Romanos 7
1 An ignoratis fratres (scientibus enim legem loquor) quia lex in homine dominatur quanto tempore vivit?
Surely, Brothers, you know (for I am speaking to men who know what Law means) that Law has power over a man only as long as he lives.
2 Nam quae sub viro est mulier, vivente viro, alligata est legi: si autem mortuus fuerit vir eius, soluta est a lege viri.
For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband while he is living; but, if her husband dies, she is set free from the law that bound her to him.
3 Igitur, vivente viro, vocabitur adultera si fuerit cum alio viro: si autem mortuus fuerit vir eius, liberata est a lege viri: ut non sit adultera si fuerit cum alio viro.
If, then, during her husband’s lifetime, she unites herself to another man, she will be called an adulteress; but, if her husband dies, the law has no further hold on her, nor, if she unites herself to another man, is she an adulteress.
4 Itaque fratres mei et vos mortificati estis legi per corpus Christi: ut sitis alterius, qui ex mortuis resurrexit, ut fructificetis Deo.
And so with you, my Brothers; as far as the Law was concerned, you underwent death in the crucified body of the Christ, so that you might be united to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that our lives might bear fruit for God.
5 Cum enim essemus in carne, passiones peccatorum, quae per legem erant, operabantur in membris nostris, ut fructificarent morti.
When we were living merely earthly lives, our sinful passions, aroused by the Law, were active in every part of our bodies, with the result that our lives bore fruit for Death.
6 nunc autem soluti sumus a lege mortis, in qua detinebamur, ita ut serviamus in novitate spiritus, et non in vetustate litterae.
But now we are set free from the Law, because we are dead to that which once kept us under restraint; and so we serve under new, spiritual conditions, and not under old, written regulations.
7 Quid ergo dicemus? lex peccatum est? Absit. Sed peccatum non cognovi, nisi per legem: nam concupiscentiam nesciebam, nisi lex diceret: Non concupisces.
What are we to say, then? That Law and sin are the same thing? Heaven forbid! On the contrary, I should not have learned what sin is, had not it been for Law. If the Law did not say ‘Thou shalt not covet,’ I should not know what it is to covet.
8 Occasione autem accepta, peccatum per mandatum operatum est in me omnem concupiscentiam. Sine lege enim peccatum mortuum erat.
But sin took advantage of the Commandment to arouse in me every form of covetousness, for where there is no consciousness of Law sin shows no sign of life.
9 Ego autem vivebam sine lege aliquando. Sed cum venisset mandatum, peccatum revixit.
There was a time when I myself, unconscious of Law, was alive; but when the Commandment was brought home to me, sin sprang into life, while I died!
10 Ego autem mortuus sum: et inventum est mihi mandatum, quod erat ad vitam, hoc esse ad mortem.
The very Commandment that should have meant Life I found to result in Death!
11 Nam peccatum occasione accepta per mandatum, seduxit me, et per illud occidit.
Sin took advantage of the Commandment to deceive me, and used it to bring about my Death.
12 Itaque lex quidem sancta, et mandatum sanctum, et iustum, et bonum.
And so the Law is holy, and each Commandment is also holy, and just, and good.
13 Quod ergo bonum est, mihi factum est mors? Absit. Sed peccatum, ut appareat peccatum, per bonum operatum est mihi mortem: ut fiat supra modum peccans peccatum per mandatum.
Did, then, a thing, which in itself was good, involve Death in my case? Heaven forbid! It was sin that involved Death; so that, by its use of what I regarded as good to bring about my Death, its true nature might appear; and in this way the Commandment showed how intensely sinful sin is.
14 Scimus enim quia lex spiritualis est: ego autem carnalis sum venundatus sub peccato.
We know that the Law is spiritual, but I am earthly — sold into slavery to Sin.
15 Quod enim operor, non intelligo. non enim quod volo bonum, hoc ago: sed quod odi malum, illud facio.
I do not understand my own actions. For I am so far from habitually doing what I want to do, that I find myself doing the very thing that I hate.
16 Si autem quod nolo, illud facio: consentio legi, quoniam bona est.
But when I do what I want not to do, I am admitting that the Law is right.
17 Nunc autem iam non ego operor illud, sed quod habitat in me peccatum.
This being so, the action is no longer my own, but that of Sin which is within me.
18 Scio enim quia non habitat in me, hoc est in carne mea, bonum. Nam velle, adiacet mihi: perficere autem bonum, non invenio.
I know that there is nothing good in me — I mean in my earthly nature. For, although it is easy for me to want to do right, to act rightly is not easy.
19 Non enim quod volo bonum, hoc ago: sed quod odi malum, illud facio.
I fail to do the good thing that I want to do, but the bad thing that I want not to do — that I habitually do.
20 Si autem quod nolo, illud facio: iam non ego operor illud, sed quod habitat in me, peccatum.
But, when I do the very thing that I want not to do, the action is no longer my own, but that of Sin which is within me.
21 Invenio igitur legem, volenti mihi facere bonum, quoniam mihi malum adiacet:
This, then, is the law that I find — when I want to do right, wrong presents itself!
22 condelector enim legi Dei secundum interiorem hominem:
At heart I delight in the Law of God;
23 video autem aliam legem in membris meis, repugnantem legi mentis meae, et captivantem me in lege peccati, quae est in membris meis.
but throughout my body I see a different law, one which is in conflict with the law accepted by my reason, and which endeavours to make me a prisoner to that law of Sin which exists throughout my body.
24 Infelix ego homo, quis me liberabit de corpore mortis huius?
Miserable man that I am! Who will deliver me from the body that is bringing me to this Death?
25 Gratia Dei per Iesum Christum Dominum nostrum. Igitur ego ipse mente servio legi Dei: carne autem, legi peccati.
Thank God, there is deliverance through Jesus Christ, our Lord! Well then, for myself, with my reason I serve the Law of God, but with my earthly nature the Law of Sin.
