The Serpent's Deception

(Genesis 7:1-5; Romans 5:12-21; 2 Peter 3:1-9)

1Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, Yes, has God said, You shall not eat of every tree of the garden? 2And the woman said to the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: 3But of the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, You shall not eat of it, neither shall you touch it, lest you die. 4And the serpent said to the woman, You shall not surely die: 5For God does know that in the day you eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. 6And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also to her husband with her; and he did eat. 7And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

God Arraigns Adam and Eve

8And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. 9And the LORD God called to Adam, and said to him, Where are you? 10And he said, I heard your voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. 11And he said, Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded you that you should not eat? 12And the man said, The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. 13And the LORD God said to the woman, What is this that you have done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.

14And the LORD God said to the serpent, Because you have done this, you are cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; on your belly shall you go, and dust shall you eat all the days of your life:

15And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; it shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.

The Punishment of Mankind

16To the woman he said, I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; in sorrow you shall bring forth children; and your desire shall be to your husband, and he shall rule over you.

17And to Adam he said, Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten of the tree, of which I commanded you, saying, You shall not eat of it: cursed is the ground for your sake; in sorrow shall you eat of it all the days of your life;

18Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to you; and you shall eat the herb of the field;

19In the sweat of your face shall you eat bread, till you return to the ground; for out of it were you taken: for dust you are, and to dust shall you return.

20And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.

The Expulsion from Paradise

21To Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.

22And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: 23Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from from where he was taken. 24So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubim, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.