1 Of weet julle nie, broeders want ek spreek met mense wat die wet ken dat die wet oor die mens heers so lank as hy lewe nie?

2 Want die getroude vrou is deur die wet aan die lewende man gebonde; maar as die man sterwe, is sy ontslae van die wet van die man.

3 Daarom dan, as sy 'n ander man s'n word terwyl haar man lewe, sal sy 'n egbreekster genoem word; maar as die man sterwe, is sy vry van die wet, sodat sy nie 'n egbreekster is as sy 'n ander man s'n word nie.

4 So, my broeders, is julle dan ook ten opsigte van die wet dood deur die liggaam van Christus, om aan 'n ander te behoort, naamlik aan Hom wat uit die dode opgewek is, sodat ons tot eer van God vrugte kan dra.

5 Want toe ons in die vlees was, het die sondige hartstogte wat deur die wet kom, in ons lede gewerk om vir die dood vrugte te dra.

6 Maar nou is ons ontslae van die wet waardeur ons gebonde was, aangesien ons dit afgesterf het, sodat ons dien in die nuwigheid van die Gees en nie in die oudheid van die letter nie.

7 Wat sal ons dan sê? Is die wet sonde? Nee, stellig nie! Inteendeel, ek sou die sonde nie anders as deur die wet geken het nie; want ek sou ook die begeerlikheid nie geken het nie as die wet nie gesê het: Jy mag nie begeer nie.

8 Maar die sonde het aanleiding gevind deur die gebod en in my allerhande begeerlikheid gewerk; want sonder die wet is die sonde dood.

9 En sonder die wet het ek vroeër gelewe, maar toe die gebod kom, het die sonde weer opgelewe en ek het gesterwe.

10 En die gebod wat die lewe moes wees, die het vir my geblyk die dood te wees.

11 Want die sonde het aanleiding gevind deur die gebod en my verlei en daardeur gedood.

12 Dus is die wet heilig en die gebod is heilig en regverdig en goed.

13 Het die goeie dan vir my die dood geword? Nee, stellig nie! Maar wel die sonde, dat dit kon blyk sonde te wees, omdat dit deur die goeie vir my die dood bewerk, sodat die sonde deur die gebod uitermate sondig kon word.

14 Want ons weet dat die wet geestelik is, maar ek is vleeslik, verkoop onder die sonde.

15 Want wat ek doen, weet ek nie; want wat ek wil, dit doen ek nie, maar wat ek haat, dit doen ek.

16 En as ek doen wat ek nie wil nie, dan stem ek die wet toe dat dit goed is.

17 Maar nou is dit nie meer ek wat dit doen nie, maar die sonde wat in my woon.

18 Want ek weet dat in my, dit wil sê in my vlees, niks goeds woon nie; want om te wil, is by my aanwesig, maar om goed te doen, dit vind ek nie.

19 Want die goeie wat ek wil, doen ek nie, maar die kwaad wat ek nie wil nie, dit doen ek.

20 Maar as ek doen wat ek nie wil nie, dan doen ek dit nie meer nie, maar die sonde wat in my woon.

21 Ek vind dus hierdie wet: as ek die goeie wil doen, is die kwaad by my aanwesig.

22 Want ek verlustig my in die wet van God na die innerlike mens;

23 maar ek sien 'n ander wet in my lede wat stryd voer teen die wet van my gemoed en my gevange neem onder die wet van die sonde wat in my lede is.

24 Ek, ellendige mens! Wie sal my verlos van die liggaam van hierdie dood?

25 Ek dank God deur Jesus Christus, onse Here! [ (Romans 7:26) So dien ek self dan wel met die gemoed die wet van God, maar met die vlees die wet van die sonde. ]

1 Or are ye ignorant, brethren (for I speak to men who know the law), that the law hath dominion over a man for so long time as he liveth? 2 For the woman that hath a husband is bound by law to the husband while he liveth; but if the husband die, she is discharged from the law of the husband. 3 So then if, while the husband liveth, she be joined to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if the husband die, she is free from the law, so that she is no adulteress, though she be joined to another man. 4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also were made dead to the law through the body of Christ; that ye should be joined to another, even to him who was raised from the dead, that we might bring forth fruit unto God. 5 For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were through the law, wrought in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. 6 But now we have been discharged from the law, having died to that wherein 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? God forbid. Howbeit, I had not known sin, except through the law: for I had not known coveting, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet: 8 but sin, finding occasion, wrought in me through the commandment all manner of coveting: for apart from the law sin is dead. 9 And I was alive apart from the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died; 10 and the commandment, which was unto life, this I found to be unto death: 11 for sin, finding occasion, through the commandment beguiled me, and through it slew me. 12 So that the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and righteous, and good. 13 Did then that which is good become death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might be shown to be sin, by working death to me through that which is good;—that through the commandment sin might become exceeding sinful. 14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. 15 For that which I do I know not: for not what I would, that do I practise; but what I hate, that I do. 16 But if what I would not, that I do, I consent unto the law that it is good. 17 So now it is no more I that do it, but sin which dwelleth in me. 18 For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me, but to do that which is good is not. 19 For the good which I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I practise. 20 But if what I would not, that I do, it is no more I that do it, but sin which dwelleth in me. 21 I find then the law, that, to me who would do good, evil is present. 22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: 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. 24 Wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me out of the body of this death? 25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then I of myself with the mind, indeed, serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.