Romans 7 Parallel Bible Translations

Romans 7
swipe to see more →
SLT
Smith's Literal Translation
ESV
English Standard Version
NIV
New International Version
+Add
1 Know ye not brethren, (for I speak to them knowing law,) that law rules over man as much time as he lives? 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 a living husband; and if the husband die, she is left inactive from the law of the 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 Wherefore, the husband living, she shall be called adulteress if she be to another man: but if the man die, she is free from the law; not to be an adulteress, being to 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 Therefore, my brethren, ye also were dead to the law by the body of Christ; for you not to be to another, but to him raised from the dead, that we bring forth fruit to 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 when we were in the flesh the passions of sins, those by the law, were energetic in our members to bring forth fruit to 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 And now we were left inactive from the law, having died in what we were held; so that we serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter. 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 then shall we say? The law sin? It may not be. But I knew not sin except by the law: for I knew not lust, if the law said not, Thou shalt not eagerly desire. 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 And sin, having taken occasion by the command, wrought in me every lust. For without law sin 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 And I was living without law once: and the command having come, sin came back to life, and I died. 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 the command was found to me which for life, this for 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 having taken occasion by the command, deceived me completely, and by it killed 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 Therefore truly the law holy, and the command holy, and 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 Was then good death to me? It may not be. But sin, that it might appear sin, by the good working death in me; that sin might be sinful to excess by the command. 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: and I am fleshly, sold under 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 For what I work I know not: for what I would not, this I do; but what I hate, this I do. 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 And if what I would not this I do, I consent to the law that it 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 And now I no more wish it, but sin dwelling 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 in me dwells no good, (that is, in my flesh:) for to will lies near me; but to work good I find not. 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 not what good I would, do I; but the evil I would not, this I 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 And if what I would not, this I do, I no more work it, but sin dwelling 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 I find therefore a law to me, wishing to do good, that evil lies near 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 rejoice in the law of God, according to the man within: For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, For in my inner being I delight in God’s law;
23 And I see another law in my members, fighting against the law of my mind, and taking me captive to the law of sin being in my members. 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 I an oppressed man: who shall save me from the body of this 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 I return thanks to God by Jesus Christ our Lord. Therefore truly with the mind I serve the law of God; and with the flesh 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.
Previous chapter
Top of Page
Top of Page