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? [i](N)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
Romans 7
New King James Version
Freed from the Law
7 Or do you not know, brethren (for I speak to those who know the law), that the law [a]has dominion over a man as long as he lives? 2 For (A)the woman who has a husband is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives. But if the husband dies, she is released from the law of her husband. 3 So then (B)if, while her husband lives, she marries another man, she will be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law, so that she is no adulteress, though she has married another man. 4 Therefore, my brethren, you also have become (C)dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should (D)bear fruit to God. 5 For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law (E)were at work in our members (F)to bear fruit to death. 6 But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve (G)in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.
Sin’s Advantage in the Law
7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, (H)I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, (I)“You shall not covet.” 8 But (J)sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire. For (K)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, (L)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 (M)the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.
Law Cannot Save from Sin
13 Has then what is good become death to me? Certainly not! But sin, that it might appear sin, was producing death in me through what is good, so that sin through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful. 14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, (N)sold under sin. 15 For what I am doing, I do not understand. (O)For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. 16 If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. 17 But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. 18 For I know that (P)in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. 19 For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. 20 Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.
21 I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. 22 For I (Q)delight in the law of God according to (R)the inward man. 23 But (S)I see another law in (T)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 will deliver me (U)from this body of death? 25 (V)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.
Footnotes
- Romans 7:1 rules
Romans 7
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.
Romanos 7
Dios Habla Hoy
Comparación con el matrimonio
7 Hermanos, ustedes conocen la ley, y saben que la ley solamente tiene poder sobre una persona mientras esa persona vive. 2 Por ejemplo, una mujer casada está ligada por ley a su esposo mientras éste vive; pero si el esposo muere, la mujer queda libre de la ley que la ligaba a él. 3 De modo que si ella se une a otro hombre mientras el esposo vive, comete adulterio, pero si el esposo muere, ella queda libre de esa ley, y puede unirse a otro hombre sin cometer adulterio.
4 Así también, ustedes, hermanos míos, al incorporarse a Cristo han muerto con él a la ley, para quedar unidos a otro, es decir, a aquel que después de morir resucitó. De este modo, podremos dar una cosecha agradable a Dios. 5 Porque cuando vivíamos como pecadores, la ley sirvió para despertar en nuestro cuerpo los malos deseos, y lo único que cosechamos fue la muerte. 6 Pero ahora hemos muerto a la ley que nos tenía bajo su poder, quedando así libres para servir a Dios en la nueva vida del Espíritu y no bajo una ley ya anticuada.
El pecado se aprovechó de la ley
7 ¿Vamos a decir por esto que la ley es pecado? ¡Claro que no! Sin embargo, de no ser por la ley, yo no hubiera sabido lo que es el pecado. Jamás habría sabido lo que es codiciar, si la ley no hubiera dicho: «No codicies.» 8 Pero el pecado se aprovechó de esto, y valiéndose del propio mandamiento despertó en mí toda clase de malos deseos. Pues mientras no hay ley, el pecado es cosa muerta. 9 Hubo un tiempo en que, sin la ley, yo tenía vida; pero cuando vino el mandamiento, cobró vida el pecado, 10 y yo morí. Así resultó que aquel mandamiento que debía darme la vida, me llevó a la muerte, 11 porque el pecado se aprovechó del mandamiento y me engañó, y con el mismo mandamiento me dio muerte.
12 En resumen, la ley en sí misma es santa, y el mandamiento es santo, justo y bueno. 13 Pero entonces, ¿esto que es bueno me llevó a la muerte? ¡Claro que no! Lo que pasa es que el pecado, para demostrar que verdaderamente es pecado, me causó la muerte valiéndose de lo bueno. Y así, por medio del mandamiento, quedó demostrado lo terriblemente malo que es el pecado.
14 Sabemos que la ley es espiritual, pero yo soy débil, vendido como esclavo al pecado. 15 No entiendo el resultado de mis acciones, pues no hago lo que quiero, y en cambio aquello que odio es precisamente lo que hago. 16 Pero si lo que hago es lo que no quiero hacer, reconozco con ello que la ley es buena. 17 Así que ya no soy yo quien lo hace, sino el pecado que está en mí. 18 Porque yo sé que en mí, es decir, en mi naturaleza débil, no reside el bien; pues aunque tengo el deseo de hacer lo bueno, no soy capaz de hacerlo. 19 No hago lo bueno que quiero hacer, sino lo malo que no quiero hacer. 20 Ahora bien, si hago lo que no quiero hacer, ya no soy yo quien lo hace, sino el pecado que está en mí.
21 Me doy cuenta de que, aun queriendo hacer el bien, solamente encuentro el mal a mi alcance. 22 En mi interior me gusta la ley de Dios, 23 pero veo en mí algo que se opone a mi capacidad de razonar: es la ley del pecado, que está en mí y que me tiene preso.
24 ¡Desdichado de mí! ¿Quién me librará del poder de la muerte que está en mi cuerpo? 25 Solamente Dios, a quien doy gracias por medio de nuestro Señor Jesucristo. En conclusión: yo entiendo que debo someterme a la ley de Dios, pero en mi debilidad estoy sometido a la ley del pecado.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Dios habla hoy ®, © Sociedades Bíblicas Unidas, 1966, 1970, 1979, 1983, 1996.