The Fall

Now the serpent(A) was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?(B)

The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,(C) but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”(D)

“You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman.(E) “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God,(F) knowing good and evil.”

When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable(G) for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband,(H) who was with her, and he ate it.(I)

Read full chapter

The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent(A) called the devil,(B) or Satan,(C) who leads the whole world astray.(D) He was hurled to the earth,(E) and his angels with him.

Read full chapter

He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan,(A) and bound him for a thousand years.(B)

Read full chapter

Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden;(A) and there he put the man he had formed. The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees(B) that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life(C) and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.(D)

10 A river(E) watering the garden flowed from Eden;(F) from there it was separated into four headwaters. 11 The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah,(G) where there is gold. 12 (The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin[a](H) and onyx are also there.) 13 The name of the second river is the Gihon; it winds through the entire land of Cush.[b] 14 The name of the third river is the Tigris;(I) it runs along the east side of Ashur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.(J)

15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden(K) to work it and take care of it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden;(L) 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil,(M) for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”(N)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 2:12 Or good; pearls
  2. Genesis 2:13 Possibly southeast Mesopotamia

Jesus Is Tested in the Wilderness(A)

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted[a](B) by the devil.(C) After fasting forty days and forty nights,(D) he was hungry. The tempter(E) came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God,(F) tell these stones to become bread.”

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’[b](G)

Then the devil took him to the holy city(H) and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,”(I) he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:

“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
    and they will lift you up in their hands,
    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’[c](J)

Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’[d](K)

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan!(L) For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’[e](M)

11 Then the devil left him,(N) and angels came and attended him.(O)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 4:1 The Greek for tempted can also mean tested.
  2. Matthew 4:4 Deut. 8:3
  3. Matthew 4:6 Psalm 91:11,12
  4. Matthew 4:7 Deut. 6:16
  5. Matthew 4:10 Deut. 6:13

13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own(A) evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin;(B) and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.(C)

Read full chapter

Bible Gateway Recommends