Parallel Verses

Bible in Basic English

What then is to be said? is the law sin? in no way. But I would not have had knowledge of sin but for the law: for I would not have been conscious of desire if the law had not said, You may not have a desire for what is another's.

New American Standard Bible

What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, “You shall not covet.”

King James Version

What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.

Holman Bible

What should we say then? Is the law sin? Absolutely not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin if it were not for the law. For example, I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, Do not covet.

International Standard Version

What should we say, then? Is the Law sinful? Of course not! In fact, I wouldn't have become aware of sin if it had not been for the Law. I wouldn't have known what it means to covet if the Law had not said, "You must not covet."

A Conservative Version

What will we say then? The law is sin? May it not happen! Yet I did not know sin except through law. For likewise I would not have known lust, if the law did not say, Thou shall not covet.

American Standard Version

What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Howbeit, I had not known sin, except through the law: for I had not known coveting, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet:

Amplified

What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, if it had not been for the Law, I would not have recognized sin. For I would not have known [for example] about coveting [what belongs to another, and would have had no sense of guilt] if the Law had not [repeatedly] said, “You shall not covet.”

An Understandable Version

What shall we say then? Is the law of Moses sinful? Certainly not! For I would not have known what sin was if it had not been for the law. For [example]; I would not have known [what it meant] to covet [i.e., have a strong desire for what belongs to someone else] except that the law said [Ex. 20:17], "You must not covet."

Anderson New Testament

What, then, shall we say? Is the law sin? It can not be. Indeed, I had not known sin, except through law. For I had not known evil desire, unless the law had said: You shall not have any evil desire.

Common New Testament

What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed, I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, "You shall not covet."

Daniel Mace New Testament

Do we then conclude, that the law is the cause of sin? by no means; but I should not have had such a notion of sin, had it not been for the law: for I should not have known concupiscence was a sin, unless the law had said, "thou shalt not covet."

Darby Translation

What shall we say then? is the law sin? Far be the thought. But I had not known sin, unless by law: for I had not had conscience also of lust unless the law had said, Thou shalt not lust;

Godbey New Testament

Then what shall we say? is the law sin? It could not be so; but I did not know sin except through the law: for indeed I had not known lusts, unless the law said, Thou shalt not covet.

Goodspeed New Testament

Then what shall we conclude? That the Law is sin? Certainly not! Yet, if it had not been for the Law, I should never have learned what sin was; I should not have known what it was to covet if the Law had not said, "You must not covet."

John Wesley New Testament

What shall we say then? That the law is sin? God forbid. Yea, I should not have known sin, but for the law. I had not known lust, unless the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.

Julia Smith Translation

What then shall we say? The law sin? It may not be. But I knew not sin except by the law: for I knew not lust, if the law said not, Thou shalt not eagerly desire.

King James 2000

What shall we say then? is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, you shall not covet.

Lexham Expanded Bible

What then shall we say? [Is] the law sin? May it never be! But I would not have known sin except through the law, for I would not have known covetousness if the law had not said, "Do not covet."

Modern King James verseion

What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Let it not be said! But I did not know sin except through the law. For also I did not know lust except the law said, You shall not lust.

Modern Spelling Tyndale-Coverdale

What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid: but I knew not what sin meant but by the law. For I had not known what lust had meant, except the law had said, "Thou shalt not lust."

Moffatt New Testament

What follows, then? That 'the Law is equivalent to sin'? Never! Why, had it not been for the Law, I would never have known what sin meant! Thus I would never have known what it is to covet, unless the Law had said, You must not covet.

Montgomery New Testament

What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? Certainly not. On the contrary I should not have become acquainted with sin had it not been for the Law; for except the Law had repeatedly said, "Thou shalt not lust," I should never have known the sin of lust.

NET Bible

What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Absolutely not! Certainly, I would not have known sin except through the law. For indeed I would not have known what it means to desire something belonging to someone else if the law had not said, "Do not covet."

New Heart English Bible

What shall we say then? Is the law sin? May it never be. However, I would not have known sin, except through the law. For I would not have known coveting, unless the law had said, "You shall not covet."

Noyes New Testament

What then shall we say? Is the Law sin? God forbid! But I should not have known sin, except by the Law; for I should not have known sinful desire, unless the Law had said, "Thou shalt not covet."

Sawyer New Testament

What shall we say then? Is the law sin? By no means. On the contrary I knew not sin except through the law; for I had not known inordinate desire, unless the law had said, You shall not desire inordinately.

The Emphasized Bible

What, then, shall we say? Is the law sin? Far be it! On the contrary, I had not discovered, sin, save through law, for even, of coveting, I had not been aware if, the law, had not kept on saying - Thou shall not covet;

Thomas Haweis New Testament

What then shall we say? Is the law sin? God forbid. Yea, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not even known concupiscence, unless the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.

Twentieth Century New Testament

What are we to say, then? That Law and sin are the same thing? Heaven forbid! On the contrary, I should not have learned what sin is, had not it been for Law. If the Law did not say 'Thou shalt not covet,' I should not know what it is to covet.

Webster

What shall we say then? Is the law sin? By no means. No, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.

Weymouth New Testament

What follows? Is the Law itself a sinful thing? No, indeed; on the contrary, unless I had been taught by the Law, I should have known nothing of sin as sin. For instance, I should not have known what covetousness is, if the Law had not repeatedly said, "Thou shalt not covet."

Williams New Testament

What are we then to conclude? Is the law sin? Of course not! Yet, if it had not been for the law, I should not have learned what sin was, for I should not have known what an evil desire was, if the law had not said, "You must not have an evil desire."

World English Bible

What 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."

Worrell New Testament

What, then, shall we say? Is the law sin? It could not be! But I had not known sin, except through law; for I would not know even coveting, if the law did not say, "You shall not covet;"

Worsley New Testament

What shall we say then? is the law sin? God forbid! Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust to be sinful, if the law had not said, "Thou shalt not covet."

Youngs Literal Translation

What, 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:

Interlinear

English(KJV)
Strong's
Root Form
Definition
Usage
τίς 
Tis 
Usage: 344

shall we say
ἐρέω 
Ereo 
Usage: 41

οὖν 
Oun 
therefore, then, so, and, now, wherefore, but, not tr,
Usage: 417

Is the law
νόμος 
Nomos 
law
Usage: 179

sin
ἁμαρτία 
Hamartia 
ἁμαρτία 
Hamartia 
Usage: 143
Usage: 143

γίνομαι 
Ginomai 
be, come to pass, be made, be done, come, become, God forbid , arise, have, be fulfilled, be married to, be preferred, not tr, , vr done
Usage: 531

Nay
ἀλλά 
Alla 
but, yea, yet, nevertheless, howbeit, nay, therefore, save, not tr,
Usage: 461

I had
γινώσκω 
Ginosko 
εἴδω 
Eido 
Usage: 147
Usage: 519

not
οὐ 
Ou 
οὐ 
Ou 
οὐ 
Ou 
not, no, cannot ,
not, no, cannot ,
not, no, cannot ,
Usage: 1032
Usage: 1032
Usage: 1032

γινώσκω 
Ginosko 
εἴδω 
Eido 
Usage: 147
Usage: 519

but
μή 
me 
not, no, that not, God forbid 9, lest, neither, no man , but, none, not translated,
Usage: 493

by
διά 
Dia 
by, through, with, for, for ... sake, therefore , for this cause , because,
Usage: 527

the law
νόμος 
Nomos 
νόμος 
Nomos 
Usage: 179
Usage: 179

for
γάρ 
Gar 
for, , not tr
Usage: 825

ἐπιθυμία 
Epithumia 
Usage: 35

μή 
me 
not, no, that not, God forbid 9, lest, neither, no man , but, none, not translated,
Usage: 493

λέγω 
Lego 
Usage: 1045

Thou shalt
ἐπιθυμέω 
Epithumeo 
Usage: 10

Images Romans 7:7

Prayers for Romans 7:7

Context Readings

Knowledge Of Sin Comes Through The Law

6 But now we are free from the law, having been made dead to that which had power over us; so that we are servants in the new way of the spirit, not in the old way of the letter. 7 What then is to be said? is the law sin? in no way. But I would not have had knowledge of sin but for the law: for I would not have been conscious of desire if the law had not said, You may not have a desire for what is another's. 8 But sin, taking its chance through that which was ordered by the law, was working in me every form of desire: because without the law sin is dead.


Cross References

Romans 3:20

Because by the works of the law no man is able to have righteousness in his eyes, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin.

Exodus 20:17

Let not your desire be turned to your neighbour's house, or his wife or his man-servant or his woman-servant or his ox or his ass or anything which is his.

Deuteronomy 5:21

Or let your desire be turned to your neighbour's wife, or his house or his field or his man-servant or his woman-servant or his ox or his ass or anything which is your neighbour's.

Romans 7:8

But sin, taking its chance through that which was ordered by the law, was working in me every form of desire: because without the law sin is dead.

Romans 3:5

But if the righteousness of God is supported by our wrongdoing what is to be said? is it wrong for God to be angry (as men may say)?

Romans 4:15

For the outcome of the law is wrath; but where there is no law it will not be broken.

Romans 13:9

And this, Do not be untrue in married life, Do not put to death, Do not take what is another's, Do not have desire for what is another's, and if there is any other order, it is covered by this word, Have love for your neighbour as for yourself.

Genesis 3:6

And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and a delight to the eyes, and to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit, and gave it to her husband.

Joshua 7:21

When I saw among their goods a fair robe of Babylon and two hundred shekels of silver, and a mass of gold, fifty shekels in weight, I was overcome by desire and took them; and they are put away in the earth in my tent, and the silver is under it.

2 Samuel 11:2

Now one evening, David got up from his bed, and while he was walking on the roof of the king's house, he saw from there a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful.

1 Kings 21:1-4

Now Naboth the Jezreelite had a vine-garden in Jezreel, near the house of Ahab, king of Samaria.

Psalm 19:7-12

The law of the Lord is good, giving new life to the soul: the witness of the Lord is certain, giving wisdom to the foolish.

Psalm 119:96

I have seen that nothing on earth is complete; but your teaching is very wide.

Micah 2:2

They have a desire for fields and take them by force; and for houses and take them away: they are cruel to a man and his family, even to a man and his heritage.

Matthew 5:28

But I say to you that everyone whose eyes are turned on a woman with desire has had connection with her in his heart.

Luke 12:15

And he said to them, Take care to keep yourselves free from the desire for property; for a man's life is not made up of the number of things which he has.

Acts 20:33

I have had no desire for any man's silver or gold or clothing.

Romans 4:1

What, then, may we say that Abraham, our father after the flesh, has got?

Romans 6:15

What then? are we to go on in sin because we are not under law but under grace? Let it not be so.

Romans 7:5

For when we were in the flesh, the evil passions which came into being through the law were working in our bodies to give the fruit of death.

Romans 7:11

For I was tricked and put to death by sin, which took its chance through the law.

Romans 7:13

Was then that which is good, death to me? In no way. But the purpose was that sin might be seen to be sin by working death to me through that which is good; so that through the orders of the law sin might seem much more evil.

1 Corinthians 15:56

The pain of death is sin; and the power of sin is the law:

Ephesians 5:3

But evil acts of the flesh and all unclean things, or desire for others' property, let it not even be named among you, as is right for saints;

Colossians 3:5

Then put to death your bodies which are of the earth; wrong use of the flesh, unclean things, passion, evil desires and envy, which is the worship of strange gods;

1 Thessalonians 4:5

Not in the passion of evil desires, like the Gentiles, who have no knowledge of God;

1 John 2:15-16

Have no love for the world or for the things which are in the world. If any man has love for the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

King James Version Public Domain

Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers.

International Standard Version Copyright © 1996-2008 by the ISV Foundation.

New American Standard Bible Copyright ©1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org

American Standard Version Public Domain

NET Bible copyright © 1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. NetBible

Basic English, produced by Mr C. K. Ogden of the Orthological Institute - public domain