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(A)What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? (B)May it never be! Rather, (C)I would not have come to know sin except [a]through the Law. For I would not have known about [b]coveting if the Law had not said, “(D)You shall not [c]covet.” But sin, (E)taking opportunity (F)through the commandment, worked out in me [d]coveting of every kind. For (G)apart [e]from the Law sin is dead. Now I was once alive apart [f]from the Law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died; 10 and this commandment, which was [g](H)to lead to life, was found [h]to lead to death for me. 11 For sin, (I)taking an opportunity (J)through the commandment, (K)deceived me and through it killed me. 12 (L)So, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.

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Footnotes

  1. Romans 7:7 Or through law
  2. Romans 7:7 Or lust
  3. Romans 7:7 Or lust
  4. Romans 7:8 Or lust
  5. Romans 7:8 Or from law
  6. Romans 7:9 Or from law
  7. Romans 7:10 Lit to life
  8. Romans 7:10 Lit to death

The function of the Law

So what are we going to say? That the Law is sin? Absolutely not! But I wouldn’t have known sin except through the Law. I wouldn’t have known the desire for what others have if the Law had not said, Don’t desire to take what others have.[a] But sin seized the opportunity and used this commandment to produce all kinds of desires in me. Sin is dead without the Law. I used to be alive without the Law, but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life, 10 and I died. So the commandment that was intended to give life brought death. 11 Sin seized the opportunity through the commandment, deceived me, and killed me. 12 So the Law itself is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous, and good.

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