The Fall

Now (A)the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.

He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You[a] shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, (B)‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” (C)But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So 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 to be desired to make one wise,[b] she took of its fruit (D)and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, (E)and he ate. (F)Then the eyes of both were opened, (G)and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.

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

14 The Lord God said to the serpent,

“Because you have done this,
    cursed are you above all livestock
    and above all beasts of the field;
on your belly you shall go,
    and (L)dust you shall eat
    all the days of your life.
15 I will put enmity between you and the woman,
    and between your offspring[e] and (M)her offspring;
(N)he shall bruise your head,
    and you shall bruise his heel.”

16 To the woman he said,

“I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing;
    (O)in pain you shall bring forth children.
(P)Your desire shall be for[f] your husband,
    and he shall (Q)rule over you.”

17 And to Adam he said,

“Because you have listened to the voice of your wife
    and have eaten of the tree
(R)of which I commanded you,
    ‘You shall not eat of it,’
(S)cursed is the ground because of you;
    (T)in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;
18 thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you;
    and you shall eat the plants of the field.
19 By the sweat of your face
    you shall eat bread,
till you return to the ground,
    for out of it you were taken;
(U)for you are dust,
    and (V)to dust you shall return.”

20 The man called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living.[g] 21 And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.

22 Then the Lord God said, (W)“Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand (X)and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—” 23 therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden (Y)to work the ground from which he was taken. 24 He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the (Z)cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 3:1 In Hebrew you is plural in verses 1–5
  2. Genesis 3:6 Or to give insight
  3. Genesis 3:8 Hebrew wind
  4. Genesis 3:9 In Hebrew you is singular in verses 9 and 11
  5. Genesis 3:15 Hebrew seed; so throughout Genesis
  6. Genesis 3:16 Or to, or toward, or against (see 4:7)
  7. Genesis 3:20 Eve sounds like the Hebrew for life-giver and resembles the word for living

Come to Our Help

To the choirmaster. (A)A Maskil[a] of the Sons of Korah.

44 O God, we have heard with our ears,
    (B)our fathers have told us,
what deeds you performed in their days,
    (C)in the days of old:
you with your own hand (D)drove out the nations,
    but (E)them you planted;
you afflicted the peoples,
    but (F)them you set free;
for not (G)by their own sword did they win the land,
    nor did their own arm save them,
but your right hand and your arm,
    and (H)the light of your face,
    (I)for you delighted in them.

(J)You are my King, O God;
    (K)ordain salvation for Jacob!
Through you we (L)push down our foes;
    through your name we (M)tread down those who rise up against us.
For not in (N)my bow do I trust,
    nor can my sword save me.
But you have saved us from our foes
    and have (O)put to shame those who hate us.
(P)In God we have boasted continually,
    and we will give thanks to your name forever. Selah

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 44:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term

Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem (A)to have failed to reach it. For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because (B)they were not united by faith with those who listened.[a] For we who have believed enter that rest, as he has said,

(C)“As I swore in my wrath,
‘They shall not enter my rest,’”

although his works were finished from the foundation of the world. For he has somewhere spoken of the seventh day in this way: (D)“And God rested on the seventh day from all his works.” And again in this passage he said,

(E)“They shall not enter my rest.”

Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news (F)failed to enter because of disobedience, again he appoints a certain day, “Today,” saying through David so long afterward, in the words already quoted,

(G)“Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts.”

For if Joshua had given them rest, God[b] would not have spoken of another day later on. So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, 10 for whoever has entered God's rest has also (H)rested from his works as God did from his.

11 Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so (I)that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. 12 For (J)the word of God is living and (K)active, (L)sharper than any (M)two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and (N)discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And (O)no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are (P)naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Jesus the Great High Priest

14 Since then we have (Q)a great high priest (R)who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, (S)let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest (T)who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been (U)tempted as we are, (V)yet without sin. 16 (W)Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

For every high priest chosen from among men (X)is appointed to act on behalf of men (Y)in relation to God, (Z)to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. (AA)He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself (AB)is beset with weakness. Because of this he is obligated to offer sacrifice for his own sins (AC)just as he does for those of the people. And (AD)no one takes this honor for himself, but only when called by God, (AE)just as Aaron was.

So also Christ (AF)did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him,

(AG)“You are my Son,
    today I have begotten you”;

as he says also in another place,

(AH)“You are a priest forever,
    after the order of Melchizedek.”

In the days of his flesh, (AI)Jesus[c] offered up prayers and supplications, (AJ)with loud cries and tears, to him (AK)who was able to save him from death, and (AL)he was heard because of his reverence. Although (AM)he was a son, (AN)he learned obedience through what he suffered. And (AO)being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, 10 being designated by God a high priest (AP)after the order of Melchizedek.

Warning Against Apostasy

11 About this we have much to say, and it is (AQ)hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. 12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again (AR)the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need (AS)milk, not solid food, 13 for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is (AT)a child. 14 But solid food is for (AU)the mature, for those who have their powers (AV)of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

Therefore (AW)let us leave (AX)the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance (AY)from dead works and of faith toward God, and of (AZ)instruction about washings,[d] (BA)the laying on of hands, (BB)the resurrection of the dead, and (BC)eternal judgment. And this we will do (BD)if God permits. For it is impossible, in the case of those (BE)who have once been enlightened, who have tasted (BF)the heavenly gift, and (BG)have shared in the Holy Spirit, and (BH)have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and (BI)then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since (BJ)they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt. For (BK)land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. But (BL)if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, (BM)and its end is to be burned.

Though we speak in this way, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things—things that belong to salvation. 10 For (BN)God is not unjust so as to overlook (BO)your work and the love that you have shown for his name in (BP)serving the saints, as you still do. 11 And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance (BQ)of hope until the end, 12 so that you may not be sluggish, but (BR)imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

The Certainty of God's Promise

13 For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, (BS)he swore by himself, 14 saying, (BT)“Surely I will bless you and multiply you.” 15 And thus Abraham,[e] (BU)having patiently waited, obtained the promise. 16 For people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes (BV)an oath is final for confirmation. 17 So when God desired to show more convincingly to (BW)the heirs of the promise (BX)the unchangeable character of his purpose, (BY)he guaranteed it with an oath, 18 so that by two unchangeable things, in which (BZ)it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope (CA)set before us. 19 We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into (CB)the inner place behind the curtain, 20 where Jesus has gone (CC)as a forerunner on our behalf, (CD)having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

Footnotes

  1. Hebrews 4:2 Some manuscripts it did not meet with faith in the hearers
  2. Hebrews 4:8 Greek he
  3. Hebrews 5:7 Greek he
  4. Hebrews 6:2 Or baptisms (that is, cleansing rites)
  5. Hebrews 6:15 Greek he

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