Romans 7:8 - The Message

^8-12 Don’t you remember how it was? I do, perfectly well. The law code started out as an excellent piece of work. What happened, though, was that sin found a way to pervert the command into a temptation, making a piece of “forbidden fruit” out of it. The law code, instead of being used to guide me, was used to seduce me. Without all the paraphernalia of the law code, sin looked pretty dull and lifeless, and I went along without paying much attention to it. But once sin got its hands on the law code and decked itself out in all that finery, I was fooled, and fell for it. The very command that was supposed to guide me into life was cleverly used to trip me up, throwing me headlong. So sin was plenty alive, and I was stone dead. But the law code itself is God’s good and common sense, each command sane and holy counsel.

More versions

King James Version (Oxford) 1769

⁸ But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.

Amplified Bible - Classic Edition

⁸ But sin, finding opportunity in the commandment [to express itself], got a hold on me and aroused and stimulated all kinds of forbidden desires (lust, covetousness). For without the Law sin is dead [the sense of it is inactive and a lifeless thing].

American Standard Version (1901)

⁸ but sin, finding occasion, wrought in me through the commandment all manner of coveting: for apart from the law sin is dead.

Common English Bible

⁸ But sin seized the opportunity and used this commandment to produce all kinds of desires in me. Sin is dead without the Law.

Catholic Public Domain Version

⁸ But sin, receiving an opportunity through the commandment, wrought in me all manner of coveting. For apart from the law, sin was dead.

Romans 7:8 Cross References