Genesis 3

1 Now the snake was craftier than any other wild beast that the Lord God had made. It said to the woman, “Has God really said, ‘You must not eat from any tree of the garden’?” 2 The woman answered, “We are allowed to eat the fruit of all the trees of the garden; 3 it is only about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden that God has said, ‘You must not eat from it, nor should you touch it, for if you do, you will die.’ ” 4 Then the snake said to the woman, “You will not die! 5 God knows that on the day you eat some of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like gods, knowing what is good and what is evil.”

6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, attractive to look at and desirable for acquiring wisdom, she took some of its fruit and ate. Then she gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.

7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized that they were naked, so they sewed fig-leaves together to cover themselves. 8 But when they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the evening breeze, the man and his wife hid from him among the garden trees.

9 When the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” 10 he replied, “I heard you in the garden and I was afraid, because I was naked, so I hid myself.” 11 The Lord God said, “Who told you that you were naked? Did you eat from the tree from which I ordered you not to eat?” 12 The man answered, “The woman you placed beside me, she gave me fruit from the tree and I ate.” 13 The Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman replied, “The snake deceived me, and I ate.”

14 Then the Lord God said to the snake:

“Because you have done this,

you will be more accursed than all cattle

and all the wild beasts.

You will crawl on your belly

and eat dust

all your life.

15 I will establish hostility between you and the woman,

between your offspring and hers,

who will wound your head,

and you will wound their heel.”

16 To the woman he said,

“I will greatly increase your anguished toil in pregnancy;

with pain will you bear children.

You will yearn for your husband,

but he will rule over you.”

17 To Adam he said,

“Because you have listened to the voice of your wife,

and ate from the tree

about which I ordered you:

‘You must never eat from it’

the ground will be cursed because of you;

as long as you live, you will earn a living only by anguished toil.

18 The ground will always bring forth thorns and thistles,

and you will eat the plants of the field.

19 By the sweat of your brow you will eat bread,

until you return to the ground,

for from it you were taken;

for dust you are,

and to dust you will return!”

20 The man, Adam, named his wife Eve, because she was the mother of all living people. 21 The Lord God made clothes from animal skins for Adam and his wife and dressed them.

22 Then the Lord God said: “The man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not reach out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever.” 23 So the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he had been taken. 24 He drove out Adam and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden the cherubim, and the blazing whirling sword, to bar the way to the tree of life.

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