Romans 7

¹ Or don’t you know, brothers (for I speak to men who know the law), that the law has dominion over a man for as long as he lives?

² For the woman that has a husband is bound by law to the husband while he lives, but if the husband dies, she is discharged from the law of the husband.

³ So then if, while the husband lives, she is joined to another man, she would be called an adulteress. But if the husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is no adulteress, though she is joined to another man.

⁴ Therefore, my brothers, you also were made dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you would be joined to another, to him who was raised from the dead, that we might produce fruit to God.

⁵ For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were through the law worked in our members to bring out fruit to death.

⁶ But now we have been discharged from the law, having died to that in which we were held; so that we serve in newness of the spirit, and not in oldness of the letter.

⁷ What shall we say then? Is the law sin? May it never be! However, I wouldn’t have known sin except through the law. For I wouldn’t have known coveting unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.” CCC

⁸ But sin, finding occasion through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of coveting. For apart from the law, sin is dead.

⁹ I was alive apart from the law once, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died.

¹⁰ The commandment which was for life, this I found to be for death;

¹¹ for sin, finding occasion through the commandment, deceived me, and through it killed me.

¹² Therefore the law indeed is holy, and the commandment holy, righteous, and good. CCC

¹³ Did then that which is good become death to me? May it never be! But sin, that it might be shown to be sin, was producing death in me through that which is good; that through the commandment sin might become exceedingly sinful.

¹⁴ For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am fleshly, sold under sin. CCC

¹⁵ For I don’t understand what I am doing. For I don’t practice what I desire to do; but what I hate, that I do.

¹⁶ But if what I don’t desire, that I do, I consent to the law that it is good. CCC

¹⁷ So now it is no more I that do it, but sin which dwells in me.

¹⁸ For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwells no good thing. For desire is present with me, but I don’t find it doing that which is good. Fathers

¹⁹ For the good which I desire, I don’t do; but the evil which I don’t desire, that I practice.

²⁰ But if what I don’t desire, that I do, it is no more I that do it, but sin which dwells in me.

²¹ I find then the law that, while I desire to do good, evil is present.

²² For I delight in God’s law after the inward person, CCC

²³ but I see a different law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity under the law of sin which is in my members. CCC

²⁴ What a wretched man I am! Who will deliver me out of the body of this death? Fathers

²⁵ I thank God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! So then with the mind, I myself serve God’s law, but with the flesh, sin’s law.

¹ KKnow you not, brethren (for I speak to them that know the law) that the law hath dominion over a man as long as it liveth?

² For the woman that hath an husband, whilst her husband liveth is bound to the law. But if her husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.

³ Therefore, whilst her husband liveth, she shall be called an adulteress, if she be with another man: but if her husband be dead, she is delivered from the law of her husband: so that she is not an adulteress, if she be with another man.

⁴ Therefore, my brethren, you also are become dead to the law, by the body of Christ: that you may belong to another, who is risen again from the dead that we may bring forth fruit to God.

⁵ For when we were in the flesh, the passions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members, to bring forth fruit unto death.

⁶ But now we are loosed from the law of death wherein we were detained; so that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.

⁷ What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? God forbid! But I do not know sin, but by the law. For I had not known concupiscence, if the law did not say: Thou shalt not covet. CCC

⁸ But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.

⁹ And I lived some time without the law. But when the commandment came, sin revived,

¹⁰ And I died. And the commandment that was ordained to life, the same was found to be unto death to me.

¹¹ For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, seduced me: and by it killed me.

¹² Wherefore the law indeed is holy: and the commandment holy and just and good. CCC

¹³ Was that then which is good made death unto me? God forbid! But sin, that it may appear sin, by that which is good, wrought death in me: that sin, by the commandment, might become sinful above measure.

¹⁴ For we know that the law is spiritual. But I am carnal, sold under sin. CCC

¹⁵ For that which I work, I understand not. For I do not that good which I will: but the evil which I hate, that I do.

¹⁶ If then I do that which I will not, I consent to the law, that it is good. CCC

¹⁷ Now then it is no more I that do it: but sin that dwelleth in me.

¹⁸ For I know that there dwelleth not in me, that is to say, in my flesh, that which is good. For to will is present with me: but to accomplish that which is good, I find not. Fathers

¹⁹ For the good which I will, I do not: but the evil which I will not, that I do.

²⁰ Now if I do that which I will not, it is no more I that do it: but sin that dwelleth in me.

²¹ I find then a law, that when I have a will to do good, evil is present with me.

²² For I am delighted with the law of God, according to the inward man: CCC

²³ But I see another law in my members, fighting against the law of my mind and captivating me in the law of sin that is in my members. CCC

²⁴ Unhappy man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? Fathers

²⁵ The grace of God, by Jesus Christ our Lord. Therefore, I myself, with the mind serve the law of God: but with the flesh, the law of sin.