Romans

The epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Romans, chapter 7, New English Translation and King James Version

Chapter 7 New English Translation

The Believer's Relationship to the Law

   1 Or do you not know, brothers and sisters (for I am speaking to those who know the law), that the law is LORD over a person as long as he lives? 2 For a 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 of the marriage. 3 So then, if she is joined to another man while her husband is alive, she will be called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law, and if she is joined to another man, she is not an adulteress. 4 So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you could be joined to another, to the one who was raised from the dead, to bear fruit to God. 5 For when we were in the flesh, the sinful desires, aroused by the law, were active in the members of our body to bear fruit for death. 6 But now we have been released from the law, because we have died to what controlled us, so that we may serve in the new life of the Spirit and not under the old written code.
   7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Absolutely not! Certainly, I would not have known sin except through the law. For indeed I would not have known what it means to desire something belonging to someone else if the law had not said, "Do not covet." 8 But sin, seizing the opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of wrong desires. For apart from the law, sin is dead. 9 And I was once alive apart from the law, but with the coming of the commandment sin became alive 10 and I died. So I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life brought death! 11 For sin, seizing the opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it I died. 12 So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous, and good.
   13 Did that which is good, then, become death to me? Absolutely not! But sin, so that it would be shown to be sin, produced death in me through what is good, so that through the commandment sin would become utterly sinful. 14 For we know that the law is spiritual - but I am unspiritual, sold into slavery to sin. 15 For I don't understand what I am doing. For I do not do what I want - instead, I do what I hate. 16 But if I do what I don't want, I agree that the law is good. 17 But now it is no longer me doing it, but sin that lives in me. 18 For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh. For I want to do the good, but I cannot do it. 19 For I do not do the good I want, but I do the very evil I do not want! 20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer me doing it but sin that lives in me.
   21 So, I find the law that when I want to do good, evil is present with me. 22 For I delight in the law of God in my inner being. 23 But I see a different law in my members waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that is in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our LORD! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.

King James Version

   1 Know 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?
   2 For 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.
   3 So 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.
   4 Wherefore, 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.
   5 For 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.
   6 But 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.
   7 What 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.
   8 But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.
   9 For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.
   10 And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.
   11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.
   12 Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.
   13 Was 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.
   14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.
   15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.
   16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.
   17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
   18 For 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.
   19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
   20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
   21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
   22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
   23 But 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.
   24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
   25 I 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.