Romans · Chapter 7

[ edit] Breþeren, wher ȝe vnknowen; forſoþ I ſpeke to men witinge þe lawe; for þe lawe haþ lordſchip in a man, hou longe tyme it lyueþ? Forwhi þat womman þat is vnder an houſbonde, is bounden to þe lawe, lyuynge þe hoſebonde; ſoþli if hir hoſebonde be deed, ſche is delyuered, or vnbounden, fro þe lawe of þe man. Þerfore lyuynge þe man, ſhe ſchal be clepid auoutreſſe, if ſhe ſchal be wiþ anoþer man; forſoþe if hir hoſebonde be deed, ſhe is deliuered fro lawe of þe man, þat ſche be not auoutreſſe, if ſhe ſchal be wiþ anoþer man. Treuli, briþeren, and ȝe ben maad deed to þe lawe þorwȝ þe body of Criſt, þat ȝe ben anoþeris, þat roos aȝen fro deede ſpiritis, þat we bere fruit to God.

Forſoþ whanne we weren in fleiſch, paſſiouns of ſynnes, þat weren bi þe lawe, wrouȝten in oure membris, þat þei ſchulden bere fruyt to deeþ. Now forſoþe we ben vnbounden fro þe lawe of deeþ, in þe which we weren holde, ſo þat we ſerue in neweneſſe of ſpirit, and not in oldneſſe of lettre. What þerfore ſchulen we ſeie? Þe lawe is ſynne? Fer be it. But I knew not ſynne, no but by lawe; forwhi I wiſte not coueitynge for to be ſynne, no but þe lawe ſeide, Þou ſchalt not coueite. Forſoþe occaſioun takun, ſynne by þe maundement haþ wrouȝte in me al coueityng, or coueityſe; ſoþli wiþ oute þe lawe, ſynne was deed.

Forſoþe I lyuede wiþ oute þe lawe ſum tyme; but whanne þe comaundement hadde comen, ſynne lyuede aȝen. Soþli I am deed, and þe comaundement is founden to me, þat was to lyf, þis þing for to be to deeþ. Forwhi ſynne, occaſioun takun bi þe comaundement, diſſeyuede me, and bi it ſlouȝ me. And ſo þe lawe ſoþeli hooly, and þe comaundement hooly, and iuſt, and good. Þerfor þat þat is good, to me is maad deeþ? Fer be it. But þat ſynne appere, or be knowen, ſynne, þorw good þing wrouȝte deeþ to me, þat þer be maad ſynne ſynnynge ouer manere, or meſure, by comaundement. Soþli we witen, for þe lawe is ſpiritual, or gooſtli; forſoþ I am fleiſchly, ſold vndir ſynne.

Soþli I vndirſtonde not þat þat I worche; ſoþly I do not þe good þing þat I wole, but I do þe ilke yuel þing þat I hate. Forſoþ if I do þat þing þat I wole not, I conſente to þe lawe, for it is good. Now ſoþely I worche not now, but þat ſynne þat dwelliþ in me. Soþli I wot, for in me, þat is, in my fleiſch, dwelliþ no good; forwhi williþ to me, trewli for to performe good þing I fynde not. Forſoþe I do not þe ilke good þing þat I wole, but I do þe ilke yuel þing þat I wole not. Soþli if I do þat þing þat I wole not, I worche not it, but þe ſynne þat dwelliþ in me. Þerfore I fynde a lawe to me willinge for to do good þing, for to me yuel þing liþ to.

Þerfore þe lawe is good to me willinge; forſoþ I delite to gidere to þe lawe of God, vp þe ynner man. Soþly I ſe an oþer lawe in my membris, aȝenfiȝtinge to þe lawe of my ſoule, and makynge me caytyf in þe lawe of ſynne, þat is in my membris. I a wooful man; who ſchal delyuere me fro þe body of þis ſynne? Forſoþe þe grace of God, bi Jheſu Criſt oure Lorde. Þerfore I my ſilf by reſoun of þe ſoule ſerue to þe lawe of God; ſoþli bi þe fleiſch to þe lawe of ſynne.