1 ف َماذا نَقُولُ؟ أنَبقَى فِي الخَطِيَّةِ لِكَي تَزدادَ نِعمَةُ اللهِ؟

What does this mean? Are we to keep on sinning so that God will give us more of His loving-favor?

2 ب ِالطَّبعِ لا! نَحنُ الَّذِينَ مُتنا بِالنِّسبَةِ لِلخَطِيَّةِ، كَيفَ نُواصِلُ العَيشَ فِيها؟

No, not at all! We are dead to sin. How then can we keep on living in sin?

3 أ مْ أنَّكُمْ لا تَعلَمُونَ أنَّنا نَحنُ الَّذِينَ تَعَمَّدنا مُتَّحِدينَ بِالمَسِيحِ يَسُوعَ، قَدْ تَعَمَّدنا لِنَشتَرِكَ مَعَهُ فِي مَوتِهِ؟

All of us were baptized to show we belong to Christ. We were baptized first of all to show His death.

4 ف َقَدْ دُفِنّا مَعَهُ مِنْ خِلالِ مَعمُودِيَّتِنا لِنَشتَرِكَ مَعَهُ فِي مَوتِهِ، حَتَّى كَما أُقِيمَ المَسِيحُ مِنَ المَوتِ بِقُوَّةِ الآبِ المَجِيدَةِ، نَسلُكُ نَحنُ أيضاً فِي حَياةٍ جَدِيدَةٍ.

We were buried in baptism as Christ was buried in death. As Christ was raised from the dead by the great power of God, so we will have new life also.

5 ف َبِما أنَّنا اتَّحَدْنا مَعَهُ فِي مَوتٍ يُشبِهُ مَوتَهُ، فَسَنَتَّحِدُ مَعَهُ أيضاً فِي قِيامَةٍ تُشبِهُ قِيامَتَهُ.

If we have become one with Christ in His death, we will be one with Him in being raised from the dead to new life.

6 و َنَحنُ نَعلَمُ أنَّ ذاتَنا العَتِيقَةَ قَدْ صُلِبَتْ مَعَ المَسِيحِ لِكَي لا نَخضَعَ فِيما بَعْدُ لِذَواتِنا الأثِيمَةِ، فَلا نَعُودَ عَبِيداً لِلخَطِيَّةِ.

We know that our old life, our old sinful self, was nailed to the cross with Christ. And so the power of sin that held us was destroyed. Sin is no longer our boss.

7 ل ِأنَّ الَّذِي يَمُوتُ، يَتَحَرَّرُ مِنْ قُوَّةِ الخَطِيَّةِ.

When a man is dead, he is free from the power of sin.

8 و َبِما أنَّنا مُتنا مَعَ المَسِيحِ، فَإنَّنا نُؤمِنُ بِأنَّنا سَنَحيا أيضاً مَعَهُ.

And if we have died with Christ, we believe we will live with Him also.

9 ف َنَحنُ نَعرِفُ أنَّ المَسِيحَ الَّذِي أُقِيمَ مِنَ المَوتِ، لا يَمُوتُ ثانِيَةً، وَلَنْ يَسُودَ عَلَيهِ المَوتُ ثانِيَةً.

We know that Christ was raised from the dead. He will never die again. Death has no more power over Him.

10 ف َالمَوتُ الَّذِي اختَبَرَهُ المَسِيحُ، كانَ لِكَي يَهزِمَ الخَطِيَّةَ مَرَّةً واحِدَةً نِهائِيَّةً. أمّا الحَياةُ الَّتِي يَحياها، فَيَحياها للهِ.

He died once but now lives. He died to break the power of sin, and the life He now lives is for God.

11 ف َاعتَبِرُوا أنتُمْ أنفُسَكُمْ أمواتاً بِالنِّسبَةِ لِلخَطِيَّةِ، وَلَكِنْ أحياءً بِالنِّسبَةِ للهِ فِي المَسِيحِ يَسُوعَ.

You must do the same thing! Think of yourselves as dead to the power of sin. But now you have new life because of Jesus Christ our Lord. You are living this new life for God.

12 إ ذاً لا يَنبَغِي أنْ تَسمَحُوا لِلخَطِيَّةِ بِأنْ تَتَحَكَّمَ بِأجسامِكُمُ الفانِيَةِ، فَتَجعَلَكُمْ تُطِيعُونَ رَغَباتِها الشِّرِّيرَةِ.

So do not let sin have power over your body here on earth. You must not obey the body and let it do what it wants to do.

13 و َلا تُقَدِّمُوا أعضاءَ أجسامِكُمْ لِلخَطِيَّةِ كَأدَواتٍ فِي خِدمَةِ الإثمِ، بَلْ قَدِّمُوا أنفُسَكُمْ كَما يَلِيقُ بِمَنْ نالُوا حَياةً بَعدَ مَوتِهِمْ وَأُقِيمُوا مِنَ المَوتِ. وَقَدِّمُوا أعضاءَ أجسامِكُمْ للهِ كَأدَواتٍ لِلبِرِّ، وَفِي خِدمَةِ البِرِّ.

Do not give any part of your body for sinful use. Instead, give yourself to God as a living person who has been raised from the dead. Give every part of your body to God to do what is right.

14 و َلَنْ تَسُودَ الخَطِيَّةُ عَلَيكُمْ، لِأنَّكُمْ لا تَحيَونَ تَحتَ الشَّرِيعَةِ، بَلْ تَحتَ نِعمَةِ اللهِ. عَبِيدٌ لِلبِرّ

Sin must not have power over you. You are not living by the Law. You have life because of God’s loving-favor.

15 ف َماذا نَفعَلُ؟ أيَجوزُ لَنا أنْ نُخطِئَ لِأنَّنا لا نَحيا تَحتَ الشَّرِيعَةِ، بَلْ تَحتَ نِعمَةِ اللهِ؟ بِالطَّبعِ لا!

What are we to do then? Are we to sin because we have God’s loving-favor and are not living by the Law? No, not at all!

16 أ لا تَعرِفُونَ أنَّكُمْ حِينَ تَضَعُونَ أنفُسَكُمْ تَحتَ تَصَرُّفِ شَخصٍ لِتُطِيعُوهُ، فَإنَّكُمْ تَكُونُونَ عَبِيداً لِمَنْ تُطِيعُونَ؟ فَالعُبُودِيَّةُ لِلخَطِيَّةِ تُؤَدِّي إلَى المَوتِ، وَالعُبُودِيَّةُ لِطاعَةِ اللهِ تُؤَدِّي إلَى البِرِّ.

Do you not know that when you give yourself as a servant to be owned by someone, that one becomes your owner? If you give yourself to sin, the end is death. If you give yourself to God, the end is being right with Him.

17 ل َكِنْ شُكراً للهِ لِأنَّكُمْ، رُغمَ أنَّكُمْ كُنتُمْ عَبِيداً لِلخَطِيَّةِ، أطَعتُمْ مِنْ كُلِّ القَلبِ التَّعلِيمَ الَّذِي سُلِّمَ إلَيكُمْ.

At one time you were held by the power of sin. But now you obey with all your heart the teaching that was given to you. Thank God for this!

18 ف َتَحَرَّرتُمْ مِنَ الخَطِيَّةِ، وَأصبَحتُمْ عَبِيداً لِلبِرِّ.

You were made free from the power of sin. Being right with God has power over you now.

19 أ نا أستَخدِمُ تَشبيهاتٍ بَشَريَّةً بِسَبَبِ ضَعفِكُمْ. لَقَدْ قَدَّمتُمْ فِيما مَضَى أعضاءَ أجسامِكُمْ لِلنَّجاسَةِ وَالإثمِ، فَكُنتُمْ عَبِيداً لَها. وَكانَ الإثمُ هُوَ الثَّمَرُ. فَالآنَ يَنبَغيْ أنْ تُقَدِّموا أعضاءَ أجسامِكُمْ لِحَياةِ البِرِّ، لِتَكُونُوا عَبِيداً لِلبِرِّ، وَتَكُونَ القَداسَةُ هِيَ الثَّمَرُ.

I speak with words easy to understand because your human thinking is weak. At one time you gave yourselves over to the power of sin. You kept on sinning all the more. Now give yourselves over to being right with God. Set yourself apart for God-like living and to do His work.

20 ف َحِينَ كُنتُمْ عَبِيداً لِلخَطِيَّةِ، كُنتُمْ غَيرَ خاضِعِينَ لِلبِرِّ.

When sin had power over your life, you were not right with God.

21 ف َأيُّ نَوعٍ مِنَ الثَّمَرِ كانَ لَكُمْ آنَذاكَ؟ كانَ ثَمَراً تَخْجَلونَ مِنْهُ الآنَ، وَنَتيجَتُهُ النِّهائِيَّةُ هِيَ المَوتُ.

What good did you get from the things you are ashamed of now? Those things bring death.

22 أ مّا الآنَ وَقَدْ تَحَرَّرتُمْ مِنَ الخَطِيَّةِ وَصِرتُمْ عَبِيداً للهِ، فَلَكُمْ ثَمَرُ القَداسَةِ، وَالنَتيجَةُ هِيَ الحَياةُ الأبَدِيَّةُ.

But now you are free from the power of sin. You have become a servant for God. Your life is set apart for God-like living. The end is life that lasts forever.

23 ل ِأنَّ الأجرَ الَّذِي يُدفَعُ مُقابِلَ الخَطِيَّةِ هُوَ المَوتُ، أمّا عَطِيَةُ اللهِ المَجّانِيَّةُ، فَهِيَ حَياةٌ أبَدِيَّةٌ فِي المَسِيحِ يَسُوعَ رَبِّنا.

You get what is coming to you when you sin. It is death! But God’s free gift is life that lasts forever. It is given to us by our Lord Jesus Christ.