Romans 7
1 Or don’t you know, brothers (for I speak to men who know the law), that the law has dominion over a man for as long as he lives?
Ndugu zangu (sasa ninasema na wale wanaoijua sheria), je, hamjui ya kwamba sheria ina mamlaka tu juu ya mtu wakati akiwa hai?
2 For the woman that has a husband is bound by law to the husband while he lives, but if the husband dies, she is discharged from the law of the husband.
Kwa mfano, mwanamke aliyeolewa amefungwa kwa mumewe wakati akiwa hai, lakini yule mume akifa, yule mwanamke amefunguliwa kutoka sheria ya ndoa.
3 So then if, while the husband lives, she is joined to another man, she would be called an adulteress. But if the husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is no adulteress, though she is joined to another man.
Hivyo basi, kama huyo mwanamke ataolewa na mwanaume mwingine wakati mumewe akiwa bado yuko hai, ataitwa mzinzi. Lakini kama mumewe akifa, mwanamke huyo hafungwi tena na sheria ya ndoa, naye akiolewa na mtu mwingine haitwi mzinzi.
4 Therefore, my brothers, you also were made dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you would be joined to another, to him who was raised from the dead, that we might produce fruit to God.
Vivyo hivyo, ndugu zangu, ninyi mmeifia sheria kwa njia ya mwili wa Kristo, ili mweze kuwa mali ya mwingine, yeye ambaye alifufuliwa kutoka kwa wafu, ili tupate kuzaa matunda kwa Mungu.
5 For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were through the law worked in our members to bring out fruit to death.
Kwa maana tulipokuwa tunatawaliwa na asili ya dhambi, tamaa za dhambi zilizochochewa na sheria zilikuwa zikitenda kazi katika miili yetu, hivyo tulizaa matunda ya mauti.
6 But now we have been discharged from the law, having died to that in which we were held; so that we serve in newness of the spirit, and not in oldness of the letter.
Lakini sasa, kwa kufia kile kilichokuwa kimetufunga kwanza, tumewekwa huru kutokana na sheria ili tutumike katika njia mpya ya Roho, wala si katika njia ya zamani ya sheria iliyoandikwa.
7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? May it never be! However, I wouldn’t have known sin except through the law. For I wouldn’t have known coveting unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.”
Tuseme nini basi? Kwamba sheria ni dhambi? La, hasha! Lakini, isingekuwa kwa sababu ya sheria, nisingalijua dhambi. Nisingalijua kutamani ni nini kama sheria haikusema, “Usitamani.”
8 But sin, finding occasion through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of coveting. For apart from the law, sin is dead.
Lakini dhambi kwa kupata nafasi katika amri, hii ikazaa ndani yangu kila aina ya tamaa. Kwa maana pasipo sheria, dhambi imekufa.
9 I was alive apart from the law once, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died.
Wakati fulani nilikuwa hai pasipo sheria, lakini amri ilipokuja, dhambi ikawa hai, nami nikafa.
10 The commandment which was for life, this I found to be for death;
Nikaona kwamba ile amri iliyokusudiwa kuleta uzima, ilileta mauti.
11 for sin, finding occasion through the commandment, deceived me, and through it killed me.
Kwa maana dhambi kwa kupata nafasi katika amri, ilinidanganya, na kupitia katika hiyo amri, ikaniua.
12 Therefore the law indeed is holy, and the commandment holy, righteous, and good.
Hivyo basi, sheria yenyewe ni takatifu, na amri ni takatifu na ya haki, tena ni njema.
13 Did then that which is good become death to me? May it never be! But sin, that it might be shown to be sin, was producing death in me through that which is good; that through the commandment sin might become exceedingly sinful.
Je, kile kilicho chema basi kilikuwa mauti kwangu? La, hasha! Lakini ili dhambi itambuliwe kuwa ni dhambi, ilileta mauti ndani yangu kupitia kile kilichokuwa chema, ili kwa njia ya amri dhambi izidi kuwa mbaya kupita kiasi.
14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am fleshly, sold under sin.
Kwa maana tunajua kwamba sheria ni ya kiroho, lakini mimi ni wa kimwili nikiwa nimeuzwa kwenye utumwa wa dhambi.
15 For I don’t understand what I am doing. For I don’t practice what I desire to do; but what I hate, that I do.
Sielewi nitendalo, kwa maana lile ninalotaka kulitenda, silitendi, lakini ninatenda lile ninalolichukia.
16 But if what I don’t desire, that I do, I consent to the law that it is good.
Basi kama ninatenda lile nisilotaka kutenda, ni kwamba ninakubali kuwa sheria ni njema.
17 So now it is no more I that do it, but sin which dwells in me.
Lakini, kwa kweli si mimi tena nitendaye lile nisilotaka bali ni ile dhambi ikaayo ndani yangu.
18 For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwells no good thing. For desire is present with me, but I don’t find it doing that which is good.
Kwa maana ninafahamu kwamba hakuna jema lolote likaalo ndani yangu, yaani, katika asili yangu ya dhambi. Kwa kuwa nina shauku ya kutenda lililo jema, lakini siwezi kulitenda.
19 For the good which I desire, I don’t do; but the evil which I don’t desire, that I practice.
Sitendi lile jema nitakalo kutenda, bali lile baya nisilolitaka, ndilo nitendalo.
20 But if what I don’t desire, that I do, it is no more I that do it, but sin which dwells in me.
Basi kama ninatenda lile nisilotaka kutenda, si mimi tena nifanyaye hivyo, bali ni ile dhambi ikaayo ndani yangu.
21 I find then the law that, while I desire to do good, evil is present.
Hivyo naiona sheria ikitenda kazi. Ninapotaka kutenda jema, jambo baya liko papo hapo.
22 For I delight in God’s law after the inward person,
Kwa maana katika utu wangu wa ndani naifurahia sheria ya Mungu.
23 but I see a different law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity under the law of sin which is in my members.
Lakini ninaona kuna sheria nyingine inayotenda kazi katika viungo vya mwili wangu inayopigana vita dhidi ya ile sheria ya akili yangu. Sheria hii inanifanya mateka wa ile sheria ya dhambi inayofanya kazi katika viungo vya mwili wangu.
24 What a wretched man I am! Who will deliver me out of the body of this death?
Ole wangu mimi maskini! Ni nani atakayeniokoa na mwili huu wa mauti?
25 I thank God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! So then with the mind, I myself serve God’s law, but with the flesh, sin’s law.
Ashukuriwe Mungu kwa njia ya Yesu Kristo Bwana wetu! Hivyo basi, mimi mwenyewe kwa akili zangu ni mtumwa wa sheria ya Mungu, lakini katika asili ya dhambi ni mtumwa wa sheria ya dhambi.
