1 Or don’t you know, brothers*7:1 The word for "brothers" here and where context allows may also be correctly translated "brothers and sisters" or "siblings." (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."✝7:7 Exodus 20:17; Deuteronomy 5:21 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.

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. 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. 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. 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, 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 What a wretched man I am! Who will deliver me out of the body of this death? 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 Vennad ja õed, kas te ei tea – ma räägin neile, kes tunnevad seadust –, et seadusel on võim inimese üle vaid seni, kuni too elab. 2 Abielunaine on seaduslikult seotud oma mehega ta eluajal. Aga kui mees sureb, vabaneb naine kohustustest mehe ees. 3 Seepärast, kui ta mehe eluajal on teise mehega, nimetatakse teda abielurikkujaks. Aga kui mees sureb, on naine vaba seaduse alt, nii et ta ei ole teisele mehele minnes abielurikkuja.

4 Seega, mu vennad ja õed, teiegi olete surmatud Seadusele Kristuse ihu kaudu, et te kuuluksite teisele, kes on üles äratatud surnuist, et me kannaksime vilja Jumalale. 5 Sest kui me veel rikutud loomuse võimuses elasime, toimisid me liikmeis patused kired, mis said tugevaks Seaduse tõttu, ja me kandsime vilja surmale. 6 Aga nüüd me oleme vabanenud Seaduse võimusest, sest me surime sellele, mis meid kinni pidas. Enam ei teeni me Jumalat vanal viisil, kirjatähe järgi, vaid uuel viisil, Vaimus.

7 Mis me siis ütleme? Kas Seadus on patt? Kaugeltki mitte! Siiski, ma ei oleks tundnud pattu muidu kui Seaduse kaudu. Ma ei oleks teadnud, mida tähendab himustamine, kui Seadus poleks öelnud: „Ära himusta!" 8 Aga patt, saades tõuget käsust, tekitas minus kõikvõimalikke himusid. Sest ilma Seaduseta on patt surnud. 9 Mina elasin kord lahus Seadusest. Kui nüüd käsk tuli, ärkas patt ellu 10 ja mina surin. Seadus, mis pidi olema mulle eluks, osutus mulle surmaks. 11 Sest kui patt oli saanud käsusõnast tõuke, pettis ta mind ja tappis mind käsu abil. 12 Seega on Seadus püha ning käsk on püha, õiglane ja hea.

13 Kas nüüd see hea on mulle saanud surmaks? Kaugeltki mitte. Aga et patt oleks nähtav patuna, on see toonud selle hea kaudu mulle surma. Nii sai patt käsu abil ülimalt patuseks. 14 Me ju teame, et Seadus on vaimulik, mina aga lihalik, müüdud orjaks patu võimusesse. 15 Sest ma ei mõista oma tegusid. Ma ei tee seda, mida tahan, vaid ma teen, mida vihkan. 16 Aga kui ma teen, mida ma ei taha, siis ma nõustun, et Seadus on hea. 17 Nii ei tee seda enam mina, vaid minus pesitsev patt. 18 Sest ma tean, et minus, see tähendab mu rikutud loomuses, ei peitu midagi head. Tahet mul on, aga head teha ma ei suuda. 19 Sest ma ei tee head, mida ma tahan, vaid üksnes halba, mida ma ei taha. 20 Aga kui ma teen just seda, mida ma ei taha, siis ei ole see enam mina, kes tegutseb, vaid minus pesitsev patt.

21 Seega avastan ma seaduse: kuigi ma tahan teha head, on mulle omane teha kurja. 22 Sest oma sisemise inimesega ma tunnen rõõmu Jumala Seadusest, 23 kuid oma liikmetes näen ma teist seadust, mis sõdib vastu minu mõistuse seadusele ja võtab mind vangi mu liikmeis oleva patu seaduse alla. 24 Oh mind armetut inimest! Kes päästab mind sellest surmale määratud ihust? 25 Aga tänu Jumalale, meie Issanda Jeesuse Kristuse läbi!

Niisiis, ma teenin mõistusega küll Jumala Seadust, aga oma rikutud loomusega patu seadust.