¹Tuseme nini basi? Je, twendelee kubaki katika dhambi ili neema ya Mungu iongezeke?

¹What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?

²Hata kidogo! Kuhusu dhambi sisi tumekufa--tutaendeleaje kuishi tena katika dhambi?

²God forbid. We who died to sin, how shall we any longer live therein?

³Maana, mnajua kwamba sisi tuliobatizwa tukaungana na Kristo Yesu, tulibatizwa na kuungana na kifo chake.

³Or are ye ignorant that all we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?

⁴Tulipobatizwa tuliungana na kifo chake, tukazikwa pamoja naye, ili kama vile Kristo alivyofufuliwa kutoka wafu kwa kitendo kitukufu cha Baba, sisi pia tuweze kuishi maisha mapya.

⁴We were buried therefore with him through baptism unto death: that like as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life.

⁵Maana, kama sisi tumeungana naye katika kufa kama yeye, vivyo hivyo tutaungana naye kwa kufufuliwa kutoka wafu kama yeye.

⁵For if we have become united with [him] in the likeness of his death, we shall be also [in the likeness] of his resurrection;

⁶Tunajua kwamba utu wetu wa kale ulisulubiwa pamoja na Kristo, ili hali ya dhambi iharibiwe, tusiwe tena watumwa wa dhambi.

⁶knowing this, that our old man was crucified with [him], that the body of sin might be done away, that so we should no longer be in bondage to sin;

⁷Kwa maana, mtu aliyekufa, amenasuliwa kutoka katika nguvu ya dhambi.

⁷for he that hath died is justified from sin.

⁸Basi, ikiwa tumekufa pamoja na Kristo, tunaamini kwamba tutaishi pia pamoja naye.

⁸But if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him;

⁹Maana, tunajua kwamba Kristo amekwisha fufuliwa kutoka wafu na hafi tena; kifo hakimtawali tena.

⁹knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death no more hath dominion over him.

¹⁰Hivyo, kwa kuwa alikufa--mara moja tu--dhambi haina nguvu tena juu yake; na sasa anaishi maisha yake katika umoja na Mungu.

¹⁰For the death that he died, he died unto sin once: but the life that he liveth, he liveth unto God.

¹¹Hali kadhalika nanyi lazima mjione kuwa mmekufa kuhusu dhambi, lakini kama mnaoishi katika umoja na Mungu kwa njia ya Kristo Yesu.

¹¹Even so reckon ye also yourselves to be dead unto sin, but alive unto God in Christ Jesus.

¹²Kwa hiyo, dhambi isiitawale tena miili yenu ambayo hufa, na hivyo kuzitii tamaa zake.

¹²Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey the lusts thereof:

¹³Wala msitoe hata sehemu moja ya miili yenu iwe chombo cha kutenda uovu na dhambi. Badala yake, jitoleeni ninyi wenyewe kwa Mungu kama watu waliofufuliwa kutoka wafu; toeni nafsi zenu zote kwa Mungu kwa ajili ya uadilifu.

¹³neither present your members unto sin [as] instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves unto God, as alive from the dead, and your members [as] instruments of righteousness unto God.

¹⁴Maana, dhambi haitawatawala ninyi tena, kwani hamko chini ya Sheria, bali chini ya neema.

¹⁴For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under law, but under grace.

¹⁵Basi, tuseme nini? Je, tutende dhambi ati kwa sababu hatuko chini ya Sheria bali chini ya neema? Hata kidogo!

¹⁵What then? shall we sin, because we are not under law, but under grace? God forbid.

¹⁶Mnajua kwamba mkijitolea ninyi wenyewe kama watumwa na kumtii fulani, mnakuwa kweli watumwa wake mtu huyo--au watumwa wa dhambi, na matokeo yake ni kifo, au wa utii, na matokeo yake ni kukubaliwa kuwa waadilifu.

¹⁶Know ye not, that to whom ye present yourselves [as] servants unto obedience, his servants ye are whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

¹⁷Ingawa mlikuwa watumwa wa dhambi zamani, sasa lakini--namshukuru Mungu--mmetii kwa moyo wote yale maazimio na mafundisho mliyopokea.

¹⁷But thanks be to God, that, whereas ye were servants of sin, ye became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching whereunto ye were delivered;

¹⁸Mlikombolewa kutoka utumwa wa dhambi, mkawa watumwa wa uadilifu.

¹⁸and being made free from sin, ye became servants of righteousness.

¹⁹(Hapa natumia lugha ya kawaida ya watu kwa sababu ya udhaifu wenu wenyewe.) Kama vile wakati fulani mlivyojitolea ninyi wenyewe kutumikia uchafu na uhalifu kwa ajili ya uovu, vivyo hivyo sasa jitoleeni nafsi zenu wenyewe kutumikia uadilifu kwa ajili ya utakatifu.

¹⁹I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye presented your members [as] servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity, even so now present your members [as] servants to righteousness unto sanctification.

²⁰Mlipokuwa watumwa wa dhambi, mlikuwa huru mbali na uadilifu.

²⁰For when ye were servants of sin, ye were free in regard of righteousness.

²¹Sasa, mlipata faida gani siku zile kutokana na mambo yale ambayo mnayaonea aibu sasa? Maana, matokeo ya mambo haya ni kifo!

²¹What fruit then had ye at that time in the things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.

²²Lakini sasa, mmekwisha kombolewa kutoka utumwa wa dhambi na mmekuwa watumishi wa Mungu; faida mliyo nayo sasa ni utakatifu, na matokeo yake ni uzima wa milele.

²²But now being made free from sin and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto sanctification, and the end eternal life.

²³Kwa maana mshahara wa dhambi ni kifo; lakini zawadi anayotoa Mungu ni uzima wa milele katika kuungana na Kristo Yesu, Bwana wetu.

²³For the wages of sin is death; but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.