Romans 6:1-7:6

New International Version

Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ

6 What shall we say, then?^(A) Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?^(B) ²By no means! We are those who have died to sin;^(C) how can we live in it any longer? ³Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized^(D) into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? ⁴We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death^(E) in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead^(F) through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.^(G)

⁵For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his.^(H) ⁶For we know that our old self^(I) was crucified with him^(J) so that the body ruled by sin^(K) might be done away with,^[a] that we should no longer be slaves to sin^(L)— ⁷because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.^(M)

⁸Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.^(N) ⁹For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead,^(O) he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him.^(P) ¹⁰The death he died, he died to sin^(Q) once for all;^(R) but the life he lives, he lives to God.

¹¹In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin^(S) but alive to God in Christ Jesus. ¹²Therefore do not let sin reign^(T) in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. ¹³Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness,^(U) but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness.^(V) ¹⁴For sin shall no longer be your master,^(W) because you are not under the law,^(X) but under grace.^(Y)

Slaves to Righteousness

¹⁵What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace?^(Z) By no means! ¹⁶Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey^(AA)—whether you are slaves to sin,^(AB) which leads to death,^(AC) or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? ¹⁷But thanks be to God^(AD) that, though you used to be slaves to sin,^(AE) you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching^(AF) that has now claimed your allegiance. ¹⁸You have been set free from sin^(AG) and have become slaves to righteousness.^(AH)

¹⁹I am using an example from everyday life^(AI) because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness^(AJ) leading to holiness. ²⁰When you were slaves to sin,^(AK) you were free from the control of righteousness.^(AL) ²¹What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death!^(AM) ²²But now that you have been set free from sin^(AN) and have become slaves of God,^(AO) the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.^(AP) ²³For the wages of sin is death,^(AQ) but the gift of God is eternal life^(AR) in^[b] Christ Jesus our Lord.

Released From the Law, Bound to Christ

7 Do you not know, brothers and sisters^(AS)—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law has authority over someone only as long as that person lives? ²For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law that binds her to him.^(AT) ³So then, if she has sexual relations with another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress.^(AU) But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress if she marries another man.

⁴So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law^(AV) through the body of Christ,^(AW) that you might belong to another,^(AX) to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. ⁵For when we were in the realm of the flesh,^[c]^(AY) the sinful passions aroused by the law^(AZ) were at work in us,^(BA) so that we bore fruit for death.^(BB) ⁶But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law^(BC) so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.^(BD)

Footnotes

Romans 6:6 Or be rendered powerless
Romans 6:23 Or through
Romans 7:5 In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit.

Psalm 49

New International Version

Psalm 49^[a]

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.

¹Hear^(A) this, all you peoples;^(B)
    listen, all who live in this world,^(C)
²both low and high,^(D)
    rich and poor alike:
³My mouth will speak words of wisdom;^(E)
    the meditation of my heart will give you understanding.^(F)
⁴I will turn my ear to a proverb;^(G)
    with the harp^(H) I will expound my riddle:^(I)

⁵Why should I fear^(J) when evil days come,
    when wicked deceivers surround me—
⁶those who trust in their wealth^(K)
    and boast^(L) of their great riches?^(M)
⁷No one can redeem the life of another
    or give to God a ransom for them—
⁸the ransom^(N) for a life is costly,
    no payment is ever enough—^(O)
⁹so that they should live on^(P) forever
    and not see decay.^(Q)
¹⁰For all can see that the wise die,^(R)
    that the foolish and the senseless^(S) also perish,
    leaving their wealth^(T) to others.^(U)
¹¹Their tombs^(V) will remain their houses^[b] forever,
    their dwellings for endless generations,^(W)
    though they had^[c] named^(X) lands after themselves.

¹²People, despite their wealth, do not endure;^(Y)
they are like the beasts that perish.^(Z)

¹³This is the fate of those who trust in themselves,^(AA)
    and of their followers, who approve their sayings.^[d]
¹⁴They are like sheep and are destined^(AB) to die;^(AC)
    death will be their shepherd
    (but the upright will prevail^(AD) over them in the morning).
Their forms will decay in the grave,
    far from their princely mansions.
¹⁵But God will redeem me from the realm of the dead;^(AE)
    he will surely take me to himself.^(AF)
¹⁶Do not be overawed when others grow rich,
    when the splendor of their houses increases;
¹⁷for they will take nothing^(AG) with them when they die,
    their splendor will not descend with them.^(AH)
¹⁸Though while they live they count themselves blessed—^(AI)
    and people praise you when you prosper—
¹⁹they will join those who have gone before them,^(AJ)
    who will never again see the light^(AK) of life.

²⁰People who have wealth but lack understanding^(AL)
are like the beasts that perish.^(AM)

Footnotes

Psalm 49:1 In Hebrew texts 49:1-20 is numbered 49:2-21.
Psalm 49:11 Septuagint and Syriac; Hebrew In their thoughts their houses will remain
Psalm 49:11 Or generations, / for they have
Psalm 49:13 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 15.