1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2 May it never be! We who died to sin, how could we live in it any longer? 3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life.

5 For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we will also be part of his resurrection; 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be in bondage to sin. 7 For he who has died has been freed from sin. 8 But if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him, 9 knowing that Christ, being raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over him! 10 For the death that he died, he died to sin one time; but the life that he lives, he lives to God. 11 Thus consider yourselves also to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

12 Therefore don’t let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. 13 Also, do not present your members to sin as instruments of unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin will not have dominion over you, for you are not under law, but under grace.

15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be! 16 Don’t you know that when you present yourselves as servants and obey someone, you are the servants of whomever you obey, whether of sin to death, or of obedience to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that, whereas you were bondservants of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were delivered. 18 Being made free from sin, you became bondservants of righteousness.

19 I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh; for as you presented your members as servants to uncleanness and to wickedness upon wickedness, even so now present your members as servants to righteousness for sanctification. 20 For when you were servants of sin, you were free from righteousness. 21 What fruit then did you have at that time in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now, being made free from sin and having become servants of God, you have your fruit of sanctification and the result of eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

1 Mis me siis ütleme? Kas peaksime püsima patus, et arm suureneks? 2 Kaugeltki mitte! Kuidas võiksime meie, kes oleme patule surnud, veel patus elada? 3 Või kas te ei tea, et kõik, kes me oleme Kristusesse Jeesusesse ristitud, oleme ristitud tema surmasse? 4 Seepärast on meid koos temaga ka hauda maetud ristimise kaudu surmasse, et nii nagu Kristus on äratatud surnuist üles Isa kirkuse toimel, nõnda võime meiegi käia uues elus.

5 Sest kui meid on liidetud tema surma sarnasusse, siis liidetakse meid ka tema ülestõusmisse. 6 Me teame, et meie vana loomus on koos Kristusega risti löödud, et meie patune ihu häviks ja me ei peaks enam orjama pattu; 7 sest surres vabanetakse patu võimu alt.

8 Aga kui me oleme surnud koos Kristusega, siis usume, et me ka elame koos Kristusega. 9 Me ju teame, et nüüd, kui Kristus on surnuist üles äratatud, ei sure ta enam; surmal pole võimu tema üle. 10 Sest surres suri ta patule üks kord ja alatiseks, kuid elades elab ta Jumalale.

11 Samuti arvestage ka teie, et olete surnud patule, kuid elate Jumalale Kristuses Jeesuses. 12 Seepärast ärge laske patul valitseda oma surelikus ihus, kuuletudes selle ihadele. 13 Ärge andke oma ihuliikmeid ülekohtu relvadeks patule, vaid nõnda kui need, kes on äratatud surnuist üles, andke end Jumala teenistusse ja oma ihuliikmed õiguse relvadeks temale! 14 Sest patt ei valitse enam teie üle; te ei kuulu enam Seaduse, vaid armu alla.

15 Mis me sellest järeldame? Kas peaksime tegema pattu, kuna me ei kuulu Seaduse, vaid armu alla? Kaugeltki mitte! 16 Kas te ei tea, et kelle teenistusse te end orjana kuuletudes annate, selle orjad te olete ja selle sõna kuulate – kas siis patu orjad surmaks või kuulekuse orjad õiguseks. 17 Aga tänu Jumalale, et teie, kes te varem olite patu orjad, olete nüüd südames kuuletunud sellele õpetusele, mille hoolde teid anti. 18 Patust vabastatuina olete saanud õiguse teenriteks.

19 Teie inimliku nõrkuse tõttu kasutan ma neid võrdlusi igapäevaelust. Nii nagu te enne andsite oma liikmed orjaks rüvedusele ja üha kasvavale ülekohtule, nii andke nad nüüd õiguse teenritena pühitsuse jaoks. 20 Jah, kui te pattu orjasite, siis te olite vabad õigusest. 21 Mis vilja te kandsite siis? Sellist, mille pärast te nüüd häbenete, sest selle tulemus on surm. 22 Aga nüüd, olles vabastatud patu võimust ja saanud Jumala teenriteks, te kannate vilja pühitsuseks. Selle tulemuseks on igavene elu. 23 Sest patu palk on surm, aga Jumala armuand on igavene elu Kristuses Jeesuses, meie Issandas.