¹An ignoratis,Or do you not know,fratres (scientibus enim legem loquor),brothers,quia lex in homine dominatur quanto tempore vivit?(now I am speaking to those who know the law) that the law has dominion over a man only so long as he lives?

¹An ignoratis,Or do you not know,fratres (scientibus enim legem loquor),brothers,quia lex in homine dominatur quanto tempore vivit?(now I am speaking to those who know the law) that the law has dominion over a man only so long as he lives?

²Nam quæ sub viro est mulier, vivente viro,For example, a woman who is subject to a husband is obligated by the law while her husband lives.alligata est legi:But when her husband has died,si autem mortuus fuerit vir ejus, soluta est a lege viri.she is released from the law of her husband.

²Nam quæ sub viro est mulier, vivente viro,For example, a woman who is subject to a husband is obligated by the law while her husband lives.alligata est legi:But when her husband has died,si autem mortuus fuerit vir ejus, soluta est a lege viri.she is released from the law of her husband.

³Igitur,Therefore,vivente viro,while her husband lives,vocabitur adultera si fuerit cum alio viro:if she has been with another man, she should be called an adulteress.si autem mortuus fuerit vir ejus, liberata est a lege viri,But when her husband has died, she is freed from the law of her husband,ut non sit adultera si fuerit cum alio viro.such that, if she has been with another man, she is not an adulteress.

³Igitur,Therefore,vivente viro,while her husband lives,vocabitur adultera si fuerit cum alio viro:if she has been with another man, she should be called an adulteress.si autem mortuus fuerit vir ejus, liberata est a lege viri,But when her husband has died, she is freed from the law of her husband,ut non sit adultera si fuerit cum alio viro.such that, if she has been with another man, she is not an adulteress.

⁴Itaque fratres mei,And so, my brothers,et vos mortificati estis legi per corpus Christi:you also have become dead to the law, through the body of Christ,ut sitis alterius, qui ex mortuis resurrexit,so that you may be another one who has risen from the dead,ut fructificemus Deo.in order that we may bear fruit for God.

⁴Itaque fratres mei,And so, my brothers,et vos mortificati estis legi per corpus Christi:you also have become dead to the law, through the body of Christ,ut sitis alterius, qui ex mortuis resurrexit,so that you may be another one who has risen from the dead,ut fructificemus Deo.in order that we may bear fruit for God.

⁵Cum enim essemus in carne,For when we were in the flesh,passiones peccatorum,the passions of sins,quæ per legem erant,which were under the law,operabantur in membris nostris,operated within our bodies,ut fructificarent morti.so as to bear fruit unto death.

⁵Cum enim essemus in carne,For when we were in the flesh,passiones peccatorum,the passions of sins,quæ per legem erant,which were under the law,operabantur in membris nostris,operated within our bodies,ut fructificarent morti.so as to bear fruit unto death.

⁶Nunc autem soluti sumus a lege mortis,But now we have been released from the law of death,in qua detinebamur,by which we were being held,ita ut serviamus in novitate spiritus,so that now we may serve with a renewed spirit,et non in vetustate litteræ.and not in the old way, by the letter.

⁶Nunc autem soluti sumus a lege mortis,But now we have been released from the law of death,in qua detinebamur,by which we were being held,ita ut serviamus in novitate spiritus,so that now we may serve with a renewed spirit,et non in vetustate litteræ.and not in the old way, by the letter.

⁷Quid ergo dicemus?What should we say next?lex peccatum est? Absit.Is the law sin? Let it not be so!Sed peccatum non cognovi, nisi per legem:But I do not know sin, except through the law.nam concupiscentiam nesciebam,For example, I would not have known about coveting,nisi lex diceret:unless the law said:Non concupisces.“You shall not covet.”

⁷Quid ergo dicemus?What should we say next?lex peccatum est? Absit.Is the law sin? Let it not be so!Sed peccatum non cognovi, nisi per legem:But I do not know sin, except through the law.nam concupiscentiam nesciebam,For example, I would not have known about coveting,nisi lex diceret:unless the law said:Non concupisces.“You shall not covet.”

⁸Occasione autem accepta,But sin,peccatum per mandatum operatum est in me omnem concupiscentiam.receiving an opportunity through the commandment, wrought in me all manner of coveting.Sine lege enim peccatum mortuum erat.For apart from the law, sin was dead.

⁸Occasione autem accepta,But sin,peccatum per mandatum operatum est in me omnem concupiscentiam.receiving an opportunity through the commandment, wrought in me all manner of coveting.Sine lege enim peccatum mortuum erat.For apart from the law, sin was dead.

⁹Ego autem vivebam sine lege aliquando:Now I lived for some time apart from the law.sed cum venisset mandatum,But when the commandment had arrived,peccatum revixit.sin was revived,

⁹Ego autem vivebam sine lege aliquando:Now I lived for some time apart from the law.sed cum venisset mandatum,But when the commandment had arrived,peccatum revixit.sin was revived,

¹⁰Ego autem mortuus sum:and I died.et inventum est mihi mandatum,And the commandment,quod erat ad vitam,which was unto life,hoc esse ad mortem.was itself found to be unto death for me.

¹⁰Ego autem mortuus sum:and I died.et inventum est mihi mandatum,And the commandment,quod erat ad vitam,which was unto life,hoc esse ad mortem.was itself found to be unto death for me.

¹¹Nam peccatum occasione accepta per mandatum,For sin, receiving an opportunity through the commandment,seduxit me,seduced me, and,et per illud occidit.through the law, sin killed me.

¹¹Nam peccatum occasione accepta per mandatum,For sin, receiving an opportunity through the commandment,seduxit me,seduced me, and,et per illud occidit.through the law, sin killed me.

¹²Itaque lex quidem sancta,And so, the law itself is indeed holy,et mandatum sanctum, et justum, et bonum.and the commandment is holy and just and good.

¹²Itaque lex quidem sancta,And so, the law itself is indeed holy,et mandatum sanctum, et justum, et bonum.and the commandment is holy and just and good.

¹³Quod ergo bonum est, mihi factum est mors?Then was what is good made into death for me?Absit. Sed peccatum,Let it not be so! But rather sin,ut appareat peccatum, per bonum operatum est mihi mortem:in order that it might be known as sin by what is good, wrought death in me;ut fiat supra modum peccans peccatum per mandatum.so that sin, through the commandment, might become sinful beyond measure.

¹³Quod ergo bonum est, mihi factum est mors?Then was what is good made into death for me?Absit. Sed peccatum,Let it not be so! But rather sin,ut appareat peccatum, per bonum operatum est mihi mortem:in order that it might be known as sin by what is good, wrought death in me;ut fiat supra modum peccans peccatum per mandatum.so that sin, through the commandment, might become sinful beyond measure.

¹⁴Scimus enim quia lex spiritualis est:For we know that the law is spiritual.ego autem carnalis sum,But I am carnal,venundatus sub peccato.having been sold under sin.

¹⁴Scimus enim quia lex spiritualis est:For we know that the law is spiritual.ego autem carnalis sum,But I am carnal,venundatus sub peccato.having been sold under sin.

¹⁵Quod enim operor, non intelligo:For I do things that I do not understand.non enim quod volo bonum, hoc ago:For I do not do the good that I want to do.sed quod odi malum, illud facio.But the evil that I hate is what I do.

¹⁵Quod enim operor, non intelligo:For I do things that I do not understand.non enim quod volo bonum, hoc ago:For I do not do the good that I want to do.sed quod odi malum, illud facio.But the evil that I hate is what I do.

¹⁶Si autem quod nolo,So,illud facio:when I do what I do not want to do,consentio legi,I am in agreement with the law,quoniam bona est.that the law is good.

¹⁶Si autem quod nolo,So,illud facio:when I do what I do not want to do,consentio legi,I am in agreement with the law,quoniam bona est.that the law is good.

¹⁷Nunc autem jam non ego operor illud,But I am then acting not according to the law,sed quod habitat in me peccatum.but according to the sin which lives within me.

¹⁷Nunc autem jam non ego operor illud,But I am then acting not according to the law,sed quod habitat in me peccatum.but according to the sin which lives within me.

¹⁸Scio enim quia non habitat in me,For I know that what is good does not live within me,hoc est in carne mea,that is, within my flesh.bonum. Nam velle, adjacet mihi:For the willingness to do good lies close to me,perficere autem bonum,but the carrying out of that good,non invenio.I cannot reach.

¹⁸Scio enim quia non habitat in me,For I know that what is good does not live within me,hoc est in carne mea,that is, within my flesh.bonum. Nam velle, adjacet mihi:For the willingness to do good lies close to me,perficere autem bonum,but the carrying out of that good,non invenio.I cannot reach.

¹⁹Non enim quod volo bonum,For I do not do the good that I want to do.hoc facio:But instead,sed quod nolo malum, hoc ago.I do the evil that I do not want to do.

¹⁹Non enim quod volo bonum,For I do not do the good that I want to do.hoc facio:But instead,sed quod nolo malum, hoc ago.I do the evil that I do not want to do.

²⁰Si autem quod nolo, illud facio:Now if I do what I am not willing to do,jam non ego operor illud,it is no longer I who am doing it,sed quod habitat in me, peccatum.but the sin which lives within me.

²⁰Si autem quod nolo, illud facio:Now if I do what I am not willing to do,jam non ego operor illud,it is no longer I who am doing it,sed quod habitat in me, peccatum.but the sin which lives within me.

²¹Invenio igitur legem,And so, I discover the law,volenti mihi facere bonum,by wanting to do good within myself,quoniam mihi malum adjacet:though evil lies close beside me.

²¹Invenio igitur legem,And so, I discover the law,volenti mihi facere bonum,by wanting to do good within myself,quoniam mihi malum adjacet:though evil lies close beside me.

²²condelector enim legi Dei secundum interiorem hominem:For I am delighted with the law of God, according to the inner man.

²²condelector enim legi Dei secundum interiorem hominem:For I am delighted with the law of God, according to the inner man.

²³video autem aliam legem in membris meis,But I perceive another law within my body,repugnantem legi mentis meæ,fighting against the law of my mind,et captivantem me in lege peccati, quæ est in membris meis.and captivating me with the law of sin which is in my body.

²³video autem aliam legem in membris meis,But I perceive another law within my body,repugnantem legi mentis meæ,fighting against the law of my mind,et captivantem me in lege peccati, quæ est in membris meis.and captivating me with the law of sin which is in my body.

²⁴Infelix ego homo,Unhappy man that I am,quis me liberabit de corpore mortis hujus?who will free me from this body of death?

²⁴Infelix ego homo,Unhappy man that I am,quis me liberabit de corpore mortis hujus?who will free me from this body of death?

²⁵gratia Dei per Jesum Christum Dominum nostrum.The grace of God, by Jesus Christ our Lord! Therefore,Igitur ego ipse mente servio legi Dei: carne autem,I serve the law of God with my own mind; but with the flesh,legi peccati.the law of sin.

²⁵gratia Dei per Jesum Christum Dominum nostrum.The grace of God, by Jesus Christ our Lord! Therefore,Igitur ego ipse mente servio legi Dei: carne autem,I serve the law of God with my own mind; but with the flesh,legi peccati.the law of sin.