¹Are ye ignorant, brethren, (for I speak to those knowing law,) that law rules over a man as long as he lives?

¹Ndugu zangu, bila shaka mtaelewa yafuatayo, maana ninawazungumzia watu wanaojua Sheria. Sheria humtawala mtu wakati akiwa hai.

²For the married woman is bound by law to her husband so long as he is alive; but if the husband should die, she is clear from the law of the husband:

²Mathalan: mwanamke aliyeolewa anafungwa na sheria muda wote mumewe anapokuw hai; lakini mumewe akifa, hiyo sheria haimtawali tena huyo mwanamke.

³so then, the husband being alive, she shall be called an adulteress if she be to another man; but if the husband should die, she is free from the law, so as not to be an adulteress, though she be to another man.

³Hivyo mwanamke huyo akiishi na mwanamume mwingine wakati mumewe yungali hai, ataitwa mzinzi; lakini mumewe akifa, mwanamke huyo yu huru kisheria, na akiolewa na mwanamume mwingine, yeye si mzinzi.

⁴So that, my brethren, *ye* also have been made dead to the law by the body of the Christ, to be to another, who has been raised up from among [the] dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God.

⁴Hali kadhalika ninyi ndugu zangu: ninyi pia mmekufa kuhusu Sheria kwa kuwa ninyi ni sehemu ya mwili wa Kristo; sasa mmekuwa wake yeye aliyefufuliwa kutoka wafu ili tupate kuzaa matunda mema kwa ajili ya Mungu.

⁵For when we were in the flesh the passions of sins, which [were] by the law, wrought in our members to bring forth fruit to death;

⁵Maana, tulipokuwa tukiishi kimaumbile tu, tamaa mbaya zikichochewa na Sheria, zilifanya kazi katika miili yetu, na kuchuma pato la kifo.

⁶but now we are clear from the law, having died in that in which we were held, so that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in oldness of letter.

⁶Lakini sasa tumekuwa huru kutoka vifungo vya Sheria, kwa sababu tumekufa kuhusu lile jambo lililotufanya sisi watumwa. Sasa tunatumikia kufuatana na maisha mapya ya Roho, na si kufuatana na hali ile ya kale ya Sheria iliyoandikwa.

⁷What shall we say then? [is] the law sin? Far be the thought. But I had not known sin, unless by law: for I had not had conscience also of lust unless the law had said, Thou shalt not lust;

⁷Je, tuseme basi, kwamba Sheria ni dhambi? Hata kidogo! Lakini bila Sheria, mimi nisingalijua dhambi ni kitu gani. Maana, nisingalijua ni nini hasa kutamani mabaya, kama Sheria isingalikuwa imesema: "Usitamani."

⁸but sin, getting a point of attack by the commandment, wrought in me every lust; for without law sin [was] dead.

⁸Kwa kuitumia hiyo amri, dhambi ilipata fursa ya kuamsha kila aina ya tamaa mbaya ndani yangu. Maana, bila Sheria dhambi ni kitu kilichokufa.

⁹But *I* was alive without law once; but the commandment having come, sin revived, but *I* died.

⁹Wakati mmoja mimi nilikuwa hai mbali na Sheria; lakini amri ilipokuja, dhambi ilifufuka,

¹⁰And the commandment, which [was] for life, was found, [as] to me, itself [to be] unto death:

¹⁰nami nikafa. Hiyo amri ambayo shabaha yake ilikuwa kuleta uhai, kwangu imeleta kifo.

¹¹for sin, getting a point of attack by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew [me].

¹¹Maana, dhambi ilichukua fursa iliyopatiwa na amri hiyo, ikanidanganya na kuniua.

¹²So that the law indeed [is] holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.

¹²Basi, Sheria yenyewe ni takatifu, na amri yenyewe ni takatifu, ni ya haki na nzuri.

¹³Did then that which is good become death to me? Far be the thought. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death to me by that which is good; in order that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.

¹³Je, hii inamaanisha kwamba kile kilicho kizuri kimesababisha kifo changu? Hata kidogo! Iliyo ni kwamba, dhambi, ili ionekane dhahiri kuwa ni dhambi, imekitumia kile kilicho kizuri na kusababisha kifo changu. Hivyo dhambi, kwa njia ya ile amri, ilijionyesha kikamilifu jinsi ilivyo mbaya mno.

¹⁴For we know that the law is spiritual: but *I* am fleshly, sold under sin.

¹⁴Tunajua kwamba Sheria ni ya kiroho, lakini mimi ni wa kidunia, mimi nimeuzwa kuwa mtumwa wa dhambi.

¹⁵For that which I do, I do not own: for not what I will, this I do; but what I hate, this I practise.

¹⁵Sielewi nifanyacho, maana kile ninachotaka sikifanyi, bali kile ninachochukia ndicho nikifanyacho.

¹⁶But if what I do not will, this I practise, I consent to the law that [it is] right.

¹⁶Ikiwa basi, ninatenda kinyume cha matakwa yangu, hii inamaanisha kwamba nakubali kuwa ile Sheria ni nzuri.

¹⁷Now then [it is] no longer *I* [that] do it, but the sin that dwells in me.

¹⁷Basi, si mimi hasa ninayefanya kitu hicho, bali ile dhambi iliyo ndani yangu.

¹⁸For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, good does not dwell: for to will is there with me, but to do right [I find] not.

¹⁸Najua kwamba hamna jema lolote ndani yangu mimi, kadiri ya ubinadamu wangu. Kwa maana, ingawa nataka kufanya jambo jema, siwezi kulitekeleza.

¹⁹For I do not practise the good that I will; but the evil I do not will, that I do.

¹⁹Yaani, badala ya kufanya lile jambo jema ninalotaka, nafanya lile baya nisilotaka.

²⁰But if what *I* do not will, this I practise, [it is] no longer *I* [that] do it, but the sin that dwells in me.

²⁰Basi, kama ninafanya kinyume cha matakwa yangu, hii inamaanisha kwamba si mimi ninayefanya hayo, bali ni ile dhambi iliyo ndani yangu.

²¹I find then the law upon *me* who will to practise what is right, that with *me* evil is there.

²¹Basi, nimegundua kanuni hii: ninataka kufanya jema, lakini najikuta kwamba lile lililo baya ndilo ninalochagua.

²²For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man:

²²Ndani kabisa katika moyo wangu naifurahia sheria ya Mungu.

²³but I see another law in my members, warring in opposition to the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which exists in my members.

²³Lakini naona kwamba kuna sheria nyingine inayofanya kazi mwilini mwangu, sheria ambayo inapingana na ile inayokubaliwa na akili yangu. Hiyo inanifanya niwe mtumwa wa sheria ya dhambi ifanyayo kazi mwilini mwangu.

²⁴O wretched man that I [am]! who shall deliver me out of this body of death?

²⁴Maskini miye! Nani atakayeniokoa kutoka katika mwili huu unaonipeleka kifoni?

²⁵I thank God, through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then *I* *myself* with the mind serve God's law; but with the flesh sin's law.

²⁵Shukrani kwa Mungu afanyaye hayo kwa njia ya Bwana wetu Yesu Kristo! Hii basi, ndiyo hali yangu: mimi binafsi, kwa akili yangu, ninaitumikia sheria ya dhambi.