The Serpent’s Deception
(Romans 5:12–21)

1However, the serpent was more crafty than any of the creatures of the earth that the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Why has God instructed you, that you should not eat from every tree of Paradise?” 2The woman responded to him: “From the fruit of the trees which are in Paradise, we eat. 3Yet truly, from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of Paradise, God has instructed us that we should not eat, and that we should not touch it, lest perhaps we may die.” 4Then the serpent said to the woman: “By no means will you die a death. 5For God knows that, on whatever day you will eat from it, your eyes will be opened; and you will be like gods, knowing good and evil.” 6And so the woman saw that the tree was good to eat, and beautiful to the eyes, and delightful to consider. And she took from its fruit, and she ate. And she gave to her husband, who ate. 7And the eyes of them both were opened. And when they realized themselves to be naked, they joined together fig leaves and made coverings for themselves.

God Arraigns Adam and Eve

8And when they had heard the voice of the Lord God taking a walk in Paradise in the afternoon breeze, Adam and his wife hid themselves from the face of the Lord God in the midst of the trees of Paradise. 9And the Lord God called Adam and said to him: “Where are you?” 10And he said, “I heard your voice in Paradise, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and so I hid myself.” 11He said to him, “Then who told you that you were naked, if you have not eaten of the tree from which I instructed you that you should not eat?” 12And Adam said, “The woman, whom you gave to me as a companion, gave to me from the tree, and I ate.” 13And the Lord God said to the woman, “Why have you done this?” And she responded, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

The Fate of the Serpent

14And the Lord God said to the serpent: “Because you have done this, you are cursed among all living things, even the wild beasts of the earth. Upon your breast shall you travel, and the ground shall you eat, all the days of your life.

15I will put enmities between you and the woman, between your offspring and her offspring. She will crush your head, and you will lie in wait for her heel.”

The Punishment of Mankind

16To the woman, he also said: “I will multiply your labors and your conceptions. In pain shall you give birth to sons, and you shall be under your husband’s power, and he shall have dominion over you.”

17Yet truly, to Adam, he said: “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten of the tree, from which I instructed you that you should not eat, cursed is the land that you work. In hardship shall you eat from it, all the days of your life.

18Thorns and thistles shall it produce for you, and you shall eat the plants of the earth.

19By the sweat of your face shall you eat bread, until you return to the earth from which you were taken. For dust you are, and unto dust you shall return.”

20And Adam called the name of his wife, ‘Eve,’ because she was the mother of all the living.

The Expulsion from Paradise

21The Lord God also made for Adam and his wife garments from skins, and he clothed them.

22And he said: “Behold, Adam has become like one of us, knowing good and evil. Therefore, now perhaps he may put forth his hand and also take from the tree of life, and eat, and live in eternity.” 23And so the Lord God sent him away from the Paradise of enjoyment, in order to work the earth from which he was taken. 24And he cast out Adam. And in front of the Paradise of enjoyment, he placed the Cherubim with a flaming sword, turning together, to guard the way to the tree of life.