Genesis 3:1–13

The First Sin and the First Promise

¹The snake was more clever than all the wild animals the Lord God had made. He asked the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must never eat the fruit of any tree in the garden’?” 

²The woman answered the snake, “We’re allowed to eat the fruit from any tree in the garden ³except the tree in the middle of the garden. God said, ‘You must never eat it or touch it. If you do, you will die!’ ” 

⁴“You certainly won’t die!” the snake told the woman. ⁵“God knows that when you eat it your eyes will be opened. You’ll be like God, knowing good and evil.” 

⁶The woman saw that the tree had fruit that was good to eat, nice to look at, and desirable for making someone wise. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 

⁷Then their eyes were opened, and they both realized that they were naked. They sewed fig leaves together and made clothes for themselves. 

⁸In the cool of the evening, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking around in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees in the garden. ⁹The Lord God called to the man and asked him, “Where are you?” 

¹⁰He answered, “I heard you in the garden. I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.” 

¹¹God asked, “Who told you that you were naked? Did you eat fruit from the tree I commanded you not to eat from?” 

¹²The man answered, “That woman, the one you gave me, gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” 

¹³Then the Lord God asked the woman, “What have you done?” 

“The snake deceived me, and I ate,” the woman answered.