Romans 7:7–16

The Law and Sin

⁷What shall we say, then?^c Is the law sinful? Certainly not!^d Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law.^e For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.”^{bf 8}But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment,^g produced in me every kind of coveting. For apart from the law, sin was dead.^{h 9}Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. ¹⁰I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring lifeⁱ actually brought death. ¹¹For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment,^j deceived me,^k and through the commandment put me to death. ¹²So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.^l

¹³Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! Nevertheless, in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it used what is good^m to bring about my death,ⁿ so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.

¹⁴We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual,^o sold^p as a slave to sin.^{q 15}I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.^{r 16}And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good.^s