Genesis 3
1 The snake was more cunning than all the other wild animals that Yahweh God had made. [One day Satan gave to] the snake [the ability to talk to the woman]. The snake said to her, “Did God really say to you, ‘Do not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the park/garden’?”
Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field that the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden?’”
2 The woman replied, “[What God said was], ‘Do not eat the fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the park/garden or touch it. If you do that, you will die. But you can eat fruit from any of the other trees.’”
The woman answered the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden,
but about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You must not eat of it or touch it, or you will die.’”
4 The snake said to the woman, “No, you will certainly not die. God said that
“You will not surely die,” the serpent told her.
5 [only] because he knows that when you eat fruit from that tree, [you will understand new things. It will be as though] your eyes are opened [MET], and you will know what is good [to do] and what is evil [to do], just as God does.”
“For God knows that in the day you eat of it, your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
6 The woman saw that the fruit on that tree was good to eat, and it was very beautiful, and she desired it because [she thought] it would make her wise. So she picked some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, and he ate it.
When the woman saw that the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eyes, and that it was desirable for obtaining wisdom, she took the fruit and ate it. She also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate it.
7 Immediately [it was as though] their eyes were opened, and they realized that they were naked, so they were ashamed. So they [picked] some fig leaves and fastened them together to make clothes for themselves.
And the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; so they sewed together fig leaves and made coverings for themselves.
8 [Late that afternoon], when a cool breeze was blowing, they heard the sound/footsteps of Yahweh as he was walking in the park/garden. So the man and his wife hid themselves among the bushes in the park/garden, [so that Yahweh God would not see them].
Then the man and his wife heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the breeze of the day, and they hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.
9 But Yahweh God called to the man, saying to him, “Why are you [trying to hide from me]?”
But the LORD God called out to the man, “Where are you?”
10 The man replied, “I heard the sound of your [footsteps/walking] in the garden, and I was naked, so I was afraid and I hid myself.”
“I heard Your voice in the garden,” he replied, “and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.”
11 God said, “How did you find out you were naked [RHQ]? It must be because you ate some of the fruit [from the tree] that I told you, ‘Do not eat its fruit.’” [RHQ]
“Who told you that you were naked?” asked the LORD God. “Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?”
12 The man said, “You gave me this woman to be with me. She is the one who gave me some of the fruit from that tree, and so I ate it.”
And the man answered, “The woman whom You gave me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate it.”
13 Then Yahweh God said to the woman, “Why did you do such a thing?” The woman replied, “I ate some of the fruit because the snake deceived me.”
Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” “The serpent deceived me,” she replied, “and I ate.”
14 Then Yahweh God said to the snake, “Because you did this, of all the livestock and the wild animals, I will curse/punish you alone. As a result, you [and all other snakes] will scurry across the ground on your bellies, and so what you eat will have dirt [on it] as long as you live.
So the LORD God said to the serpent: “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and every beast of the field! On your belly will you go, and dust you will eat, all the days of your life.
15 And I will cause you and the woman to act in a hostile way toward each other, and I will cause your brood and her descendants to act hostilely toward each other. You will strike at the heel [of one descendant] of hers, but he will strike your head.”
And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”
16 Then Yahweh said to the woman, “You will have great pain when you give birth to children; you will suffer great pain as your children are being born [DOU]. You will greatly desire your husband [to show affection for you], but he will rule over you.”
To the woman He said: “I will sharply increase your pain in childbirth; in pain you will bring forth children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.”
17 Then Yahweh said to the man, “You heeded what your wife said, and you ate some of the fruit [of the tree] concerning which I commanded you saying, ‘Do not eat it.’ So I will make it difficult [to grow things in] the ground because of what you did. You will have to work hard as long as you live to produce things from the ground to eat.
And to Adam He said: “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat, cursed is the ground because of you; through toil you will eat of it all the days of your life.
18 Thornbushes and thistle plants and other weeds will grow [and prevent what you have planted from growing]. And for food, you will have to eat things that just grow in your fields.
Both thorns and thistles it will yield for you, and you will eat the plants of the field.
19 [All your life] you will sweat as you work hard to produce food to eat. Then you will die [EUP], and your [body will be buried] in the ground. [I made] you from soil, so when you [die and are buried your body will decay] and become soil again.”
By the sweat of your brow you will eat your bread, until you return to the ground— because out of it were you taken. For dust you are, and to dust you shall return.”
20 [The man, whose name was] Adam, named his wife Eve, [which means ‘living’], because she became the ancestor of all living people.
And Adam named his wife Eve, because she would be the mother of all the living.
21 Then Yahweh God [killed some animals and] made clothes from their skins for Adam and his wife.
And the LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and He clothed them.
22 Then Yahweh said, “Look! Those two have become like us because they know what is good [to do] and what is evil [to do]. So now, it will not be good if they reach out and pick and eat [some of the fruit from] the tree [which enables people who eat it] to live [forever]!”
Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil. And now, lest he reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever...”
23 So Yahweh God expelled the man and his wife from the garden of Eden. Yahweh God had created Adam from the ground, but now he forced him to till that ground [so that he could grow food to eat].
Therefore the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken.
24 After Yahweh expelled them, on the east side of the garden he placed (cherubim/creatures with wings) and [an angel holding] a flaming sword which flashed back and forth. He did that in order to block the entrance to the garden, so that people could not go back to the tree that enables people [who eat its fruit] to live [forever].
So He drove out the man and stationed cherubim on the east side of the Garden of Eden, along with a whirling sword of flame to guard the way to the tree of life.
