Romans 6:12
New International Version
Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.

New Living Translation
Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires.

English Standard Version
Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions.

Berean Standard Bible
Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its desires.

Berean Literal Bible
Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, in order to obey its desires.

King James Bible
Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.

New King James Version
Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.

New American Standard Bible
Therefore sin is not to reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts,

NASB 1995
Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts,

NASB 1977
Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body that you should obey its lusts,

Legacy Standard Bible
Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts,

Amplified Bible
Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts and passions.

Christian Standard Bible
Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, so that you obey its desires.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, so that you obey its desires.

American Standard Version
Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey the lusts thereof:

Contemporary English Version
Don't let sin rule your body. After all, your body is bound to die, so don't obey its desires

English Revised Version
Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey the lusts thereof:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Therefore, never let sin rule your physical body so that you obey its desires.

Good News Translation
Sin must no longer rule in your mortal bodies, so that you obey the desires of your natural self.

International Standard Version
Therefore, do not let sin rule your mortal bodies so that you obey their desires.

Majority Standard Bible
Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey it in its desires.

NET Bible
Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its desires,

New Heart English Bible
Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.

Webster's Bible Translation
Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts of it.

Weymouth New Testament
Let not Sin therefore reign as king in your mortal bodies, causing you to be in subjection to their cravings;

World English Bible
Therefore don’t let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Do not let then sin reign in your mortal body, to obey it in its desires;

Berean Literal Bible
Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, in order to obey its desires.

Young's Literal Translation
Let not then the sin reign in your mortal body, to obey it in its desires;

Smith's Literal Translation
Therefore let not sin reign in your mortal body, to listen to it in its passions.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Let no sin therefore reign in your mortal body, so as to obey the lusts thereof.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Therefore, let not sin reign in your mortal body, such that you would obey its desires.

New American Bible
Therefore, sin must not reign over your mortal bodies so that you obey their desires.

New Revised Standard Version
Therefore, do not let sin exercise dominion in your mortal bodies, to make you obey their passions.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in the lusts thereof.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Sin shall not therefore reign in your dead body so that you shall obey its desires,
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
Therefore, let not sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey it;

Godbey New Testament
Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body that you should obey the lusts of it:

Haweis New Testament
Let not therefore sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in the passions thereof.

Mace New Testament
Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, by making you slaves to the lusts thereof.

Weymouth New Testament
Let not Sin therefore reign as king in your mortal bodies, causing you to be in subjection to their cravings;

Worrell New Testament
Let not sin, therefore, reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey its desires;

Worsley New Testament
Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to obey it in the lusts thereof.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Dead to Sin, Alive to God
11So you too must count yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its desires. 13Do not present the parts of your body to sin as instruments of wickedness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and present the parts of your body to Him as instruments of righteousness.…

Cross References
Galatians 5:16-17
So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. / For the flesh craves what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are opposed to each other, so that you do not do what you want.

Colossians 3:5
Put to death, therefore, the components of your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry.

1 Peter 2:11
Beloved, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from the desires of the flesh, which war against your soul.

Ephesians 4:22-24
to put off your former way of life, your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; / to be renewed in the spirit of your minds; / and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

James 1:14-15
But each one is tempted when by his own evil desires he is lured away and enticed. / Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

1 Corinthians 9:27
No, I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

1 John 2:15-17
Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. / For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not from the Father but from the world. / The world is passing away, along with its desires; but whoever does the will of God remains forever.

Matthew 5:29-30
If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. / And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to depart into hell.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5
For though we live in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh. / The weapons of our warfare are not the weapons of the flesh. Instead, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. / We demolish arguments and every presumption set up against the knowledge of God; and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

1 Thessalonians 4:3-5
For it is God’s will that you should be holy: You must abstain from sexual immorality; / each of you must know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, / not in lustful passion like the Gentiles who do not know God;

Proverbs 4:23
Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow springs of life.

Genesis 4:7
If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you refuse to do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires you, but you must master it.”

Psalm 119:133
Order my steps in Your word; let no sin rule over me.

Jeremiah 17:9
The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?


Treasury of Scripture

Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in the lusts thereof.

Let not.

Romans 6:16
Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

Romans 5:21
That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 7:23,24
But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members…

mortal.

Romans 8:11
But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

1 Corinthians 15:53,54
For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality…

2 Corinthians 4:11
For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.

in the lusts.

Romans 6:16
Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

Romans 2:8
But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,

Romans 8:13
For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

Jump to Previous
Bodies Body Cause Causing Cravings Death Desires Evil Lusts Mortal Obey Passions Power Reign Ruling Sin Subjection Thereof Way
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Bodies Body Cause Causing Cravings Death Desires Evil Lusts Mortal Obey Passions Power Reign Ruling Sin Subjection Thereof Way
Romans 6
1. We may not live in sin;
2. for we are dead unto it;
3. as appears by our baptism.
12. Let not sin reign anymore;
18. because we have yielded ourselves to the service of righteousness;
23. and because death is the wages of sin.














Therefore
This word serves as a bridge connecting the previous teachings to the practical application that follows. In Romans 6, Paul has been discussing the believer's union with Christ in His death and resurrection. The Greek word "οὖν" (oun) indicates a conclusion drawn from the preceding arguments. It emphasizes that what follows is a logical outcome of the truths previously established, particularly the believer's new identity in Christ and freedom from sin's dominion.

do not let sin
The phrase underscores the believer's responsibility in the sanctification process. The Greek verb "βασιλευέτω" (basileuetō) is in the imperative mood, suggesting a command. It implies that sin, personified as a ruler, should no longer have authority or control. This reflects the transformative power of grace, which enables believers to resist sin's influence actively.

reign
The imagery of reigning suggests a kingdom or dominion. In the context of Romans, Paul contrasts the reign of sin with the reign of grace. Historically, the concept of reigning would resonate with Roman Christians familiar with the power dynamics of the Roman Empire. Theologically, it points to the shift from being under the law and sin to being under grace and righteousness.

in your mortal body
This phrase highlights the physical aspect of human existence. The term "mortal" (θνητῷ, thnētō) reminds believers of their temporal, earthly nature, subject to decay and death. Yet, it is precisely in this mortal state that believers are called to live out their new life in Christ. The body, once an instrument of sin, is now to be an instrument of righteousness.

to obey its desires
The word "desires" (ἐπιθυμίαις, epithymiais) refers to strong cravings or lusts, often associated with sinful inclinations. In the historical context, these desires could encompass a range of temptations prevalent in Roman society. Scripturally, it echoes the broader biblical theme of the struggle between the flesh and the spirit. Believers are exhorted not to succumb to these desires, empowered by the Holy Spirit to live in holiness.

(12-14) Practical and hortatory consequence. Therefore expel sin, and refuse to obey its evil promptings. Keep your bodies pure and clean. Let them no longer be weapons in the hands of wickedness; let them rather be weapons with which to fight the battle of righteousness and of God. You have every encouragement to do this. For sin shall no longer play the tyrant over you. The stern and gloomy Empire of Law (which only served to heighten the guilt of sin) is over, and in its stead the only power to which you are subject is that of free forgiveness.

(12) Mortal.--And therefore at variance with the immortal life just described.

Verse 12. - Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey the lusts thereof. (The reading of the Textus Receptus, "obey it in the lusts thereof," has but weak support.) Though our "old man" is conceived of as crucified with Christ - though this is theoretically and potentially our position - yet our actual lives may be at variance with it; for we are still in our present "mortal body," with its lusts remaining; and sin is still a power, not yet destroyed, which may, if we let it, have domination over us still. Regeneration is not regarded as having changed our nature, or eradicated all our evil propensions, but as having introduced into us a higher power - "the power of his resurrection" (Philippians 3:10) - in virtue of which we may resist the attempted domination of sin. But it still rests with us whether we will give our allegiance to sin or to Christ. Οὐ γὰρ τὴν φύσιν η΅λθεν ἀνελεῖν ἀλλὰ τὴν προαίρεσιν διορθῶσαι (Chrysostom). The lusts, obedience to which is equivalent to letting sin reign, are said to be those of our "mortal body," because it is in our present bodily organization that the lusts tempting us to evil rise. But it is not in their soliciting us, but in the will assenting to them, that the sin lies. "Quia non consentimus desideriis pravis in gratia sumus" (Augustine, 'Prop.,' 35). "Cupiditates corporis sunt fomes, peccatum ignis" (Bengel). The epithet θνητῷ ("mortal") is fitly used as distinguishing our present perishable framework - the earthen vessels in which we have our treasure (2 Corinthians 4:7) - from our real inward personality, ἔσωθεν ἄνθρωπος (2 Corinthians 4:16), which is regarded as having risen with Christ, so as to live to God for ever. "Vos enim, viventes, abalienati estis a corpore vestro (cf. Romans 8:10)" (Bengel).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
Therefore
οὖν (oun)
Conjunction
Strong's 3767: Therefore, then. Apparently a primary word; certainly, or accordingly.

do not let sin control
βασιλευέτω (basileuetō)
Verb - Present Imperative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 936: (a) I rule, reign, (b) I reign over. From basileus; to rule.

your
ὑμῶν (hymōn)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

mortal
θνητῷ (thnētō)
Adjective - Dative Neuter Singular
Strong's 2349: Mortal, subject to death. From thnesko; liable to die.

body
σώματι (sōmati)
Noun - Dative Neuter Singular
Strong's 4983: Body, flesh; the body of the Church. From sozo; the body, used in a very wide application, literally or figuratively.

so that
εἰς (eis)
Preposition
Strong's 1519: A primary preposition; to or into, of place, time, or purpose; also in adverbial phrases.

you obey
ὑπακούειν (hypakouein)
Verb - Present Infinitive Active
Strong's 5219: From hupo and akouo; to hear under, i.e. To listen attentively; by implication, to heed or conform to a command or authority.

its
αὐτοῦ (autou)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Neuter 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

desires.
ἐπιθυμίαις (epithymiais)
Noun - Dative Feminine Plural
Strong's 1939: Desire, eagerness for, inordinate desire, lust. From epithumeo; a longing.


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NT Letters: Romans 6:12 Therefore don't let sin reign in your (Rom. Ro)
Romans 6:11
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