Sin Enters the World

Adam and his wife were living in the beautiful garden God had made for them. It was called Eden. Neither of them wore any clothes and they did not feel any shame, because there was no sin in the world. They often walked in the garden and talked with God Himself. They were very happy.

But, there was a crafty snake in the garden. He asked the woman, "Did God really tell you not to eat the fruit from the trees in the garden?"

The woman answered, "God told us we could eat the fruit of any tree except from The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. God told us, 'If you eat that fruit or even touch the tree, you will die.'"

The snake responded, "That's not true! You won't die. God just knows that as soon as you eat it, you will understand things like He does. You will be like God, knowing good and evil."

The woman saw that the fruit was beautiful and looked delicious. She also wanted to be wise, so she picked some of the fruit and ate it. Then she turned and gave some to her husband, who was beside her, and he ate it too.

Suddenly, they realized they had sinned. They also realized that they were naked. They tried to cover their nakedness by sewing leaves together to make clothes.

Then the man and his wife heard the sound of God walking through the garden in the evening coolness. And they both hid from God.

God called to the man, "Where are you?"

Adam replied, "I heard you walking in the garden and I was afraid, because I was naked. So I hid."

Then God asked, "Who told you that you were naked? Did you eat the fruit I told you not to eat?"

The man answered, "You gave me this woman and she gave me the fruit. That's why I ate it."

Then God asked the woman, "What have you done?"

The woman replied, "The snake tricked me. That's why I ate the fruit."

God said to the snake, "Because you did this, you are cursed more than all other animals! You will slide on your belly and eat dirt. You and the woman will hate each other. And your children and her children will hate each other, too. The woman's descendant will crush your head and you will wound his heel."

God then said to the woman, "I will make childbirth very painful. You will want to control your husband, but he will rule over you."

Then God said to the man, "Because you listened to your wife and ate the fruit that I told you not to eat, the ground is cursed. It will produce thorns and weeds, and you will need to work hard and sweat to grow food. Then you will die and be buried because your body is dirt, and your body will return to dirt."

The man named his wife Eve, which means "life," because she would become the mother of all the people of the world. And God made clothing from skins for Adam and Eve, and He dressed them.

God said to Himself, "Now that the man has become like us by knowing good and evil, he must not be allowed to eat from the fruit of the Tree of Life. If he eats it, he will live forever." So, God sent Adam and Eve away from the beautiful garden where they had lived, to grow food from the dirt - the same dirt from which God had made them. Then God placed large, powerful angels and a flashing, fiery sword at the entrance to the garden to keep everyone from eating the fruit of the Tree of Life.