The Fall of Mankind

Now (A)the serpent was more cunning than any animal of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God really said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “(B)From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’” (C)The serpent said to the woman, “You certainly will not die! For God knows that on the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and (D)you will [a]become like God, knowing good and evil.” (E)When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took some of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they (F)knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves waist coverings.

Now they heard the sound of (G)the Lord God walking in the garden in the [b]cool of the day, (H)and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Then the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “(I)Where are you?” 10 He said, “(J)I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.” 11 And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree from which I commanded you not to eat?” 12 (K)The man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me some of the fruit of the tree, and I ate.” 13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” And the woman said, “(L)The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” 14 Then the Lord God said to the serpent,

(M)Because you have done this,
Cursed are you more than all the livestock,
And more than any animal of the field;
On your belly you shall go,
And (N)dust you shall eat
All the days of your life;
15 And I will [c](O)make enemies
Of you and the woman,
And of your [d]offspring and her [e]Descendant;
(P)He shall [f]bruise you on the head,
And you shall bruise Him on the heel.”

16 To the woman He said,

“I will greatly multiply
Your pain [g]in childbirth,
In pain you shall (Q)deliver children;
Yet your desire will be for your husband,
And (R)he shall rule over you.”

17 Then to Adam He said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat from it’;

(S)Cursed is the ground because of you;
(T)With [h]hard labor you shall eat from it
All the days of your life.
18 Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you;
Yet you shall eat the [i]plants of the field;
19 By the sweat of your face
You shall eat bread,
Until you (U)return to the ground,
Because (V)from it you were taken;
For you are dust,
And to dust you shall return.”

20 Now the man named his wife [j](W)Eve, because she was the mother of all the living. 21 And the Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them.

22 Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of (X)Us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might reach out with his hand, and take fruit also from (Y)the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”— 23 therefore the Lord God sent him out of the Garden of Eden, to cultivate the ground from which he was taken. 24 So (Z)He drove the man out; and at the (AA)east of the Garden of Eden He stationed the (AB)cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to (AC)the tree of life.

Cain and Abel

Now the man [k]had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain, and she said, “I have obtained a male child with the help of the Lord.” And again, she gave birth to his brother Abel. Now (AD)Abel was (AE)a keeper of flocks, but Cain was a cultivator of the ground. So it came about [l]in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the Lord from the fruit of the ground. (AF)Abel, on his part also brought an offering, from the firstborn of his flock and from their fat portions. And (AG)the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering; but (AH)for Cain and his offering He had no regard. So (AI)Cain became very angry and his face [m]was gloomy. Then the Lord said to Cain, “(AJ)Why are you angry? And why is your face [n]gloomy? (AK)If you do well, [o]will your face not be [p]cheerful? (AL)And if you do not do well, sin is lurking at the door; and its desire is for you, (AM)but you must master it.” Cain [q]talked to his brother Abel; and it happened that when they were in the field Cain rose up against his brother Abel and (AN)killed him.

Then the Lord said to Cain, “(AO)Where is Abel your brother?” And he said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” 10 Then He said, “What have you done? (AP)The voice of your brother’s blood is crying out to Me from the ground. 11 Now (AQ)you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12 (AR)When you cultivate the ground, it will no longer yield its strength to you; (AS)you will be a wanderer and a drifter on the earth.” 13 Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is too great to endure! 14 Behold, You have (AT)driven me this day from the face of the ground; and I will be hidden from Your face, and (AU)I will be a wanderer and a drifter on the earth, and (AV)whoever finds me will kill me.” 15 So the Lord said to him, “Therefore whoever kills Cain, vengeance will be taken on him (AW)seven times as much.” And the Lord [r](AX)placed a mark on Cain, so that no one finding him would kill him.

16 Then Cain left the presence (AY)of the Lord, and [s]settled in the land of [t]Nod, east of Eden.

17 Cain [u]had relations with his wife and she conceived, and gave birth to Enoch; and Cain built a city, and named the city Enoch, after the name of his son. 18 Now to Enoch was born Irad, and Irad fathered Mehujael, and Mehujael fathered Methushael, and Methushael fathered Lamech. 19 Lamech took (AZ)two wives for himself: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other, Zillah. 20 Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who live in tents and have livestock. 21 His brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all those who play the lyre and flute. 22 As for Zillah, she also gave birth to Tubal-cain, the forger of all implements of bronze and iron; and the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.

23 Lamech said to his wives,

“Adah and Zillah,
Listen to my voice,
You wives of Lamech,
Pay attention to my words,
(BA)For I have killed a man for wounding me;
And a boy for striking me!
24 If Cain is avenged (BB)seven times,
Then Lamech seventy-seven times!”

25 (BC)Adam [v]had relations with his wife again; and she gave birth to a son, and named him [w]Seth, for, she said, “God [x]has appointed me another [y]child in place of Abel, (BD)because Cain killed him.” 26 To Seth also (BE)a son was born; and he named him Enosh. Then people began (BF)to call [z]upon the name of the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 3:5 Or be
  2. Genesis 3:8 Lit breeze of
  3. Genesis 3:15 Lit put enmity between you
  4. Genesis 3:15 Lit seed
  5. Genesis 3:15 Lit Seed; i.e., a prophetic reference to Christ
  6. Genesis 3:15 Or crush
  7. Genesis 3:16 Lit and your pregnancy
  8. Genesis 3:17 Or hardship
  9. Genesis 3:18 Lit plant
  10. Genesis 3:20 I.e., living; or life
  11. Genesis 4:1 Lit knew his
  12. Genesis 4:3 Lit at the end of days
  13. Genesis 4:5 Lit fell
  14. Genesis 4:6 Lit fallen
  15. Genesis 4:7 Or you will certainly be accepted
  16. Genesis 4:7 Lit lifted up
  17. Genesis 4:8 Lit said to
  18. Genesis 4:15 Or set a sign for
  19. Genesis 4:16 Lit dwelt
  20. Genesis 4:16 I.e., wandering
  21. Genesis 4:17 Lit knew his
  22. Genesis 4:25 Lit knew his
  23. Genesis 4:25 Heb Sheth
  24. Genesis 4:25 Heb shath
  25. Genesis 4:25 Lit seed
  26. Genesis 4:26 Or by

The Reign of the Lords Anointed.

Why are (A)the [a]nations restless
And the peoples (B)plotting in vain?
The (C)kings of the earth take their stand
And the rulers conspire together
(D)Against the Lord and against His [b](E)Anointed, saying,
“Let’s (F)tear their shackles apart
And throw their ropes away from us!”

He who [c]sits in the heavens (G)laughs,
The Lord (H)scoffs at them.
Then He will speak to them in His (I)anger
And (J)terrify them in His fury, saying,
“But as for Me, I have installed (K)My King
Upon Zion, (L)My holy mountain.”

“I will announce the [d]decree of the Lord:
He said to Me, ‘You are (M)My Son,
Today I have fathered You.
Ask it of Me, and (N)I will certainly give (O)the [e]nations as Your inheritance,
And the (P)ends of the earth as Your possession.
You shall [f](Q)break them with a [g]rod of iron,
You shall (R)shatter them like [h]earthenware.’”

10 Now then, you kings, (S)use insight;
Let yourselves be instructed, you [i]judges of the earth.
11 Serve the Lord with [j](T)reverence
And rejoice with (U)trembling.
12 [k]Kiss (V)the Son, that He not be angry and you perish on the way,
For (W)His wrath may be kindled quickly.
How blessed are all who (X)take refuge in Him!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 2:1 Or Gentiles
  2. Psalm 2:2 Or Messiah
  3. Psalm 2:4 Or is enthroned
  4. Psalm 2:7 Or decree: The Lord said to Me
  5. Psalm 2:8 Or Gentiles
  6. Psalm 2:9 Another reading is rule
  7. Psalm 2:9 Or scepter; or staff
  8. Psalm 2:9 Lit potter’s ware
  9. Psalm 2:10 Or leaders
  10. Psalm 2:11 Or fear
  11. Psalm 2:12 I.e., probably kiss the feet of the Son

The Visit of the Magi

Now after Jesus was (A)born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of (B)Herod the king, behold, [a]magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born (C)King of the Jews? For we saw (D)His star in the east and have come to worship Him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the [b]Messiah was to be born. They said to him, “(E)In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written [c]by [d]the prophet:

(F)And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
Are by no means least among the leaders of Judah;
For from you will come forth a Ruler
Who will (G)shepherd My people Israel.’”

Then Herod secretly called for the magi and determined from them the exact [e]time (H)the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him.” After hearing the king, they went on their way; and behold, the star, which they had seen in the east, went on ahead of them until it came to a stop over the place where the Child was to be found. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 And after they came into the house, they saw the Child with (I)His mother Mary; and they fell down and [f](J)worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And after being (K)warned by God (L)in a dream not to return to Herod, the magi left for their own country by another way.

The Escape to Egypt

13 Now when they had gone, behold, an (M)angel of the Lord *(N)appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you; for Herod is going to search for the Child to kill Him.”

14 So [g]Joseph got up and took the Child and His mother while it was still night, and left for Egypt. 15 He [h]stayed there until the death of Herod; this happened so that what had been spoken by the Lord through [i]the prophet would be fulfilled: “(O)Out of Egypt I called (P)My Son.”

Herod Slaughters Babies

16 Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by (Q)the magi, he became very enraged, and sent men and (R)killed all the boys who were in Bethlehem and all its vicinity [j]who were two years old or under, according to the time which he had determined from the magi. 17 Then what had been spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled:

18 (S)A voice was heard in Ramah,
Weeping and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children;
And she refused to be comforted,
Because they were no more.”

19 But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord *(T)appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, and said, 20 “Get up, take the Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel; for those who sought the Child’s life are dead.” 21 So [k]Joseph got up, took the Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Then after being (U)warned by God in a dream, he left for the regions of Galilee, 23 and came and settled in a city called (V)Nazareth. This happened so that what was spoken through the prophets would be fulfilled: “He will be called a (W)Nazarene.”

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 2:1 A caste of educated men specializing in astronomy, astrology, and natural science
  2. Matthew 2:4 From Gr Christos, which means Messiah (Heb for Anointed One)
  3. Matthew 2:5 Or through
  4. Matthew 2:5 I.e., Micah
  5. Matthew 2:7 Lit time of the appearing star
  6. Matthew 2:11 Lit prostrated themselves to; i.e., lay face down in a prone position to indicate worship
  7. Matthew 2:14 Lit he
  8. Matthew 2:15 Lit was
  9. Matthew 2:15 I.e., Hosea
  10. Matthew 2:16 Lit from two...and under
  11. Matthew 2:21 Lit he

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