Sin’s Advantage in the Law

⁷ What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, ^(A)I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, ^(B)“You shall not covet.”

⁸ But ^(A)sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire. For ^(B)apart from the law sin was dead.

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

¹⁰ And the commandment, ^(A)which was to bring life, I found to bring death.

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

¹² Therefore ^(A)the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.