Romans 6:20
18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.
19 I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to escalating wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness.
For when you were slaves to sin, you were free of obligation to righteousness.
21 What fruit did you reap at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? The outcome of those things is death.
22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the fruit you reap leads to holiness, and the outcome is eternal life.
Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- For when you were slaves to sin, you were free of obligation to righteousness.
- KJV
- For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.
- WEB
- For when you were servants of sin, you were free from righteousness.
- ASV
- For when ye were servants of sin, ye were free in regard of righteousness.
- DARBY
- For when ye were bondmen of sin ye were free from righteousness.
- BLB
- For when you⁺ were slaves of sin, you⁺ were free from righteousness.
- ÅB
- For da dere var syndens tjenere, var dere frie fra rettferdigheten.
- OTB
- For da dere var syndens tjenere, var dere fri fra rettferdigheten.
- B1930
- For dengang da I var syndens tjenere, var I fri fra rettferdigheten.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Romans 6:16–17
Do you not know that when you offer yourselves as obedient slaves, you are slaves to the one you obey, whether you are slaves to sin leading to death, or to obedience leading to righteousness?
Read in contextJohn 8:34
Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.
Read in context