Romans

1Are ye ignorant, brethren — for to those knowing law I speak — that the law hath lordship over the man as long as he liveth?

2for the married woman to the living husband hath been bound by law, and if the husband may die, she hath been free from the law of the husband;

3so, then, the husband being alive, an adulteress she shall be called if she may become another man's; and if the husband may die, she is free from the law, so as not to be an adulteress, having become another man's.

4So that, my brethren, ye also were made dead to the law through the body of the Christ, for your becoming another's, who out of the dead was raised up, that we might bear fruit to God;

5for when we were in the flesh, the passions of the sins, that [are] through the law, were working in our members, to bear fruit to the death;

6and now we have ceased from the law, that being dead in which we were held, so that we may serve in newness of spirit, and not in oldness of letter.

7What, then, shall we say? the law [is] sin? let it not be! but the sin I did not know except through law, for also the covetousness I had not known if the law had not said:

8'Thou shalt not covet;' and the sin having received an opportunity, through the command, did work in me all covetousness — for apart from law sin is dead.

9And I was alive apart from law once, and the command having come, the sin revived, and I died;

10and the command that [is] for life, this was found by me for death;

11for the sin, having received an opportunity, through the command, did deceive me, and through it did slay [me];

12so that the law, indeed, [is] holy, and the command holy, and righteous, and good.

13That which is good then, to me hath it become death? let it not be! but the sin, that it might appear sin, through the good, working death to me, that the sin might become exceeding sinful through the command,

14for we have known that the law is spiritual, and I am fleshly, sold by the sin;

15for that which I work, I do not acknowledge; for not what I will, this I practise, but what I hate, this I do.

16And if what I do not will, this I do, I consent to the law that [it is] good,

17and now it is no longer I that work it, but the sin dwelling in me,

18for I have known that there doth not dwell in me, that is, in my flesh, good: for to will is present with me, and to work that which is right I do not find,

19for the good that I will, I do not; but the evil that I do not will, this I practise.

20And if what I do not will, this I do, it is no longer I that work it, but the sin that is dwelling in me.

21I find, then, the law, that when I desire to do what is right, with me the evil is present,

22for I delight in the law of God according to the inward man,

23and I behold another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of the sin that [is] in my members.

24A wretched man I [am]! who shall deliver me out of the body of this death?

25I thank God — through Jesus Christ our Lord; so then, I myself indeed with the mind do serve the law of God, and with the flesh, the law of sin.

以婚姻關係為例

1弟兄們，我現在對明白律法的人說，你們豈不曉得律法管人是在活着的時候嗎？

2就如女人有了丈夫，丈夫還活着，就被律法約束；丈夫若死了，就脫離了丈夫的律法。

3所以丈夫活着，她若歸於別人，便叫淫婦；丈夫若死了，她就脫離了丈夫的律法，雖然歸於別人，也不是淫婦。

4我的弟兄們，這樣說來，你們藉着基督的身體，在律法上也是死了，叫你們歸於別人，就是歸於那從死裏復活的，叫我們結果子給上帝。

5因為我們屬肉體的時候，那因律法而生的惡慾就在我們肢體中發動，以致結成死亡的果子。

6但我們既然在捆我們的律法上死了，現今就脫離了律法，叫我們服事主，要按着心靈的新樣，不按着儀文的舊樣。

內在的罪

7這樣，我們可說甚麼呢？律法是罪嗎？斷乎不是！只是非因律法，我就不知何為罪。非律法說「不可起貪心」，我就不知何為貪心。

8然而，罪趁着機會， 就藉着誡命叫諸般的貪心在我裏頭發動；因為沒有律法，罪是死的。

9我以前沒有律法是活着的；但是誡命來到，罪又活了，我就死了。

10那本來叫人活的誡命，反倒叫我死；

11因為罪趁着機會， 就藉着誡命引誘我，並且殺了我。

12這樣看來，律法是聖潔的，誡命也是聖潔、公義、良善的。

13既然如此，那良善的是叫我死嗎？斷乎不是！叫我死的乃是罪。但罪藉着那良善的叫我死，就顯出真是罪，叫罪因着誡命更顯出是惡極了。

14我們原曉得律法是屬乎靈的，但我是屬乎肉體的，是已經賣給罪了。

15因為我所做的，我自己不明白；我所願意的，我並不做；我所恨惡的，我倒去做。

16若我所做的，是我所不願意的，我就應承律法是善的。

17既是這樣，就不是我做的，乃是住在我裏頭的罪做的。

18我也知道，在我裏頭，就是我肉體之中，沒有良善。因為，立志為善由得我，只是行出來由不得我。

19故此，我所願意的善，我反不做；我所不願意的惡，我倒去做。

20若我去做所不願意做的，就不是我做的，乃是住在我裏頭的罪做的。

21我覺得有個律，就是我願意為善的時候，便有惡與我同在。

22因為按着我裏面的意思，我是喜歡上帝的律；

23但我覺得肢體中另有個律和我心中的律交戰，把我擄去，叫我附從那肢體中犯罪的律。

24我真是苦啊！誰能救我脫離這取死的身體呢？

25感謝上帝，靠着我們的主耶穌基督就能脫離了。這樣看來，我以內心順服上帝的律，我肉體卻順服罪的律了。