1The snake was the most intelligent#3.1 Heb sounds like naked. of all the wild animals that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say that you shouldn’t eat from any tree in the garden?”

2The woman said to the snake, “We may eat the fruit of the garden’s trees 3but not the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden. God said, ‘Don’t eat from it, and don’t touch it, or you will die.’”

4The snake said to the woman, “You won’t die! 5God knows that on the day you eat from it, you will see clearly and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6The woman saw that the tree was beautiful with delicious food and that the tree would provide wisdom, so she took some of its fruit and ate it, and also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7Then they both saw clearly and knew that they were naked. So they sewed fig leaves together and made garments for themselves.

8During that day’s cool evening breeze, they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden; and the man and his wife hid themselves from the LORD God in the middle of the garden’s trees. 9The LORD God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”

10The man#3.10 Or He replied, “I heard your sound in the garden; I was afraid because I was naked, and I hid myself.”

11He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Did you eat from the tree, which I commanded you not to eat?”

12The man said, “The woman you gave me, she gave me some fruit#3.12 Heb lacks some fruit. from the tree, and I ate.”

13The LORD God said to the woman, “What have you done?!”

And the woman said, “The snake tricked me, and I ate.”

14The LORD God said to the snake,

“Because you did this,

you are the one cursed

out of all the farm animals,

out of all the wild animals.

On your belly you will crawl,

and dust you will eat

every day of your life.

15I will put contempt

between you and the woman,

between your offspring and hers.

They will strike your head,

but you will strike at their heels.”

16To the woman he said,

“I will make your pregnancy very painful;

in pain you will bear children.

You will desire your husband,

but he will rule over you.”

17To the man he said, “Because you listened to your wife’s voice and you ate from the tree that I commanded, ‘Don’t eat from it,’

cursed is the fertile land because of you;

in pain you will eat from it

every day of your life.

18Weeds and thistles will grow for you,

even as you eat the field’s plants;

19by the sweat of your face you will eat bread—

until you return to the fertile land,

since from it you were taken;

you are soil,

to the soil you will return.”

20The man named his wife Eve#3.20 Heb sounds like live. because she is the mother of everyone who lives. 21The LORD God made the man and his wife leather clothes and dressed them. 22The LORD God said, “The human being#3.22 Or man (Heb adam) has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil.” Now, so he doesn’t stretch out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat and live forever, 23the LORD God sent him out of the garden of Eden to farm the fertile land from which he was taken. 24He drove out the human. To the east of the garden of Eden, he stationed winged creatures wielding flaming swords to guard the way to the tree of life.

Learn More

Genesis 3

The first sin and the first murder

The first sin

1The snake was more cunning than any of the other wild animals that the LORD God had made. One day it came to the woman and asked, “Did God tell you not to eat fruit from any tree in the garden?”#Rev 12.9; 20.2.

2The woman answered, “God said we could eat fruit from any tree in the garden, 3except the one in the middle. He told us not to eat fruit from that tree or even to touch it. If we do, we will die.”

4“No, you won't!” the snake replied. 5“God understands what will happen on the day you eat fruit from that tree. You will see what you have done, and you will know the difference between right and wrong, just as God does.”

6The woman stared at the fruit. It looked beautiful and tasty. She wanted the wisdom that it would give her, and she ate some of the fruit. Her husband was there with her, so she gave some to him, and he ate it too. 7Straight away they saw what they had done, and they realized they were naked. Then they sewed fig leaves together to make something to cover themselves.

8Late in the afternoon a breeze began to blow, and the man and woman heard the LORD God walking in the garden. They were frightened and hid behind some trees.

The trouble with sin

9The LORD called out to the man and asked, “Where are you?”

10The man answered, “I was naked, and when I heard you walking through the garden, I was frightened and hid!”

11“How did you know you were naked?” God asked. “Did you eat any fruit from that tree in the middle of the garden?”

12“It was the woman you put here with me,” the man said. “She gave me some of the fruit, and I ate it.”

13The LORD God then asked the woman, “What have you done?”#2 Co 11.3; 1 Ti 2.14.

“The snake tricked me,” she answered. “And I ate some of that fruit.”

14So the LORD God said to the snake:

“Because of what you have done,

you will be the only animal

to suffer this curse—

for as long as you live,

you will crawl on your stomach

and eat dust.

15You and this woman#Rev 12.17.

will hate each other;

your descendants and hers

will always be enemies.

One of hers will strike you

on the head,

and you will strike him

on the heel.”

16Then the LORD said to the woman,

“You will suffer terribly

when you give birth.

But you will still desire

your husband,

and he will rule over you.”

17The LORD said to the man,#He 6.8.

“You listened to your wife

and ate fruit from that tree.

And so, the ground

will be under a curse

because of what you did.

As long as you live,

you will have to struggle

to grow enough food.

18Your food will be plants,

but the ground will produce

thorns and thistles.

19You will have to sweat

to earn a living;

you were made out of soil,

and you will once again

turn into soil.”

20The man Adam#3.20 The man Adam: In Hebrew “man” and “Adam” are the same. named his wife Eve#3.20 Eve: In Hebrew “Eve” sounds like “living”. because she would become the mother of all who live.

21Then the LORD God made clothes out of animal skins for the man and his wife.

22The LORD said, “These people now know the difference between right and wrong, just as we do. But they must not be allowed to eat fruit from the tree that lets them live for ever.”#Rev 22.14. 23So the LORD God sent them out of the Garden of Eden, where they would have to work the ground from which the man had been made. 24Then God put winged creatures at the entrance to the garden and a flaming, flashing sword to guard the way to the life-giving tree.

Learn More

Choose your language

Genesis 3

Genesis 3