Romans 7

¹Or do you not know, brothers, (now I am speaking to those who know the law) that the law has dominion over a man only so long as he lives?

²For example, a woman who is subject to a husband is obligated by the law while her husband lives. But when her husband has died, she is released from the law of her husband.

³Therefore, while her husband lives, if she has been with another man, she should be called an adulteress. But when her husband has died, she is freed from the law of her husband, such that, if she has been with another man, she is not an adulteress.

⁴And so, my brothers, you also have become dead to the law, through the body of Christ, so that you may be another one who has risen from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God.

⁵For when we were in the flesh, the passions of sins, which were under the law, operated within our bodies, so as to bear fruit unto death.

⁶But now we have been released from the law of death, by which we were being held, so that now we may serve with a renewed spirit, and not in the old way, by the letter.

⁷What should we say next? Is the law sin? Let it not be so! But I do not know sin, except through the law. For example, I would not have known about coveting, unless the law said: “You shall not covet.”

⁸But sin, receiving an opportunity through the commandment, wrought in me all manner of coveting. For apart from the law, sin was dead.

⁹Now I lived for some time apart from the law. But when the commandment had arrived, sin was revived,

¹⁰and I died. And the commandment, which was unto life, was itself found to be unto death for me.

¹¹For sin, receiving an opportunity through the commandment, seduced me, and, through the law, sin killed me.

¹²And so, the law itself is indeed holy, and the commandment is holy and just and good.

¹³Then was what is good made into death for me? Let it not be so! But rather sin, in order that it might be known as sin by what is good, wrought death in me; so that sin, through the commandment, might become sinful beyond measure.

¹⁴For we know that the law is spiritual. But I am carnal, having been sold under sin.

¹⁵For I do things that I do not understand. For I do not do the good that I want to do. But the evil that I hate is what I do.

¹⁶So, when I do what I do not want to do, I am in agreement with the law, that the law is good.

¹⁷But I am then acting not according to the law, but according to the sin which lives within me.

¹⁸For I know that what is good does not live within me, that is, within my flesh. For the willingness to do good lies close to me, but the carrying out of that good, I cannot reach.

¹⁹For I do not do the good that I want to do. But instead, I do the evil that I do not want to do.

²⁰Now if I do what I am not willing to do, it is no longer I who am doing it, but the sin which lives within me.

²¹And so, I discover the law, by wanting to do good within myself, though evil lies close beside me.

²²For I am delighted with the law of God, according to the inner man.

²³But I perceive another law within my body, fighting against the law of my mind, and captivating me with the law of sin which is in my body.

²⁴Unhappy man that I am, who will free me from this body of death?

²⁵The grace of God, by Jesus Christ our Lord! Therefore, I serve the law of God with my own mind; but with the flesh, the law of sin.

Romans 7

¹Know you not, brethren (for I speak to them that know the law) that the law hath dominion over a man as long as it liveth?

²For the woman that hath an husband, whilst her husband liveth is bound to the law. But if her husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.

³Therefore, whilst her husband liveth, she shall be called an adulteress, if she be with another man: but if her husband be dead, she is delivered from the law of her husband: so that she is not an adulteress, if she be with another man.

⁴Therefore, my brethren, you also are become dead to the law, by the body of Christ: that you may belong to another, who is risen again from the dead that we may bring forth fruit to God.

⁵For when we were in the flesh, the passions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members, to bring forth fruit unto death.

⁶But now we are loosed from the law of death wherein we were detained; so that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.

⁷What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? God forbid! But I do not know sin, but by the law. For I had not known concupiscence, if the law did not say: Thou shalt not covet.

⁸But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.

⁹And I lived some time without the law. But when the commandment came, sin revived,

¹⁰And I died. And the commandment that was ordained to life, the same was found to be unto death to me.

¹¹For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, seduced me: and by it killed me.

¹²Wherefore the law indeed is holy: and the commandment holy and just and good.

¹³Was that then which is good made death unto me? God forbid! But sin, that it may appear sin, by that which is good, wrought death in me: that sin, by the commandment, might become sinful above measure.

¹⁴For we know that the law is spiritual. But I am carnal, sold under sin.

¹⁵For that which I work, I understand not. For I do not that good which I will: but the evil which I hate, that I do.

¹⁶If then I do that which I will not, I consent to the law, that it is good.

¹⁷Now then it is no more I that do it: but sin that dwelleth in me.

¹⁸For I know that there dwelleth not in me, that is to say, in my flesh, that which is good. For to will is present with me: but to accomplish that which is good, I find not.

¹⁹For the good which I will, I do not: but the evil which I will not, that I do.

²⁰Now if I do that which I will not, it is no more I that do it: but sin that dwelleth in me.

²¹I find then a law, that when I have a will to do good, evil is present with me.

²²For I am delighted with the law of God, according to the inward man:

²³But I see another law in my members, fighting against the law of my mind and captivating me in the law of sin that is in my members.

²⁴Unhappy man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

²⁵The grace of God, by Jesus Christ our Lord. Therefore, I myself, with the mind serve the law of God: but with the flesh, the law of sin.