1 O r do you not know, brethren (for I am speaking to those who know the law), that the law has jurisdiction over a person as long as he lives?

Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?

2 F or the married woman is bound by law to her husband while he is living; but if her husband dies, she is released from the law concerning the husband.

For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.

3 S o then, if while her husband is living she is joined to another man, she shall be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is not an adulteress though she is joined to another man.

So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.

4 T herefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.

Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.

5 F or while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death.

For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.

6 B ut now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.

But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.

7 W hat shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, “ You shall not covet.”

What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.

8 B ut sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, produced in me coveting of every kind; for apart from the Law sin is dead.

But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.

9 I was once alive apart from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin became alive and I died;

For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.

10 a nd this commandment, which was to result in life, proved to result in death for me;

And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.

11 f or sin, taking an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me.

For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.

12 S o then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.

Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.

13 T herefore did that which is good become a cause of death for me? May it never be! Rather it was sin, in order that it might be shown to be sin by effecting my death through that which is good, so that through the commandment sin would become utterly sinful. The Conflict of Two Natures

Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.

14 F or we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin.

For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.

15 F or what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate.

For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.

16 B ut if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good.

If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.

17 S o now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.

Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

18 F or I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not.

For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

19 F or the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want.

For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.

20 B ut if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.

Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

21 I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good.

I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.

22 F or I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man,

For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:

23 b ut I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members.

But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

24 W retched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?

O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

25 T hanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.

I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.