1 C hristian brothers, I am sure you understand what I am going to say. You know all about the Law. The Law has power over a man as long as he lives.

وَأسألُكُمْ أنتُمُ الإخْوَةَ العارِفِينَ بِالشَّريعَةِ: ألَسْتُمْ تَعلَمُونَ أنَّ لِلشَّرِيعَةِ سُلطاناً عَلَى النّاسِ ما دامُوا أحياءَ؟

2 A married woman is joined by law to her husband as long as he lives. But if he dies, she is free from the law that joined her to him.

تَربِطُ الشَّرِيعَةُ المَرأةَ المُتَزَوِّجَةَ بِزَوجِها مادامَ حَيّاً. لَكِنْ إذا ماتَ زَوجُها، فَإنَّها تَتَحَرَّرُ مِنْ شَرِيعَةِ الزَّواج.

3 I f she marries another man while her husband is still alive, she is sinning by not being faithful in marriage. If her husband dies, she is free from the law that joined her to him. After that she can marry someone else. She does not sin if she marries another man.

وَإنْ تَزَوَّجَتْ رَجُلاً آخَرَ أثناءَ حَياةِ زَوجِها، فَإنَّها تَكُونُ زانِيَةً. لَكِنْ إذا ماتَ زَوجُها، فَإنَّها حُرَّةٌ مِنْ شَرِيعَةِ الزَّواجِ، فَلا تَكُونُ زانِيَةً إذا تَزَوَّجَتْ آخَرَ.

4 M y Christian brothers, that is the way it is with you. You were under the power of the Law. But now you are dead to it because you are joined to another. You are joined to Christ Who was raised from the dead. This is so we may be what God wants us to be. Our lives are to give fruit for Him.

هَكَذا أيُّها الإخوَةُ قَدْ مِتُّمْ أنتُمْ أيضاً، فَتَحَرَّرتُمْ مِنَ الشَّرِيعَةِ بِجَسَدِ المَسِيحِ، لِكَي يُمكِنَكُمْ أنْ تَكُونُوا لآَخَرَ، أيْ لِذاكَ الَّذِي أُقِيمَ مِنَ المَوتِ، لِكَي نُنتِجُوا ثَمَراً صالِحاً للهِ.

5 W hen we lived to please our bodies, those sinful desires were pulling at us all the time. We always wanted to do what the Law said not to do. Living that kind of life brings death,

فَعِندَما كُنّا نَعِيشُ حَسَبَ طَبِيعَتِنا الجَسَدِيَّةِ، كانَتْ مُيُولُنا الآثِمَةُ الَّتِي أنتَجَتها الشَّرِيعَةُ تَعمَلُ فِي أعضاءِ أجسادِنا، فَنُنتِجَ ثَمَراً يُؤَدِّي إلَى المَوت.

6 b ut now we are free from the Law. We are dead to sin that once held us in its power. No longer do we follow the Law which is the old way. We now follow the new way, the way of the Spirit.

أمّا الآنَ، فَقَدْ تَحَرَّرنا مِنَ الشَّرِيعَةِ الَّتِي كانَتْ تَسْجِنُنا. وَذَلِكَ لِكَي نَخدِمَ اللهَ بَطَريقَةٍ جَدِيدَةٍ، هِيَ طَريقَةُ الرُّوحِ القُدُسِ، لا الطَّريقَةُ القَدِيمَةُ المَبنيَّةُ عَلَى حَرفيَّةِ الشَّريعَةِ. الوَصِيَّةُ وَالخَطِيَّة

7 T hen what are we saying? Is the Law sinful? No, not at all! But it was the Law that showed me what sin is. I did not know it was sin to follow wrong desires, but the Law said, “You must not follow wrong desires.”

فَماذا نَعني؟ أنَعني أنَّ الشَّرِيعَةَ خَطِيَّةٌ؟ بِالطَّبعِ لا! فَأنا لَمْ أعرِفْ ما هِيَ الخَطِيَّةُ لَولا الشَّرِيعَةُ. ما كُنتُ لِأعرِفَ خَطِيَّةَ اشتِهاءِ ما لِلغَيرِ، لَوْ لَمْ تَقُلِ الشَّرِيعَةُ: «لا تَشْتَهِ ما لِغَيرِكَ.»

8 T he Law made me know how much I was sinning. It showed me how I had a desire for all kinds of things. For without the Law, sin is dead.

لَكِنَّ الخَطِيَّةَ استَغَلَّتِ الوَصِيَّةَ، وَجَعَلَتنِي أشتَهِي كُلَّ شَيءٍ. فَالخَطِيَّةُ بِدُونِ الشَّرِيعَةِ مَيِّتَةٌ.

9 I was once alive. That was when I did not know what the Law said I had to do. Then I found that I had broken the Law. I knew I was a sinner. Death was mine because of the Law.

وَأنا كُنتُ ذاتَ يَومٍ حَيّاً بِدُونِ الشَّرِيعَةِ، ثُمَّ جاءَتِ الوَصِيَّةُ فَعاشَتِ الخَطِيَّةُ،

10 T he Law was supposed to give me new life. Instead, it gave me death.

وَمِتُّ أنا! وَهَكَذا فَإنَّ الوَصِيَّةَ الهادِفَةَ إلَى الحَياةِ، هِيَ نَفسُها أدَّتْ إلَى المَوتِ.

11 S in found a way to trap me by working through the Law. Then sin killed me by using the Law.

فَقَدِ انتَهَزَتِ الخَطِيَّةُ فُرصَتَها وَخَدَعَتنِي، وَبِتِلكَ الوَصِيَّةِ أيضاً قَتَلَتْنِي.

12 T he Law is holy. Each one of the Laws is holy and right and good.

فَالشَّرِيعَةُ إذاً مُقَدَّسَةٌ، وَالوَصِيَّةُ مُقَدَّسَةٌ وَعادِلَةٌ وَصالِحَةٌ.

13 T hen does it mean that the Law, which is good, brought death to me? No, not at all! It was sin that did it. Sin brought death to me by the Law that is good. In that way, sin was shown to be what it is. So because of the Law, sin becomes much more sinful.

هَلْ يَعنِي هَذا أنَّ ما هُوَ صالِحٌ قَدْ جاءَ بِالمَوْتِ إليَّ؟ بِالطَّبعِ لا! لَكِنَّ الخَطِيَّةَ استَغَلَّتْ ما هُوَ صالِحٌ لِتأتيَ إلَيَّ بِالمَوْتِ، فَظَهَرَتِ الخَطيَةُ عَلَى حَقيقَتِها. فَبِاستِغلالِها لِلوَصِيَّةِ، ظَهَرَتِ الخَطِيَةُ فِي أسوَأِ صُوَرِها. صِراعُ الإنسان

14 W e know that the Law is right and good, but I am a person who does what is wrong and bad. I am not my own boss. Sin is my boss.

فَنَحنُ نَعلَمُ أنَّ الشَّرِيعَةَ رُوحِيَّةٌ، أمّا أنا فَطَبيعَتي جَسَدِيَّةٌ. فَأنا مُباعٌ كَعَبدٍ، لِأعِيشَ خاضِعاً لِلخَطِيَّةِ.

15 I do not understand myself. I want to do what is right but I do not do it. Instead, I do the very thing I hate.

وَلَستُ أعلَمُ ما الَّذي يَحْدُثُ لِيْ، لِأنِّي لا أفعَلُ ما أُرِيدُهُ، بَلْ أفعَلُ الأشياءَ الَّتِي أُبغِضُها!

16 W hen I do the thing I do not want to do, it shows me that the Law is right and good.

فَإنْ كُنتُ لا أُرِيدُ أنْ أفعَلَ ما أفعَلُهُ، فَإنِّي أُوافِقُ الشَّرِيعَةَ عَلَى أنَّها صالِحَةٌ.

17 S o I am not doing it. Sin living in me is doing it.

لَكِنِّي لَستُ أنا مَنْ يَفعَلُ هَذِهِ الأُمُورَ فِيما بَعْدُ، بَلِ الخَطِيَّةُ السّاكِنَةُ فِيَّ.

18 I know there is nothing good in me, that is, in my flesh. For I want to do good but I do not.

نَعَمْ، أنا أُدرِكُ أنَّ ما هُوَ صالِحٌ لا يَسكُنُ فِيَّ، أيْ فِي طَبيعَتي الجَسَديَّةِ. فَأنا أُريدُ أنْ أفعَلَ ما هُوَ صالِحٌ، لَكِنَّني لا أستَطيعُ!

19 I do not do the good I want to do. Instead, I am always doing the sinful things I do not want to do.

فَأنا لا أفعَلُ الصّالِحَ الَّذِي أُرِيدُهُ، بَلْ أفعَلُ الشَّرَّ الَّذِي لا أُرِيدُهُ!

20 I f I am always doing the very thing I do not want to do, it means I am no longer the one who does it. It is sin that lives in me.

وَبِما أنِّي أفعَلُ الأُمُورَ الَّتِي لا أُرِيدُ فِعلَها، فَإنِّي لَستُ أنا مَنْ يَفعَلُها بَلِ الخَطِيَّةُ الَّتِي تَسكُنُ فِيَّ هِيَ الَّتِي تَفعَلُها.

21 T his has become my way of life: When I want to do what is right, I always do what is wrong.

وَهَكَذا، تَعَلَّمْتُ هَذِهِ القاعِدةَ: عِنْدَما أُريدُ أنْ أفعَلَ شَيئاً صالِحاً، أجِدُ أنَّ الشَّرَّ دائِماً عِندِي!

22 M y mind and heart agree with the Law of God.

فَأنا أُسَرُّ فِي أعماقِ كَيانِي بِشَرِيعَةِ اللهِ،

23 B ut there is a different law at work deep inside of me that fights with my mind. This law of sin holds me in its power because sin is still in me.

لَكِنِّي أرَى قانوناً آخَرَ يَعمَلُ فِي جِسْمِي، وَهِوَ يُحارِبُ المَبدَأ الَّذِي يَسُودُ فِي عَقلِي، وَيَجعَلُنِي أسِيراً لقانونِ الخَطِيَّةِ الَّذي يَعمَلُ فِي جِسْمِي.

24 T here is no happiness in me! Who can set me free from my sinful old self?

فَما أتعَسَنِي مِنْ إنسانٍ! مَنْ سَيُنقِذُنِي مِنْ هَذا الجِسْمِ الخاضِعِ لِلمَوتِ؟

25 G od’s Law has power over my mind, but sin still has power over my sinful old self. I thank God I can be free through Jesus Christ our Lord!

الشُّكرُ للهِ فِي رَبِّنا يَسُوعَ المَسِيحِ! وَهَكَذا فَإنِّي أنا نَفسِي عَبدٌ لِشَرِيعَةِ اللهِ بِعَقلِي، وَعَبدٌ لِمَبدَأِ الخَطِيَّةِ فِي طَبيعَتي الجَسَديَّةِ.