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.”

这样，我们可说什么呢？律法是罪吗？断乎不是！只是非因律法，我就不知何为罪。非律法说“不可起贪心”，我就不知何为贪心。

这样，我们要怎么说呢？律法是罪吗？绝对不是！但是，若不是藉着律法，我就不知何为罪；若不是律法说“不可贪心”，我就不知何为贪心。

这样，我们要怎么说呢？律法是罪吗？绝对不是！但是，若不是藉着律法，我就不知何为罪；若不是律法说“不可贪心”，我就不知何为贪心。

那么，我们可以说律法本身是罪吗？当然不是！没有律法，我们就不知道什么是罪。律法若不说“不可贪心”，我就不知道什么是贪心。

这样，我们可以说什么呢？难道律法是罪吗？绝对不是。不过，如果不是藉着律法，我就不知道什么是罪；如果不是律法说“不可贪心”，我就不知道什么是贪心。

那么，我们要怎么说呢？难道律法是罪吗？绝对不是！然而，要不是藉着律法，我就不知道什么是罪。如果律法没有说“不可贪心”，我就不知道什么是贪心；

這樣，我們可說甚麼呢？律法是罪嗎？斷乎不是！只是非因律法，我就不知何為罪。非律法說「不可起貪心」，我就不知何為貪心。

這樣，我們要怎麼說呢？律法是罪嗎？絕對不是！但是，若不是藉着律法，我就不知何為罪；若不是律法說「不可貪心」，我就不知何為貪心。

這樣，我們要怎麼說呢？律法是罪嗎？絕對不是！但是，若不是藉着律法，我就不知何為罪；若不是律法說「不可貪心」，我就不知何為貪心。

那麼，我們可以說律法本身是罪嗎？當然不是！沒有律法，我們就不知道什麼是罪。律法若不說「不可貪心」，我就不知道什麼是貪心。

這樣，我們可以說甚麼呢？難道律法是罪嗎？絕對不是。不過，如果不是藉著律法，我就不知道甚麼是罪；如果不是律法說“不可貪心”，我就不知道甚麼是貪心。

這樣，我們可怎麼說呢？律法是罪麼？斷乎不是。不過、若不是由於律法，我就不知道罪是甚麼。若不是律法說：「你不可貪慾」，我就不知道貪慾是甚麼。

那麼，我們要怎麼說呢？難道律法是罪嗎？絕對不是！然而，要不是藉著律法，我就不知道什麼是罪。如果律法沒有說「不可貪心」，我就不知道什麼是貪心；

然則將何言耶、律豈罪乎、非也、非由律則我未嘗知罪、如律不言毋欲、則我不知欲、

然則何以言之、律法豈惡之因乎、曰、不然、非法無以見惡、蓋律法不禁欲、吾末由識欲、

然則何言、律法即罪乎、非也、然非由律法、我不識罪、律法若不云勿貪、則我不識貪、

於此吾人更有何說？將謂法即罪乎？無是理也！法非罪、乃所以燭吾之罪耳。法若不曰「毋淫、」則吾將不知淫之為淫矣。

What should we say then? That the law is sinful? Not at all! Yet I wouldn’t have known what sin was unless the law had told me. The law says,“ Do not want what belongs to other people.”( Exodus 20:17; Deuteronomy 5:21) If the law hadn’t said that, I would not have known what it was like to want what belongs to others.

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

Well then, am I suggesting that the law of God is sinful? Of course not! In fact, it was the law that showed me my sin. I would never have known that coveting is wrong if the law had not said,“ You must not covet.”

What should we say then? Is the law sin? Absolutely not! But 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.

What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? Far from it! 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.”

What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said,“ You shall not covet.”

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:

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.

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.

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.”

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.”

Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.

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

“ You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

“ You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. You shall not set your desire on your neighbor’s house or land, his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

because the law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression.

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.

The commandments,“ You shall not commit adultery,”“ You shall not murder,”“ You shall not steal,”“ You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command:“ Love your neighbor as yourself.”

The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous.They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb.By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward.But who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults.

But if our unrighteousness brings out God’s righteousness more clearly, what shall we say? That God is unjust in bringing his wrath on us?( I am using a human argument.)

But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.

When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.

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

One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful,

To all perfection I see a limit, but your commands are boundless.

When I saw in the plunder a beautiful robe from Babylonia, two hundred shekels of silver and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. They are hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath.”

Then he said to them,“ Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”

They covet fields and seize them, and houses, and take them. They defraud people of their homes, they rob them of their inheritance.

But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, discovered in this matter?

I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing.

For when we were in the realm of the flesh, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in us, so that we bore fruit for death.

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.For everything in the world— the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life— comes not from the Father but from the world.

Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.

Some time later there was an incident involving a vineyard belonging to Naboth the Jezreelite. The vineyard was in Jezreel, close to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria.Ahab said to Naboth,“ Let me have your vineyard to use for a vegetable garden, since it is close to my palace. In exchange I will give you a better vineyard or, if you prefer, I will pay you whatever it is worth.”But Naboth replied,“ The Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my ancestors.”So Ahab went home, sullen and angry because Naboth the Jezreelite had said,“ I will not give you the inheritance of my ancestors.” He lay on his bed sulking and refused to eat.

not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God;

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

What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means!