(A)What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? (B)[a]Far from it! On the contrary, (C)I would not have come to know sin except [b]through the Law; for I would not have known about [c]coveting if the Law had not said, “(D)You shall not [d]covet.” But sin, (E)taking an opportunity (F)through the commandment, produced in me [e]coveting of every kind; for (G)apart [f]from the Law sin is dead. I was once alive apart [g]from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin came to life, and I died; 10 and this commandment, which was [h](H)to result in life, proved [i]to result in 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 then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.

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Footnotes

  1. Romans 7:7 Lit May it never happen!
  2. Romans 7:7 Or through law
  3. Romans 7:7 Or lust
  4. Romans 7:7 Or lust
  5. Romans 7:8 Or lust
  6. Romans 7:8 Or from law
  7. Romans 7:9 Or from law
  8. Romans 7:10 Lit to life
  9. Romans 7:10 Lit to death

Knowledge of Sin Comes through the Law

What then shall we say? Is the law sin? May it never be! But I would not have known sin except through the law, for I would not have known covetousness if the law had not said, “Do not covet.”[a] But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin is dead. And I was alive once, apart from the law, but when[b] the commandment came, sin sprang to life 10 and I died, and this commandment which was to lead to life was found with respect to me to lead to death. 11 For sin, seizing the opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. 12 So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.

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Footnotes

  1. Romans 7:7 A quotation from Exod 20:17; Deut 5:21
  2. Romans 7:9 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“came”) which is understood as temporal