Romans 7
Wycliffe Bible
7 Brethren, whether ye know not; for I speak to men that know the law; for the law hath lordship in a man, as long time as he liveth?
2 For that woman that is under an husband, is bound to the law, while the husband liveth; but if her husband is dead, she is delivered from the law of the husband [soothly if her husband be dead, she is delivered, or unbound, from the law of the husband].
3 Therefore she shall be called adulteress, if she be with another man, while the husband liveth [Therefore living the man, she shall be called adulteress, if she be with another man]; but if her husband is dead [forsooth if her husband be dead], she is delivered from the law of the husband, that she be not adulteress, if she be with another man.
4 And so, my brethren, ye be made dead to the law by the body of Christ, that ye be of another, that rose again from death, that ye bear fruit to God. Therefore, my brethren, and ye be made dead to the law by the body of Christ, that ye be another's, that rose from dead, that we bear fruit to God.
5 For when we were in flesh, passions of sins, that were by the law, wrought in our members, to bear fruit to death.
6 But now we be unbound from the law of death, in which we were held [in which we were holden], so that we serve in newness of spirit, and not in oldness of letter.
7 What therefore shall we say? The law is sin? God forbid [Far be it]. But I knew not sin, but by [the] law; for I knew not that coveting was sin, but for the law said, Thou shalt not covet.
8 And through occasion taken, sin by the commandment hath wrought in me all covetousness [sin by the commandment hath wrought in me all coveting, or covetousness]; for without the law, sin was dead.
9 And I lived [Forsooth I lived] without the law sometime; but when the commandment was come, sin lived again. But I was dead,
10 and this commandment [and the commandment] that was to life, was found to me, to be to death.
11 For sin, through occasion taken by the commandment, deceived me, and by that it slew me [and by it slew me].
12 Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, and just, and good.
13 Is then that thing that is good, made death to me? God forbid [Far be it]. But sin, that it seem sin, through good thing wrought death to me, that me sin over manner through the commandment [But sin, that it appear sin, through good thing wrought death to me, that there be made sin sinning over manner, or measure, by commandment].
14 And we know, that the law is spiritual; but I am fleshly, sold under sin.
15 For I understand not that that I work; for I do not the good thing that I will, but I do that evil thing that I hate.
16 And if I do that thing that I will not, I consent to the law, that it is good.
17 But now I work not it now, but the sin that dwelleth in me.
18 But I know, that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwelleth no good; for will lieth to me (for will lieth before me), but I find not to perform good thing [truly to perform good thing I find not].
19 For I do not that good thing that I will, but I do that evil thing that I will not.
20 And if I do that evil thing that I will not [Soothly if I do that thing that I will not], I work not it, but the sin that dwelleth in me.
21 Therefore I find the law to me willing to do good thing [Therefore I find a law to me willing to do good thing], for evil thing lieth to me (for evil thing lieth before me).
22 For I delight together to the law of God, after the inner man.
23 But I see another law in my members, fighting against the law of my soul, and making me captive in the law of sin, that is in my members.
24 I am an unhappy man [I am a woeful man]; who shall deliver me from the body of this sin?
25 [Forsooth] The grace of God, by Jesus Christ our Lord. Therefore I myself by the soul serve to the law of God; but by the flesh to the law of sin.
Romans 7
New Matthew Bible
Christ has delivered us from the law and death. Paul shows what the flesh and natural man is, and calls it the law of the members.
7 Do you not consider, brethren (I speak to people who know the law), that the law has dominion over a person as long as it endures? 2 For the woman who is under a husband is bound by the law to the man as long as he lives. But if the husband is dead, she is released from the law of the husband. 3 So then, if while the husband is alive she couples herself with another man, she will be counted a wedlock breaker. But if the husband is dead, she is free from the law, so that she is no wedlock breaker if she couples herself with another man.
4 In a similar way, my brethren, you are dead concerning the law by the body of Christ, in order to be coupled to another (I mean, to him who is risen again from death), so that we will bring forth fruit unto God. 5 For when we were in the flesh, the lusts of sin, which were stirred up by the law, reigned in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. 6 But now we are delivered from the law, and dead to that to which we were in bondage, in order to serve in a new life of the Spirit, and not in the old life of the letter.
7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. But I would not have known what sin meant, if not by the law. For I would not have known what coveting meant unless the law had said, You shall not covet. 8 But sin took occasion by the means of the commandment, and wrought in me all manner of inordinate desire. For without the law, sin was dead. 9 I once lived without law. But when the commandment came, sin revived, and I was dead. 10 And the very same commandment that was ordained for life, was found to be to me an occasion of death. 11 For sin took occasion by the means of the commandment, and thus deceived me, and by the same commandment slew me. 12 Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, just, and good.
13 Was then that which is good, made death to me? God forbid. No, sin was death to me, so that it could appear how sin, by the means of that which is good, had wrought death in me; so that sin which is under the commandment might be out of measure sinful. 14 For we know that the law is spiritual. But I am carnal, sold under sin, 15 inasmuch as I know not what I do. For what I would, I do not, but what I hate, that I do. 16 If I would rather not do that which I do, I grant to the law that it is good. 17 So then now it is not I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. 18 For I know that in me (that is to say, in my flesh) dwells no good thing. To will is present with me, but I find no means to perform that which is good. 19 For I do not that good thing which I would, but I do the evil that I would not. 20 Finally, if I do what I do not want, then it is not I who do it, but sin that dwells in me does it.
21 I find then by the law that when I want to do good, evil is present with me. 22 I delight in the law of God as far as the inner man is concerned, 23 but I see another law in my members, rebelling against the law of my mind, and subduing me to the law of sin that is in my members. 24 O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from this body of death? 25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then, I myself in my mind serve the law of God, and in my flesh the law of sin.
Romans 7
Authorized (King James) Version
7 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.
2001 by Terence P. Noble
Copyright © 2016 by Ruth Magnusson (Davis). Includes emendations to February 2022. All rights reserved.
KJV reproduced by permission of Cambridge University Press, the Crown’s patentee in the UK.