The Fall

3 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal[fn] which Yahweh God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God indeed say, ‘You shall not eat from any tree in the garden’?” 2 The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat, 3 but from the tree that is in the midst of the garden, God said, ‘You shall not eat from it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die’.” 4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You shall not surely die. 5 For God knows that on the day you both eat from it, then your eyes will be opened and you both shall be like gods,[fn] knowing good and evil.” 6 When[fn] the woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was a delight to the eyes, and the tree was desirable to make one wise, then[fn] she took from its fruit and she ate. And she gave it also to her husband with her, and he ate. 7 Then[fn] the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed together fig leaves and they made for themselves coverings.

8 Then[fn] they heard the sound of Yahweh God walking in the garden at the windy time of day.[fn] And the man[fn] and his wife hid themselves from the presence of Yahweh God among the trees of the garden. 9 And Yahweh God called to the man[fn] and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 And he replied,[fn] “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid because I am naked, so I hid myself.” 11 Then he[fn] asked,[fn] “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree from which I forbade you to eat?”[fn] 12 And the man[fn] replied,[fn] “The woman whom you gave to be with me—she gave to me from the tree and I ate.” 13 Then[fn] Yahweh God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” And the woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

• 14 Then[fn] Yahweh God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this,
  • you will be cursed
  • more than any domesticated animal
  • and more than any wild animal.[fn]
• On your belly you shall go
  • and dust you shall eat
  • all the days of your life.
  • 15  between you and between the woman,
  • and between your offspring[fn] and between her offspring;[fn]
• he will strike you on the head,
  • and you will strike him on the heel.”
• 16 To the woman he said,“I will greatly increase
  • [fn]
  • in pain you shall bear children.
• And to your husband shall be your desire.
  • And he shall rule over you.”
• 17 And to Adam[fn] he said, “Because you listened to the voice of your wife and you ate from the tree from which I forbade you to eat,[fn] the ground shall be cursed on your account.
  • In pain you shall eat from it
  • all the days of your life.
  • 18  and you shall eat the plants of the field.
  • 19 [fn] you shall eat bread,
• until your return to the ground.
  • For from it you were taken;
• for you are dust,
  • and to dust you shall return.”

20 And the man[fn] named[fn] his wife Eve, because she was the mother of all life. 21 And Yahweh God made for Adam[fn] and for his wife garments of skin, and he clothed them.

22 And Yahweh God said, “Look—the man has become as one of us, to know good and evil. What if[fn] he stretches out his hand and takes also from the tree of life and eats, and lives forever?” 23 And Yahweh God sent him out from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he was taken. 24 So[fn] he drove the man out, and placed cherubim east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming, turning sword[fn] to guard the way to the tree of life.