Romans 7
Christian Standard Bible
An Illustration from Marriage
7 Since I am speaking to those who know the law, brothers and sisters,(A) don’t you know that the law rules over someone as long as he lives? 2 For example, a married woman is legally bound to her husband while he lives.(B) But if her husband dies, she is released from the law regarding the husband. 3 So then, if she is married to another man while her husband is living, she will be called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law. Then, if she is married to another man, she is not an adulteress.
4 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you also were put to death(C) in relation to the law(D) through the body of Christ(E) so that you may belong to another. You belong to him who was raised from the dead in order that we may bear fruit for God. 5 For when we were in the flesh,(F) the sinful passions aroused through the law were working in us[a](G) to bear fruit for death. 6 But now we have been released from the law, since we have died to what held us, so that we may serve in the newness of the Spirit(H) and not in the old letter of the law.
Sin’s Use of the Law
7 What should we say then?(I) Is the law sin? Absolutely not!(J) But I would not have known sin if it were not for the law.(K) For example, I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, Do not covet.[b](L) 8 And sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment,(M) produced in me coveting of every kind. For apart from the law sin is dead.(N) 9 Once I was alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life again 10 and I died. The commandment that was meant for life(O) resulted in death for me. 11 For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me,(P) and through it killed me. 12 So then, the law is holy,(Q) and the commandment is holy and just and good. 13 Therefore, did what is good become death to me? Absolutely not!(R) But sin, in order to be recognized as sin, was producing death in me through what is good, so that through the commandment, sin might become sinful beyond measure.
The Problem of Sin in Us
14 For we know that the law is spiritual,(S) but I am of the flesh,[c] sold(T) as a slave under sin.(U) 15 For I do not understand what I am doing,(V) because I do not practice what I want to do,(W) but I do what I hate. 16 Now if I do what I do not want to do, I agree with the law that it is good. 17 So now I am no longer the one doing it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh.(X) For the desire to do what is good is with me, but there is no ability to do it. 19 For I do not do the good that I want to do, but I practice the evil that I do not want to do. 20 Now if I do what I do not want, I am no longer the one that does it, but it is the sin that lives in me. 21 So I discover this law:[d](Y) When I want to do what is good,[e] evil is present with me. 22 For in my inner self[f] I delight in God’s law,(Z) 23 but I see a different law in the parts of my body,[g](AA) waging war against the law of my mind and taking me prisoner to the law of sin in the parts of my body. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?(AB) 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!(AC) So then, with my mind I myself am serving the law of God, but with my flesh, the law of sin.
Romans 7
New American Standard Bible
Believers United to Christ
7 Or do you not know, (A)brothers and sisters (for I am speaking to those who know the [a]Law), that the [b]Law has jurisdiction over a person as long as he lives? 2 For (B)the married woman is bound by law to her [c]husband as long as he is alive; but if her husband dies, she is released from the law [d]concerning the husband. 3 So then, if while her husband is alive she [e]gives herself to another man, she will be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is not an adulteress if she [f]gives herself to another man.
4 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you also were (C)put to death (D)in regard to the Law (E)through the body of Christ, so that you might belong to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. 5 For while we were (F)in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were (G)brought to light by the Law, were at work (H)in [g]the parts of our body to bear fruit for death. 6 But now we have been (I)released from the Law, having (J)died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in (K)newness of (L)the [h]Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.
7 (M)What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? (N)[i]Far from it! On the contrary, (O)I would not have come to know sin except [j]through the Law; for I would not have known about [k]coveting if the Law had not said, “(P)You shall not [l]covet.” 8 But sin, (Q)taking an opportunity (R)through the commandment, produced in me [m]coveting of every kind; for (S)apart [n]from the Law sin is dead. 9 I was once alive apart [o]from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin came to life, and I died; 10 and this commandment, which was [p](T)to result in life, proved [q]to result in death for me; 11 for sin, (U)taking an opportunity (V)through the commandment, (W)deceived me, and through it, killed me. 12 (X)So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.
13 Therefore did that which is good become a cause of death for me? [r](Y)Far from it! Rather it was sin, in order that it might be shown to be sin by bringing about my death through that which is good, so that through the commandment sin would become utterly sinful.
The Conflict of Serving Two Masters
14 For we know that the Law is (Z)spiritual, but I am (AA)fleshly, (AB)sold [s](AC)into bondage to sin. 15 For (AD)I do not understand what I am doing; for I am not practicing (AE)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 (AF)the Law, that the Law is good. 17 But now, (AG)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 (AH)flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. 19 For (AI)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, (AJ)I am no longer the one doing it, but sin that dwells in me.
21 I find then (AK)the [t]principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. 22 For I joyfully agree with the law of God [u]in (AL)the inner person, 23 but I see (AM)a different law in [v]the parts of my body waging war against the (AN)law of my mind, and making me a prisoner [w]of (AO)the law of sin, the law which is in [x]my body’s parts. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from [y](AP)the body of this (AQ)death? 25 (AR)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 (AS)the law of sin.
Footnotes
- Romans 7:1 Or law
- Romans 7:1 Or law
- Romans 7:2 Lit living husband; but if
- Romans 7:2 Lit of
- Romans 7:3 Lit becomes another man’s
- Romans 7:3 I.e., in marriage; lit becomes another man’s
- Romans 7:5 Lit our parts to bear
- Romans 7:6 Or spirit
- Romans 7:7 Lit May it never happen!
- Romans 7:7 Or through law
- Romans 7:7 Or lust
- Romans 7:7 Or lust
- Romans 7:8 Or lust
- Romans 7:8 Or from law
- Romans 7:9 Or from law
- Romans 7:10 Lit to life
- Romans 7:10 Lit to death
- Romans 7:13 Lit May it never happen!
- 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
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