What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, ‘You shall not covet.’ ▼

▼Exodus 20:17; Deut. 5:21

What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, ^bI would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if ^cthe law had not said, “You shall not covet.”

Τί οὖν ἐροῦμεν; ὁ νόμος ἁμαρτία; μὴ γένοιτο· ἀλλὰ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν οὐκ ἔγνων εἰ μὴ διὰ νόμου, τήν τε γὰρ ἐπιθυμίαν οὐκ ᾔδειν εἰ μὴ ὁ νόμος ἔλεγεν· Οὐκ ἐπιθυμήσεις·

But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of coveting. For apart from the law, sin was dead.

But sin, ^dseizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. ^eFor apart from the law, sin lies dead.

ἀφορμὴν δὲ λαβοῦσα ἡ ἁμαρτία διὰ τῆς ἐντολῆς κατειργάσατο ἐν ἐμοὶ πᾶσαν ἐπιθυμίαν, χωρὶς γὰρ νόμου ἁμαρτία νεκρά.

Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died.

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

ἐγὼ δὲ ἔζων χωρὶς νόμου ποτέ· ἐλθούσης δὲ τῆς ἐντολῆς ἡ ἁμαρτία ἀνέζησεν,

I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death.

The very commandment ^fthat promised life proved to be death to me.

ἐγὼ δὲ ἀπέθανον, καὶ εὑρέθη μοι ἡ ἐντολὴ ἡ εἰς ζωὴν αὕτη εἰς θάνατον·

For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death.

For sin, ^gseizing an opportunity through the commandment, ^hdeceived me and through it killed me.

ἡ γὰρ ἁμαρτία ἀφορμὴν λαβοῦσα διὰ τῆς ἐντολῆς ἐξηπάτησέν με καὶ δι᾽ αὐτῆς ἀπέκτεινεν.

So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.

So ⁱthe law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.

ὥστε ὁ μὲν νόμος ἅγιος, καὶ ἡ ἐντολὴ ἁγία καὶ δικαία καὶ ἀγαθή.

Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! Nevertheless, in order that sin might be recognised as sin, it used what is good to bring about my death, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.

Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure.

Τὸ οὖν ἀγαθὸν ἐμοὶ ▼

▼ ἐγένετο = WH Treg NA/NIV: || γέγονεν = RP

ἐγένετο θάνατος; μὴ γένοιτο· ἀλλὰ ἡ ἁμαρτία, ἵνα φανῇ ἁμαρτία διὰ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ μοι κατεργαζομένη θάνατον· ἵνα γένηται καθ᾽ ὑπερβολὴν ἁμαρτωλὸς ἡ ἁμαρτία διὰ τῆς ἐντολῆς.