan arga.

but I see a different law at work within me that is at war with the law my mind has decided to follow, making me a prisoner of the law of sin that is within me.

24 Ani nama gadadamaa akkamii ti! Dhagna duʼu kana jalaa eenyutu na baasa?

I'm totally miserable! Who will rescue me from this body that's causing my death? Thank God—for he does this through Jesus Christ our Lord!

25 Karaa Gooftaa keenya Yesuus Kiristoosiin galanni Waaqaaf haa taʼu! Kanaafuu ani mataan koo qalbii kootiin garbicha seera Waaqaa ti; namummaa koo cubbamaadhaan garuu ani garbicha seera cubbuu ti.

Here's the situation: while I myself choose with my mind to obey God's law, my human nature obeys the law of sin.