1 ¶ What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?

What shall we say ? Are we to remain in sin in order that God’s grace (favor and mercy) may multiply and overflow?

2 N o, in no wise. How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein?

Certainly not! How can we who died to sin live in it any longer?

3 K now ye not that all of us that are baptized into Jesus the Christ are baptized into his death?

Are you ignorant of the fact that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?

4 F or we are buried with him by baptism into death, that just as the Christ was raised up from the dead to the glory of the Father, likewise we also walk in newness of life.

We were buried therefore with Him by the baptism into death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious of the Father, so we too might live and behave in newness of life.

5 F or if we have been planted together in him in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection,

For if we have become one with Him by sharing a death like His, we shall also be His resurrection.

6 k nowing this: that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed that we should not serve sin any longer.

We know that our old (unrenewed) self was nailed to the cross with Him in order that body of sin might be made ineffective and inactive for evil, that we might no longer be the slaves of sin.

7 F or he that is dead is justified from sin.

For when a man dies, he is freed (loosed, delivered) from sin.

8 N ow if we die with the Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him,

Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,

9 k nowing that the Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more; death has no more dominion over him.

Because we know that Christ (the Anointed One), being once raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has power over Him.

10 F or he that is dead died unto sin once, and he that lives, lives unto God.

For by the death He died, He died to sin once for all; and the life that He lives, He is living to God.

11 L ikewise also reckon yourselves to be truly dead unto sin, but alive unto God in Christ, Jesus, our Lord.

Even so consider yourselves also dead to sin and your relation to it broken, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

12 T herefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.

Let not sin therefore rule as king in your mortal (short-lived, perishable) bodies, to make you yield to its cravings and be subject to its lusts and evil passions.

13 N either present your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin, but present yourselves unto God as those that are alive from the dead and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

Do not continue offering or yielding your bodily members '> faculties] to sin as instruments (tools) of wickedness. But offer and yield yourselves to God as though you have been raised from the dead to life, and your bodily members '> faculties] to God, presenting them as implements of righteousness.

14 S o that sin shall have no dominion over you; for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

For sin shall not exert dominion over you, since now you are not under Law, but under grace.

15 W hat then? shall we sin because we are not under the law, but under grace? No, in no wise.

What then ? Shall we sin because we live not under Law but under God’s favor and mercy? Certainly not!

16 O r know ye not that to whom ye present yourselves slaves to obey, his slaves ye are to whom ye obey, whether of sin unto death or of the obedience unto righteousness?

Do you not know that if you continually surrender yourselves to anyone to do his will, you are the slaves of him whom you obey, whether that be to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience which leads to righteousness (right doing and right standing with God)?

17 T hank God that, although ye were the slaves of sin, ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine unto which ye are delivered;

But thank God, though you were once slaves of sin, you have become obedient with all your heart to the standard of teaching in which you were instructed and to which you were committed.

18 a nd freed from sin, ye are become the slaves of righteousness.

And having been set free from sin, you have become the servants of righteousness (of conformity to the divine will in thought, purpose, and action).

19 I speak a human thing because of the weakness of our flesh: that as ye presented your members to serve uncleanness and iniquity unto iniquity, likewise now present your members to serve righteousness unto holiness.

I am speaking in familiar human terms because of your natural limitations. For as you yielded your bodily members '> faculties] as servants to impurity and ever increasing lawlessness, so now yield your bodily members '> faculties] once for all as servants to righteousness (right being and doing) to sanctification.

20 F or being previously the slaves of sin, now ye have been made the slaves of righteousness.

For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.

21 W hat fruit had ye then in those things of which ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.

But then what benefit (return) did you get from the things of which you are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.

22 B ut now freed from sin and made slaves to God, ye have as your fruit sanctification and as the end, everlasting life.

But now since you have been set free from sin and have become the slaves of God, you have your present reward in holiness and its end is eternal life.

23 F or the wages of sin is death, but the grace of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

For the wages which sin pays is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through (in union with) Jesus Christ our Lord.