Romans 7 Parallel Bible Translations

Romans 7 ▼
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1 Don't you realize, brothers—for I am speaking to people who know the Law—that the Law can press its claims over a person only as long as he is alive? Or do you not know, brothers—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law is binding on a person only as long as he lives? Do you not know, brothers and sisters—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law has authority over someone only as long as that person lives?
2 For a married woman is bound by the Law to her husband while he is living, but if her husband dies, she is released from the Law concerning her husband. For a married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives, but if her husband dies she is released from the law of marriage. For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law that binds her to him.
3 So while her husband is living, she will be called an adulterer if she lives with another man. But if her husband dies, she is free from this Law, so that she is not an adulterer if she marries another man. Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law, and if she marries another man she is not an adulteress. So then, if she has sexual relations with another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress if she marries another man.
4 In the same way, my brothers, through the Messiah's body you also died as far as the Law is concerned, so that you may belong to another person, the one who was raised from the dead, and may bear fruit for God. Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God. So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.
5 For while we were living according to our human nature, sinful passions were at work in our bodies by means of the Law, to bear fruit resulting in death. For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. For when we were in the realm of the flesh, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in us, so that we bore fruit for death.
6 But now we have been released from the Law by dying to what enslaved us, so that we may serve in the new life of the Spirit, not under the old writings. But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code. But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.
7 What should we say, then? Is the Law sinful? Of course not! In fact, I wouldn't have become aware of sin if it had not been for the Law. I wouldn't have known what it means to covet if the Law had not said, |You must not covet.| What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.”
8 But sin seized the opportunity provided by this commandment and produced in me all kinds of sinful desires, since apart from the Law, sin is dead. But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin lies dead. But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of coveting. For apart from the law, sin was dead.
9 At one time I was alive without any connection to the Law. But when the rule was revealed, sin sprang to life, I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died. Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died.
10 and I died. I found that the very rule that was intended to bring life actually brought death. The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me. I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death.
11 For sin, seizing the opportunity provided by the rule, deceived me and used it to kill me. For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death.
12 So then, the Law itself is holy, and the rule is holy, just, and good. So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good. So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.
13 Now, did something good bring me death? Of course not! But in order that sin might be recognized as being sin, it used something good to cause my death, so that through the rule, sin might become more exposed as being sinful than ever before. Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure. Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! Nevertheless, in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it used what is good to bring about my death, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.
14 For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am merely human, sold as a slave to sin. For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin.
15 I don't understand what I am doing. For I don't practice what I want to do, but instead do what I hate. For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.
16 Now if I practice what I don't want to do, I am admitting that the Law is good. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good.
17 As it is, I am no longer the one who is doing it, but it is the sin that is living in me. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.
18 For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but I cannot carry it out. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.
19 For I don't do the good I want to do, but instead do the evil that I don't want to do. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.
20 But if I do what I don't want to do, I am no longer the one who is doing it, but it is the sin that is living in me. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
21 So I find this to be a principle: when I want to do what is good, evil is right there with me. So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me.
22 For I delight in the Law of God in my inner being, For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, For in my inner being I delight in God’s law;
23 but I see in my body a different principle waging war with the Law in my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin that exists in my body. but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me.
24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is infected by death? Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?
25 Thank God through Jesus the Messiah, our Lord, because with my mind I myself can serve the Law of God, even while with my human nature I serve the law of sin. Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin. Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.
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