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The Law and Sin

What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet, if it had not been for the law, I should not have known sin. I should not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” But sin, finding opportunity in the commandment, wrought in me all kinds of covetousness. Apart from the law sin lies dead. I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died; 10 the very commandment which promised life proved to be death to me. 11 For sin, finding opportunity in the commandment, deceived me and by it killed me. 12 So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and just and good.

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What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Howbeit, I had not known sin, except through [a]the law: for I had not known [b]coveting, except the law had said, [c]Thou shalt not [d]covet: but sin, finding occasion, wrought in me through the commandment all manner of [e]coveting: for apart from [f]the law sin is dead. And I was alive apart from [g]the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died; 10 and the commandment, which was unto life, this I found to be unto death: 11 for sin, finding occasion, through the commandment beguiled me, and through it slew me. 12 So that the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and righteous, and good.

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Footnotes

  1. Romans 7:7 Or, law
  2. Romans 7:7 Or, lust
  3. Romans 7:7 Ex. 20:17; Dt. 5:21.
  4. Romans 7:7 Or, lust
  5. Romans 7:8 Or, lust
  6. Romans 7:8 Or, law
  7. Romans 7:9 Or, law