Romans 7

¹Know ye not, brethren, (for I am speaking to those who are acquainted with the Law,) that the Law hath dominion over a man only as long as he liveth?

²For the married woman is bound by law to her husband while he liveth; but if the husband die, she is released from the law which bound her to him.

³So then, if while her husband is living she connect herself with another man, she will be called an adulteress; but if her husband die, she is no longer bound by that law, so that she will not be an adulteress, though she connect herself with another man.

⁴So then, my brethren, ye also were slain to the Law through the body of Christ, that ye might be connected with another, even with him who was raised from the dead, that we might bear fruit to God.

⁵For when we were in the flesh, the affections of sins, which were through the Law, were working in our members to bear fruit unto death.

⁶But now we are delivered from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, that we might serve in the new life of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the letter.

⁷What then shall we say? Is the Law sin? God forbid! But I should not have known sin, except by the Law; for I should not have known sinful desire, unless the Law had said, "Thou shalt not covet."

⁸But sin, seizing the opportunity, wrought in me by means of the commandment all manner of sinful desire; for without the Law sin is dead.

⁹And I, apart from the Law, was once alive; but when the commandment came, sin came to life again, and I died;

¹⁰and the very commandment whose design was life, I found to issue in death.

¹¹For sin, seizing the opportunity, deceived me through the commandment, and through it slew me.

¹²So that the Law is holy, and the commandment holy, and right, and good.

¹³Did then that which is good become death to me? Far be it! but sin; that it might become manifest as sin, causing death to me by means of that which is good; that sin by means of the commandment might become exceedingly sinful.

¹⁴For we know that the Law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, a slave sold to sin.

¹⁵For I know not what I do. For I do not what I would, but I do what I hate.

¹⁶But if I do what I would not, I assent to the Law that it is good.

¹⁷Now, however, it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

¹⁸For I know that there dwelleth not in me, that is, in my flesh, any good thing; for to desire is present with me, but not to perform that which is good.

¹⁹For the good that I would, I do not; but the evil which I would not, that I do.

²⁰But if I do what I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

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

²²For I delight in the Law of God, as to the inward man;

²³but I perceive another law in my members warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

²⁴Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from the body of this death?

²⁵Thanks be to God, [who hath delivered me] through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then, I, the same person, with the mind serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.

Romans 7

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

²For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.

³So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.

⁴Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.

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

⁶But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; 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. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, 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.

⁹For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.

¹⁰And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.

¹¹For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.

¹²Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.

¹³Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.

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

¹⁵For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.

¹⁶If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto 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 in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

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

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

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

²²For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:

²³But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

²⁴O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

²⁵I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.