Romans 7-9

Revised Geneva Translation

7 Do you not know, brothers, (for I speak to those who know the Law) that the Law has dominion over a man for as long as he lives?

² For the woman who is in subjection to a man, is bound by the Law to the man, while he lives. But if the man is dead, she is released from the Law of the man.

³ So then, if while the man lives, she takes another man, she shall be called an adulteress. But, if the man is dead, she is free from the Law; so that she is not an adulteress, even though she takes another man.

⁴ So you, my brothers, are also dead to the Law, by the body of Christ; so that you should belong to Another (that is, to Him Who was raised up from the dead) so that we should bring forth fruit unto God.

⁵ For when we were in the flesh, the sufferings of sins (which were by the Law) were at work in our limbs, bringing forth fruit unto death.

⁶ But now, we are delivered from the Law (that being dead in which we were held), so that we should serve in newness of Spirit, and not in the oldness of letter.

⁷ What shall we then say? Is the Law sin? Absolutely not! No, I did not know sin, except through the Law. For I had not known lust until the Law had said, “You shall not lust”.

⁸ But sin, taking opportunity through the Commandment, wrought in me all manner of lusts. For without the Law, sin is dead.

⁹ For I was once alive apart from the Law. But when the Commandment came, sin revived, and I died.

¹⁰ And this Commandment, which was life to me, was found to be death.

¹¹ For sin, taking opportunity through the Commandment, deceived me; and thereby killed me.

¹² Therefore, the Law is holy. And the Commandment is holy, and just, and good.

¹³ Was, then, that which is good made death to me? Absolutely not! But sin, so that it might appear sin, wrought death in me by that which is good, so that sin (through the Commandment) might be excessively sinful.

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

¹⁵ For I do not understand that which I do. For what I will to do, that do I not do. But what I hate, that I do.

¹⁶ If, then, I do that which I do not want to do, I consent to the Law, that it is good.

¹⁷ So, then, it is no more me who does it, but sin which dwells in me.

¹⁸ For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) no good thing dwells. For to will is present with me. But I find no means to perform that which is good.

¹⁹ For I do not do the good thing which I want to do. But the evil, which I do not want to do, that I do.

²⁰ Now, if I do that which I do not want, it is no more I who do it, but the sin which dwells in me.

²¹ I find, therefore, a law that when I would like to do good, evil is present with me.

²² For I delight in the Law of God, concerning the inner man.

²³ But I see another law in my limbs, rebelling against the law of my mind, and leading me captive to the law of sin, which is in my limbs.

²⁴ O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

²⁵ I thank God, through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I, myself, serve the Law of God in my mind, but the law of sin in my flesh.

8 Now, then, there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus; who do not walk after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

² For the Law of the Spirit of life, Who is in Christ Jesus, has freed me from the Law of sin and of death.

³ For what the Law could not do (since it was weak because of the flesh) God did; having sent His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh,

⁴ that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us; who do not walk after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

⁵ For those who are after the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh; but those who are after the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.

⁶ For the wisdom of the flesh is death. But the wisdom of the Spirit is life and peace.

⁷ Because the wisdom of the flesh is hostility toward God. For it is not subject to the Law of God, nor indeed can it be.

⁸ So, then, those who are in the flesh, cannot please God.

⁹ Now, you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit. Because the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, the same is not His.

¹⁰ And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin. But the Spirit is life, for righteousness’ sake.

¹¹ But if the Spirit of Him Who raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He Who raised up Christ from the dead shall also give life to your mortal bodies by His Spirit, Who dwells in you.

¹² Therefore brothers, we are debtors; not to the flesh (to live after the flesh),

¹³ for if you live after the flesh you shall die. But if you mortify the deeds of the body, by the Spirit, you shall live.

¹⁴ For, as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

¹⁵ For you have not received the spirit of bondage, to fear again. But you have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, “Abba, Father!”

¹⁶ The same Spirit bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.

¹⁷ If we are children, we are also heirs (even the heirs of God, and co-heirs with Christ), if indeed we suffer with Him. So that we also may be glorified with Him.

¹⁸ For I consider the afflictions of this present time unworthy of the Glory which shall be shown to us.

¹⁹ For the eager expectation of the creation awaits the revealing of the sons of God.

²⁰ Because the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will, but by reason of Him Who has subdued it, under hope.

²¹ Because the creation shall also be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the sons of God.

²² For we know that the whole creation also groans with us and suffers birth pains together until now.

²³ And not only the creation; but also, we who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we sigh in ourselves (awaiting the adoption, the redemption of our body).

²⁴ For we are saved by hope. But hope that is seen is not hope. For how can one hope for that which he sees?

²⁵ But if we hope for that which we do not see, we await it with patience.

²⁶ Likewise, the Spirit also helps our weakness. For we do not know what to pray as we should. But the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with unutterable sighs.

²⁷ But He Who searches the hearts, knows the meaning of the Spirit. For He intercedes for the Saints according to the will of God.

²⁸ But we know that all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose.

²⁹ For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the Firstborn among many brothers.

³⁰ Moreover, those whom He predestined, He also called. And those whom He called, He also justified. And those whom He justified, He also glorified.

³¹ What shall we then say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

³² He Who did not spare His own Son - but gave Him up for us all - how shall He not, with Him, also give us all things?

³³ Who shall bring a charge against God’s chosen? God is the One who justifies.

³⁴ Who shall condemn? It is Christ, Who died - indeed, or rather, Who is risen again - and Who is also at the right hand of God, interceding for us.

³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ; shall tribulation or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

³⁶ As it is written: “For your sake we are killed all day long. We are counted as sheep for the slaughter.”

³⁷ Nevertheless, in all these things we are more than conquerors, through Him Who loved us.

³⁸ For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

³⁹ nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

9 I say the truth in Christ. I do not lie; my conscience bearing me witness in the holy Ghost,

² so that I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.

³ For I could wish myself to be accursed, to be separated from Christ, for my brothers who are my kinsmen according to the flesh,

⁴ (who are the Israelites), to whom pertains the adoption, and the glory, and the Covenants, and the giving of the Law, and the service of God, and the promises;

⁵ from whom are the Fathers, and from whom, concerning the flesh, Christ - Who is God over all, blessed forever – came. Amen.

⁶ Notwithstanding, it cannot be that the Word of God should take no effect. For not all are Israel who are of Israel.

⁷ Nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham. But: “In Isaac shall your seed be called.”

⁸ That is, those who are the children of the flesh are not the children of God. But the children of the promise are counted as the seed.

⁹ For this is a Word of Promise: “At this time I will come, and Sarah shall have a son”;

¹⁰ and not only her, but Rebecca also, when she had conceived by one, even by our Father, Isaac.

¹¹ For before the children were born - and when they had done neither good nor evil (so that the purpose of God might remain according to election; not by works, but by Him Who calls) -

¹² it was said to her: “The Elder shall serve the younger.”

¹³ As it is written: “I have loved Jacob and have hated Esau.”

¹⁴ What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Absolutely not!

¹⁵ For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy and will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.”

¹⁶ So then it is not in him who wills, nor in him who runs, but in God, Who shows mercy.

¹⁷ For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: “For this same purpose I have raised you up, so that I might show My power in you; and that My Name might be declared throughout all the Earth.”

¹⁸ Therefore, He has mercy on whom He will. And whom He will, He hardens.

¹⁹ You will then say to me: “Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?”

²⁰ But who are you, O man, to contradict God? Shall the thing formed say to Him Who formed it, “Why have you made me this way”?

²¹ Does not indeed the potter have authority over the clay to make, from the same lump, one vessel unto honor and another unto dishonor?

²² What if God – though willing to show His wrath, and to make His power known - endured with much patience the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction?

²³ That in so doing, He might declare the riches of His Glory upon the vessels of mercy, which He has prepared unto Glory -

²⁴ even we whom He has called - not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles.

²⁵ As He also says in Hosea: “I will call them ‘My people’ who were not my people; and her ‘Beloved’ who was not beloved.

²⁶ “And it shall be in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people’. There they shall be called ‘The sons of the living God’.”

²⁷ Also, Isaiah cries concerning Israel: “Though the number of the sons of Israel were as the sand of the sea, the remnant shall be saved.

²⁸ “For He will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness, because the Lord will make a short work upon the Earth.”

²⁹ And as Isaiah said before: “Except that the Lord of hosts had left us a seed, we had been made as Sodom, and had been like Gomorrah.”

³⁰ What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, who did not follow righteousness, have attained righteousness, even the righteousness that is by faith;

³¹ but Israel, which followed the Law of righteousness, could not attain the Law of righteousness.

³² Why? Because they did not not seek it by faith, but by the works of the Law. For they have stumbled at the stumbling stone.

³³ As it is written: “Behold, I lay a stumbling stone in Zion; an ensnaring rock. And everyone who believes in Him, shall not be ashamed.”