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Romans 7:14-25
New International Version
Romans 7:14-25
New International Version
14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual,(A) sold(B) as a slave to sin.(C) 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.(D) 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good.(E) 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.(F) 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.[a](G) For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.(H) 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.(I)
21 So I find this law at work:(J) Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being(K) I delight in God’s law;(L) 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war(M) against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin(N) at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?(O) 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!(P)
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law,(Q) but in my sinful nature[b] a slave to the law of sin.(R)
Footnotes
- Romans 7:18 Or my flesh
- Romans 7:25 Or in the flesh
Romans 7:14-25
King James Version
Romans 7:14-25
King James Version
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.
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Romans 7:14-25
New American Standard Bible
Romans 7:14-25
New American Standard Bible
The Conflict of Serving Two Masters
14 For we know that the Law is (A)spiritual, but I am (B)fleshly, (C)sold [a](D)into bondage to sin. 15 For (E)I do not understand what I am doing; for I am not practicing (F)what I want to do, but I do the very thing I hate. 16 However, if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with (G)the Law, that the Law is good. 17 But now, (H)no longer am I the one doing it, but sin that dwells in me. 18 For I know that good does not dwell in me, that is, in my (I)flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. 19 For (J)the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. 20 But if I do the very thing I do not want, (K)I am no longer the one doing it, but sin that dwells in me.
21 I find then (L)the [b]principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. 22 For I joyfully agree with the law of God [c]in (M)the inner person, 23 but I see (N)a different law in [d]the parts of my body waging war against the (O)law of my mind, and making me a prisoner [e]of (P)the law of sin, the law which is in [f]my body’s parts. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from [g](Q)the body of this (R)death? 25 (S)Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh (T)the law of sin.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Romans 7:14 Lit under sin
- Romans 7:21 Lit law
- Romans 7:22 Or with respect to
- Romans 7:23 Lit my parts waging
- Romans 7:23 Lit in
- Romans 7:23 Lit my parts
- Romans 7:24 Or this body of death
Romans 7:14-25
The Message
Romans 7:14-25
The Message
14-16 I can anticipate the response that is coming: “I know that all God’s commands are spiritual, but I’m not. Isn’t this also your experience?” Yes. I’m full of myself—after all, I’ve spent a long time in sin’s prison. What I don’t understand about myself is that I decide one way, but then I act another, doing things I absolutely despise. So if I can’t be trusted to figure out what is best for myself and then do it, it becomes obvious that God’s command is necessary.
17-20 But I need something more! For if I know the law but still can’t keep it, and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help! I realize that I don’t have what it takes. I can will it, but I can’t do it. I decide to do good, but I don’t really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don’t result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time.
21-23 It happens so regularly that it’s predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. I truly delight in God’s commands, but it’s pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge.
24 I’ve tried everything and nothing helps. I’m at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn’t that the real question?
25 The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different.
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New International Version (NIV) 
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New American Standard Bible (NASB) 
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The Message (MSG)
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson