Romans 8:13

Amplified Bible

for if you are living according to the [impulses of the] flesh, you are going to die. But if [you are living] by the [power of the Holy] Spirit you are habitually putting to death the sinful deeds of the body, you will [really] live forever.

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
If you use your lives to do what your sinful selves want, you will die spiritually. But if you use the Spirit's help to stop doing the wrong things you do with your body, you will have true life.

Revised Standard Version
for if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body you will live.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
For if ye live after the flesshe ye must dye. But yf ye mortifie the dedes of the body by the helpe of the sprite ye shall lyve.

Hebrew Names Version
For if you live after the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

International Standard Version
For if you live according to the flesh, you are going to die, but if by the Spirit you continually put to death the activities of the body, you will live.Romans 8:6; Galatians 6:8; Ephesians 4:22; Colossians 3:5;">[xr]

New American Standard Bible
for if you are living in accord with the flesh, you are going to die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

New Century Version
If you use your lives to do the wrong things your sinful selves want, you will die spiritually. But if you use the Spirit's help to stop doing the wrong things you do with your body, you will have true life.

Update Bible Version
for if you live after the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you shall live.

Webster's Bible Translation
For if ye live according to the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

English Standard Version
For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

World English Bible
For if you live after the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die; but if ye through the Spirit mortify the deeds of the flesh, ye shall live.

Weymouth's New Testament
For if you so live, death is near; but if, through being under the sway of the spirit, you are putting your old bodily habits to death, you will live.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
For if ye lyuen aftir the fleisch, ye schulen die; but if ye bi the spirit sleen the dedis of the fleisch, ye schulen lyue.

English Revised Version
for if ye live after the flesh, ye must die; but if by the spirit ye mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

Berean Standard Bible
For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

Contemporary English Version
If you do, you will die. But you will live, if by the help of God's Spirit you say "No" to your desires.

American Standard Version
for if ye live after the flesh, ye must die; but if by the Spirit ye put to death the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

Bible in Basic English
For if you go in the way of the flesh, death will come on you; but if by the Spirit you put to death the works of the body, you will have life.

Complete Jewish Bible
For if you live according to your old nature, you will certainly die; but if, by the Spirit, you keep putting to death the practices of the body, you will live.

Darby Translation
for if ye live according to flesh, ye are about to die; but if, by the Spirit, ye put to death the deeds of the body, ye shall live:

Etheridge Translation
For if after the flesh you live, you must die: but if, after the Spirit, the habitudes of the body you mortify, you live.

Murdock Translation
- (For if ye live according to the flesh, ye are to die. But if, by the Spirit, ye mortify the practices of the body, ye will live.

King James Version (1611)
For if ye liue after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the spirit doe mortifie the deeds of the body, ye shall liue.

New Living Translation
For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live.

New Life Bible
If you do what your sinful old selves want you to do, you will die in sin. But if, through the power of the Holy Spirit, you destroy those actions to which the body can be led, you will have life.

New Revised Standard
for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

Geneva Bible (1587)
For if ye liue after the flesh, ye shall die: but if yee mortifie the deedes of the body by the Spirit, ye shall liue.

George Lamsa Translation
For if you live after the flesh, you will die: but if you, through the Spirit, subdue the deeds of the body, you shall live.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
For, if according to flesh ye live, ye are about to die, whereas, if in spirit, the practices of the flesh, ye are putting to death, ye shall attain unto life;

Douay-Rheims Bible
For if you live according to the flesh, you shall die: but if by the Spirit you mortify the deeds of the flesh, you shall live.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
For if ye liue after ye fleshe, ye shall dye: But if ye through the spirite, do mortifie the deedes of the body, ye shall lyue.

Good News Translation
For if you live according to your human nature, you are going to die; but if by the Spirit you put to death your sinful actions, you will live.

Christian Standard Bible®
because if you live according to the flesh, you are going to die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

King James Version
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.

Lexham English Bible
For if you live according to the flesh, you are going to die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

Literal Translation
for if you live according to flesh, you are going to die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the practices of the body, you will live.

Young's Literal Translation
for if according to the flesh ye do live, ye are about to die; and if, by the Spirit, the deeds of the body ye put to death, ye shall live;

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
to lyue after the flesh: for yf ye lyue after ye fleshe, ye must dye: but yf ye mortyfye the dedes of the body thorow the sprete, ye shal lyue.

Mace New Testament (1729)
for if you lead a sensual life, you will be miserable: but if through the spirit you mortify the affections of corrupted nature, you will be happy.

New English Translation
(for if you live according to the flesh, you will die), but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body you will live.

New King James Version
For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

Simplified Cowboy Version
If you ride for sin, you'll die in it. But if you ride for the Lord, you will live.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

Legacy Standard Bible
for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die, but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the practices of the body, you will live.

Contextual Overview

¹⁰If Christ lives in you, though your [natural] body is dead because of sin, your spirit is alive because of righteousness [which He provides]. ¹¹And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit, who lives in you. ¹²So then, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation, but not to our flesh [our human nature, our worldliness, our sinful capacity], to live according to the [impulses of the] flesh [our nature without the Holy Spirit]— ¹³for if you are living according to the [impulses of the] flesh, you are going to die. But if [you are living] by the [power of the Holy] Spirit you are habitually putting to death the sinful deeds of the body, you will [really] live forever.¹⁴For all who are allowing themselves to be led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. ¹⁵For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading again to fear [of God's judgment], but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons [the Spirit producing sonship] by which we [joyfully] cry, "Abba! Father!" ¹⁶The Spirit Himself testifies and confirms together with our spirit [assuring us] that we [believers] are children of God.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

ye live: Romans 8:1, Romans 8:4-6, Romans 6:21, Romans 6:23, Romans 7:5, Galatians 5:19-21, Galatians 6:8, Ephesians 5:3-5, Colossians 3:5, Colossians 3:6, James 1:14, James 1:15

but if: Romans 8:2, 1 Corinthians 9:27, Galatians 5:24, Ephesians 4:22, Colossians 3:5-8, Titus 2:12, 1 Peter 2:11

through: Romans 8:1, Ephesians 4:30, Ephesians 5:18, 1 Peter 1:22

Reciprocal: Leviticus 7:23 - fat Job 20:13 - spare it Isaiah 8:10 - for God Ezekiel 18:21 - he shall surely Ezekiel 18:31 - Cast Micah 7:19 - subdue Matthew 5:29 - pluck Mark 9:43 - if Luke 9:23 - If John 3:6 - born of the flesh John 11:26 - whosoever John 14:17 - but Romans 6:6 - that the Romans 6:12 - in the lusts Romans 7:24 - the body of this Romans 8:5 - For they Romans 8:6 - to be carnally minded Romans 13:14 - and 2 Corinthians 10:3 - we do Galatians 4:29 - after the Spirit Galatians 5:17 - the flesh Galatians 5:21 - that they 2 Timothy 1:14 - by the 1 Peter 4:3 - the time 2 Peter 2:10 - that

Cross-References

Genesis 7:11
In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, on the seventeenth day of the second month, on that same day all the fountains of the great deep [subterranean waters] burst open, and the windows and floodgates of the heavens were opened.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die,.... Such persons are dead, whilst they live, and shall die a second or an eternal death, if grace prevent not. It may be asked, whether one that has received the grace of God in truth, can live after the flesh; flesh, or corrupt nature, though still in such a person, has not the dominion over him: to live in sin, or in a continued course of sinning, is contrary to the grace of God; but flesh may prevail and greatly influence the life and conversation, for a while; how long this may be the case of a true believer, under backslidings, through the power of corruptions and temptations, cannot be known; but certain it is, that it shall not be always thus with him. It may be further inquired, whether such an one may be so left to live after the flesh, as to die and perish eternally; Christ expressly says, such shall not die that live and believe in him; grace, which is implanted in their souls, is an incorruptible and never dying seed; grace and glory are inseparably connected together; but then such persons may die with respect to their frames, their comforts and the lively exercise of grace, which seems to be here intended; as appears from the next clause,

but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. This is not to be understood of the mortification of the body itself; nor does it design any maceration or afflicting of it by any severities of life; nor of the destruction of the body of sin by Christ: or of the being and principles of sin in the saints by the Spirit of Christ; which is contrary to Scripture, to the experience of the saints, who find it in them, alive in them, and to their expectations, whilst in this world: nor is this mortification to be considered as a part of regeneration, which by some divines is made to consist in a sense of sin, grief for it, and hatred of it, in avoiding it, and in an expulsion of vicious habits and inclinations; but it should be observed, that the apostle is writing to persons that were already regenerate; nor does he ever exhort persons to regenerate themselves, which he would do here, if this was the sense; regeneration is a work of the Spirit of God, in which men are passive, whereas in the mortification here spoken of the saints are active, under the influence of the Spirit of God; besides, regeneration is done at once, and does not admit of degrees; and in and by that, sin, as to its being and principle, is so far from being destroyed, that it seems rather to revive in the sense and apprehension of regenerated persons: but it is a mortification of the outward actings of sin in the conversation, called, "the deeds of the body": and in the Claromontane exemplar, and in the Vulgate Latin version, "the deeds of the flesh": or as the Syriac version renders it, הופכי, "the conversations", or manners of it, and so the Ethiopic version; that is, its outward course of life: and it signifies a subduing and weakening the vigour and power of sin in the lives and conversations of the saints, to which the grace and assistance of the Spirit are absolutely necessary; and such who are enabled to do so, "shall live" comfortably; they shall have communion with Christ here, and shall live a life of glory with him hereafter. Such a way of speaking as this is used by the Jews; say they a,

"what shall a man do that he may live? it is replied, עצמו

ימית, "he shall mortify himself";''

which the gloss explains by "he shall humble himself"; walk humbly before God and men, in his life and conversation.

a T. Bab. Tamid, fol. 32. 1. Vid. T. Bab. Beracot, fol. 63. 2. Raya Mehimna in Zohar in Exod. fol. 65. 3.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For if you live ... - If you live to indulge your carnal propensities, you will sink to eternal death; Romans 7:23.

Through the Spirit - By the aid of the Spirit; by cherishing and cultivating his influences. What is here required can be accomplished only by the aid of the Holy Spirit.

Do mortify - Do put to death; do destroy. Sin is mortified when its power is destroyed, and it ceases to be active.

The deeds of the body - The corrupt inclinations and passions; called deeds of the body, because they are supposed to have their origin in the fleshly appetites.

Ye shall live - You shall be happy and saved. Either your sins must die, or you must. If they are suffered to live, you will die. If they are put to death, you will be saved. No man can be saved in his sins. This closes the argument of the apostle for the superiority of the gospel to the Law in promoting the purity of man. By this train of reasoning, he has shown that the gospel has accomplished what the Law could not do - the sanctification of the soul, the destruction of the corrupt passions of our nature, and the recovery of man to God.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Romans 8:13. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die — Though μελλετε αποθνησκειν may mean, ye shall afterwards die, and this seems to indicate a temporal death, yet not exclusively of an eternal death; for both, and especially the latter, are necessarily implied.

But if ye through the Spirit — If ye seek that grace and spiritual help which the Gospel of Christ furnishes, resist, and, by resisting, mortify the deeds of the flesh, against which the law gave you no assistance, ye shall live a life of faith, love, and holy obedience here, and a life of glory hereafter.