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

¹Are ye ignorant, brethren — for to those knowing law I speak — that the law hath lordship over the man as long as he liveth?

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

²for the married woman to the living husband hath been bound by law, and if the husband may die, she hath been free from the law of the husband;

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.

³so, then, the husband being alive, an adulteress she shall be called if she may become another man`s; and if the husband may die, she is free from the law, so as not to be an adulteress, having become another man`s.

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.

⁴So that, my brethren, ye also were made dead to the law through the body of the Christ, for your becoming another`s, who out of the dead was raised up, that we might bear fruit to God;

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

⁵for when we were in the flesh, the passions of the sins, that [are] through the law, were working in our members, to bear fruit to the death;

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.

⁶and now we have ceased from the law, that being dead in which we were held, so that we may serve in newness of spirit, and not in oldness of letter.

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."

⁷What, then, shall we say? the law [is] sin? let it not be! but the sin I did not know except through law, for also the covetousness I had not known if the law had not said:

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

⁸`Thou shalt not covet;` and the sin having received an opportunity, through the command, did work in me all covetousness — for apart from law sin is dead.

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

⁹And I was alive apart from law once, and the command having come, the sin revived, and I died;

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

¹⁰and the command that [is] for life, this was found by me for death;

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

¹¹for the sin, having received an opportunity, through the command, did deceive me, and through it did slay [me];

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

¹²so that the law, indeed, [is] holy, and the command holy, and righteous, and good.

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.

¹³That which is good then, to me hath it become death? let it not be! but the sin, that it might appear sin, through the good, working death to me, that the sin might become exceeding sinful through the command,

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

¹⁴for we have known that the law is spiritual, and I am fleshly, sold by the sin;

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

¹⁵for that which I work, I do not acknowledge; for not what I will, this I practise, but what I hate, this I do.

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

¹⁶And if what I do not will, this I do, I consent to the law that [it is] good,

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

¹⁷and now it is no longer I that work it, but the sin dwelling in me,

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

¹⁸for I have known that there doth not dwell in me, that is, in my flesh, good: for to will is present with me, and to work that which is right I do not find,

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

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

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

²⁰And if what I do not will, this I do, it is no longer I that work it, but the sin that is dwelling in me.

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

²¹I find, then, the law, that when I desire to do what is right, with me the evil is present,

²²Ndani kabisa katika moyo wangu naifurahia sheria ya Mungu.

²²for I delight in the law of God according to the inward man,

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.

²³and I behold another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of the sin that [is] in my members.

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

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

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.

²⁵I thank God — through Jesus Christ our Lord; so then, I myself indeed with the mind do serve the law of God, and with the flesh, the law of sin.