¹Or don’t you know, brothers The word for “brothers” here and where context allows may also be correctly translated “brothers and sisters” or “siblings.” (for I speak to men who know the law), that the law has dominion over a man for as long as he lives?

¹Hamuzivi here hama (nokuti ndinotaura kuna avo vanoziva murairo), kuti murairo unotonga munhu kana achingorarama chete?

²For the woman that has a husband is bound by law to the husband while he lives, but if the husband dies, she is discharged from the law of the husband.

²Nekuti mukadzi une murume wakasungwa nemurairo kumurume, kana achingova mupenyu chete; asi kana murume afa, wasunungurwa pamurairo womurume.

³So then if, while the husband lives, she is joined to another man, she would be called an adulteress. But if the husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is no adulteress, though she is joined to another man.

³Naizvozvo zvino kana murume ari mupenyu, uchanzi chifeve kana akava womumwe murume, asi kana murume wake afa, wasununguka pamurairo uyu, kuti asava chifeve kana akava womumwe murume.

⁴Therefore, my brothers, you also were made dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you would be joined to another, to him who was raised from the dead, that we might bring forth fruit to God.

⁴Naizvozvo hama dzangu nemwiwo makaitwa vakafa kumurairo nemuviri waKristu; kuti muve veumwe, kuna iye wakamutswa kuvakafa, kuti tiberekere Mwari chibereko.

⁵For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were through the law, worked in our members to bring forth fruit to death.

⁵Nekuti pataiva munyama, kuchiva kwezvivi zvaiva nokuda kwemurairo kwakabata mumitezo yedu kuberekera rufu chibereko.

⁶But now we have been discharged from the law, having died to that in which we were held; so that we serve in newness of the spirit, and not in oldness of the letter.

⁶Asi zvino takasunungurwa pamurairo, kuti takafa kune izvozvo zvakange zvakatibata kuti tishumire neutsva hwemweya, kwete neutsaru hwemagwaro.

⁷What shall we say then? Is the law sin? May it never be! However, I wouldn’t have known sin, except through the law. For I wouldn’t have known coveting, unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.” Exodus 20:17; Deuteronomy 5:21

⁷Zvino tichatiyi? Murairo chivi here? Ngazvisadaro! Asi handizaiziva chivi kunze kwekubudikidza nemurairo; nekuti handizaiziva ruchiva, kana murairo usina kuti: Usachiva.

⁸But sin, finding occasion through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of coveting. For apart from the law, sin is dead.

⁸Asi chivi chakawana mukana nemurairo, chikaita mandiri mitoo yese yeruchiva; nekuti pasina murairo chivi chakafa.

⁹I was alive apart from the law once, but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.

⁹Ini ndaiva mupenyu kunze kwemurairo, asi murairo pawakasvika, chivi chakamuka, ini ndikafa;

¹⁰The commandment, which was for life, this I found to be for death;

¹⁰uye murairo waiva weupenyu, wakawanikwa neni wava werufu;

¹¹for sin, finding occasion through the commandment, deceived me, and through it killed me.

¹¹nekuti chivi, chakawana mukana nemurairo, chikandinyengera chikandiponda nawo.

¹²Therefore the law indeed is holy, and the commandment holy, and righteous, and good.

¹²Naizvozvo mutemo mutsvene, nemurairo mutsvene wakarurama, uye wakanaka.

¹³Did then that which is good become death to me? May it never be! But sin, that it might be shown to be sin, by working death to me through that which is good; that through the commandment sin might become exceeding sinful.

¹³Naizvozvo zvakanaka zvakava rufu mandiri here? Ngazvisadaro! Asi chivi, kuti chiratidzwe kuti chivi chinobata rufu mandiri nezvakanaka; kuti chivi nemurairo chive chakaipa kwazvo-kwazvo.

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

¹⁴Nekuti tinoziva kuti murairo ndewemweya; asi ini ndiri wenyama, ndakatengeswa pasi pechivi.

¹⁵For I don’t know what I am doing. For I don’t practice what I desire to do; but what I hate, that I do.

¹⁵Nekuti izvo zvandinoita handizvitenderi; nekuti zvandinoda handiiti izvo; asi zvandinovenga ndizvo zvandinoita.

¹⁶But if what I don’t desire, that I do, I consent to the law that it is good.

¹⁶Zvino kana ndichiita izvo zvandisingadi, ndinobvumirana nemurairo kuti wakanaka.

¹⁷So now it is no more I that do it, but sin which dwells in me.

¹⁷Zvino handisisiri ini ndinozviita, asi chivi chinogara mandiri.

¹⁸For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwells no good thing. For desire is present with me, but I don’t find it doing that which is good.

¹⁸Nekuti ndinoziva kuti mandiri, ndiko kuti munyama yangu, hamugari chinhu chakanaka; nekuti kuda kurimo mandiri, asi kuita izvo zvakanaka handikuwani.

¹⁹For the good which I desire, I don’t do; but the evil which I don’t desire, that I practice.

¹⁹Nekuti zvakanaka zvandinoda handiiti; asi zvakaipa zvandisingadi, izvo ndinoita.

²⁰But if what I don’t desire, that I do, it is no more I that do it, but sin which dwells in me.

²⁰Zvino kana ndichiita izvo zvandisingadi, handisisiri ini ndinozviita, asi chivi chinogara mandiri.

²¹I find then the law, that, to me, while I desire to do good, evil is present.

²¹Naizvozvo ndinowana murairo kuti kana ndichida kuita chakanaka, chakaipa chiripo pandiri.

²²For I delight in God’s law after the inward man,

²²Nekuti ndinofara mumurairo waMwari nemunhu wemukati;

²³but I see a different law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity under the law of sin which is in my members.

²³asi ndinoona umwe murairo mumitezo yangu, uchirwa nemurairo wemurangariro wangu, uye uchanditapira kumurairo wechivi uri mumitezo yangu.

²⁴What a wretched man I am! Who will deliver me out of the body of this death?

²⁴Ndiri munhu unoshungurudzika! Ndiani uchandisunungura pamuviri werufu urwu?

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

²⁵Ndinotenda Mwari kubudikidza naJesu Kristu Ishe wedu. Naizvozvo nemurangariro ini ndomene ndinoshumira murairo waMwari, asi nenyama murairo wechivi.