King James Version

1 Or do you not know, brothers, for I speak to those who know the law, that the law has authority over a man as long as he lives? 2 For a married woman is bound by law to her living husband; but if the husband dies, she is released from the law of the husband. 3 Therefore, while the husband is alive, she will be called an adulteress if she becomes with another man; but if the husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is not an adulteress having become with another man. 4 So, my brothers, you also were put to death to the law through the body of Christ, in order that you may belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, so that we may bear fruit for God. 5 For when we were in the flesh, the passions of the sins, which were through the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. 6 But now we have been released from the law, having died to that in which we were held, so that we serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter. 7 What then shall we say? Is the law sin? Certainly not; but I would not have known sin except through the law, for I would not have known covetousness if the law had not said, "You shall not covet." 8 But taking the opportunity through the commandment, sin worked in me all kinds of desire, for apart from the law, sin is dead. 9 But I was alive apart from the law once; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life. 10 But I died, and the commandment that was for life was found to be for death to me. 11 For sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. 12 So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and just and good. 13 So, did death become good for me? May it not be; but sin, in order that it might appear as sin, was working death for me through what is good; that sin might become exceedingly sinful through the commandment. 14 For we know that the law is spiritual; but I am fleshly, sold under sin. 15 For what I am working out I do not know; for I do not do what I want, but what I hate, this I do. 16 But if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law that it is good. 17 But now, I no longer work it out, but the sin dwelling in me. 18 For I know that good does not dwell in me, that is, in my flesh; for I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good that I want, but the evil that I do not want, this I practice. 20 But if what I do not want, this I do, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin dwelling in me is doing it. 21 I find then the law that when I want to do good, evil lies close at hand. 22 For I delight in the law of God according to the inner man, 23 But I see another law in my members waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin which is in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 Grace to God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Therefore, I myself serve with my mind the law of God, but with my flesh the law of sin.