The Darby Translation DBY
New Century Version NCV
1 What then shall we say? Should we continue in sin that grace may abound?
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So do you think we should continue sinning so that God will give us even more grace?
2 Far be the thought. We who have died to sin, how shall we still live in it?
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No! We died to our old sinful lives, so how can we continue living with sin?
3 Are you ignorant that we, as many as have been baptised unto Christ Jesus, have been baptised unto his death?
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Did you forget that all of us became part of Christ when we were baptized? We shared his death in our baptism.
4 We have been buried therefore with him by baptism unto death, in order that, even as Christ has been raised up from among [the] dead by the glory of the Father, so *we* also should walk in newness of life.
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When we were baptized, we were buried with Christ and shared his death. So, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the wonderful power of the Father, we also can live a new life.
5 For if we are become identified with [him] in the likeness of his death, so also we shall be of [his] resurrection;
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Christ died, and we have been joined with him by dying too. So we will also be joined with him by rising from the dead as he did.
6 knowing this, that our old man has been crucified with [him], that the body of sin might be annulled, that we should no longer serve sin.
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We know that our old life died with Christ on the cross so that our sinful selves would have no power over us and we would not be slaves to sin.
7 For he that has died is justified from sin.
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Anyone who has died is made free from sin's control.
8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him,
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If we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him.
9 knowing that Christ having been raised up from among [the] dead dies no more: death has dominion over him no more.
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Christ was raised from the dead, and we know that he cannot die again. Death has no power over him now.
10 For in that he has died, he has died to sin once for all; but in that he lives, he lives to God.
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Yes, when Christ died, he died to defeat the power of sin one time -- enough for all time. He now has a new life, and his new life is with God.
11 So also *ye*, reckon yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
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In the same way, you should see yourselves as being dead to the power of sin and alive with God through Christ Jesus.
12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body to obey its lusts.
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So, do not let sin control your life here on earth so that you do what your sinful self wants to do.
13 Neither yield your members instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but yield yourselves to God as alive from among [the] dead, and your members instruments of righteousness to God.
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Do not offer the parts of your body to serve sin, as things to be used in doing evil. Instead, offer yourselves to God as people who have died and now live. Offer the parts of your body to God to be used in doing good.
14 For sin shall not have dominion over *you*, for ye are not under law but under grace.
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Sin will not be your master, because you are not under law but under God's grace.
15 What then? should we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Far be the thought.
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So what should we do? Should we sin because we are under grace and not under law? No!
16 Know ye not that to whom ye yield yourselves bondmen for obedience, ye are bondmen to him whom ye obey, whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
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Surely you know that when you give yourselves like slaves to obey someone, then you are really slaves of that person. The person you obey is your master. You can follow sin, which brings spiritual death, or you can obey God, which makes you right with him.
17 But thanks [be] to God, that ye were bondmen of sin, but have obeyed from the heart the form of teaching into which ye were instructed.
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In the past you were slaves to sin -- sin controlled you. But thank God, you fully obeyed the things that you were taught.
18 Now, having got your freedom from sin, ye have become bondmen to righteousness.
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You were made free from sin, and now you are slaves to goodness.
19 I speak humanly on account of the weakness of your flesh. For even as ye have yielded your members in bondage to uncleanness and to lawlessness unto lawlessness, so now yield your members in bondage to righteousness unto holiness.
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I use this example because this is hard for you to understand. In the past you offered the parts of your body to be slaves to sin and evil; you lived only for evil. In the same way now you must give yourselves to be slaves of goodness. Then you will live only for God.
20 For when ye were bondmen of sin ye were free from righteousness.
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In the past you were slaves to sin, and goodness did not control you.
21 What fruit therefore had ye *then* in the things of which ye are *now* ashamed? for the end of *them* [is] death.
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You did evil things, and now you are ashamed of them. Those things only bring death.
22 But *now*, having got your freedom from sin, and having become bondmen to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end eternal life.
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But now you are free from sin and have become slaves of God. This brings you a life that is only for God, and this gives you life forever.
23 For the wages of sin [is] death; but the act of favour of God, eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
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When people sin, they earn what sin pays -- death. But God gives us a free gift -- life forever in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The Darby Translation is in the public domain.
Scripture taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.