Genesis 3
International Standard Version
The Temptation and Fall
3 Now the Shining One[a] was more clever than any animal of the field that the Lord God had made. He[b] asked the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You are not to eat from any tree of the garden’?”
2 “We may eat from the trees of the garden,” the woman answered the Shining One,[c] 3 “but as for the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You are not to eat from it, nor are you to touch it, or you will die.’”
4 “You certainly will not die!” the Shining One[d] told the woman. 5 “Even God knows that on the day you eat from it, your eyes will be opened and you’ll become like God,[e] knowing good and evil.”
6 When the woman saw that the tree produced good food, was attractive in appearance,[f] and was desirable for making one wise, she took some of its fruit and ate it.[g] Then she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate some, too.[h] 7 As a result, they both understood what they had done,[i] and they became aware that they were naked. So they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves.
8 When they heard the voice of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden during the breeze of the day, the man and his wife concealed themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 So the Lord God called out to the man, asking him, “Where are you?”
10 “I heard your voice in the garden,” the man[j] answered, “and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid from you.”[k]
11 “Who told you that you are naked?” God[l] asked. “Did you eat fruit[m] from the tree that I commanded you not to eat?”
12 The man answered, “The woman whom you provided for[n] me gave me fruit[o] from the tree, and I ate some of it.”[p]
13 Then the Lord God asked the woman, “What did you do?”[q]
“The Shining One[r] misled me,” the woman answered, “so I ate.”
The Penalty of Sin
14 The Lord God told the Shining One,[s]
“Because you have done this,
you are more cursed than all the livestock,
and more than all the earth’s animals,[t]
You’ll crawl on your belly
and eat dust
as long as you live.
15 “I’ll place hostility between you and the woman,
between your offspring and her offspring.
He’ll strike you on the head,
and you’ll strike him on the heel.”
16 He told the woman,
“I’ll greatly increase the pain of your labor during childbirth.
It will be painful for you to bear children,
“since your trust is turning[u] toward your husband,
and he will dominate you.”
17 He told the man,
“Because you have listened to what your wife said,[v]
and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you,[w]
‘You are not to not eat from it,’
cursed is the ground because of you.
You’ll eat from it through pain-filled labor
for the rest of your life.
18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you,
and you’ll eat the plants from the meadows.
19 You will eat food by the sweat of your brow
until you’re buried in[x] the ground,
because you were taken from it.
You’re made from dust
and you’ll return to dust.”
20 Now Adam[y] had named his wife “Eve,”[z] because she was to become the mother of everyone who was living. 21 The Lord God fashioned garments from animal skins for Adam and his wife, and clothed them.
22 Later, the Lord God said, “Look! The man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, so he won’t reach out, also take from the tree of life, eat, and then live forever—” 23 therefore the Lord God expelled the man[aa] from the garden of Eden so he would work the ground from which he had been taken. 24 After he had expelled the man, the Lord God[ab] placed winged angels[ac] at the eastern end of the garden of Eden, along with a fiery, turning sword, to prevent access to[ad] the tree of life.
Footnotes
- Genesis 3:1 Or the Diviner; the Heb. word ha-Nachash connotes one who falsely claims to reveal God’s word; or the Serpent; cf. Isa 14:12; Eze 28:13-14
- Genesis 3:1 Lit. And he
- Genesis 3:2 Or the Diviner; the Heb. word ha-Nachash connotes one who falsely claims to reveal God’s word; or the Serpent; cf. Isa 14:12; Eze 28:13-14
- Genesis 3:4 Or the Diviner; the Heb. word ha-Nachash connotes one who falsely claims to reveal God’s word; or the Serpent; cf. Isa 14:12; Eze 28:13-14
- Genesis 3:5 Or gods
- Genesis 3:6 Lit. was pleasing to the eyes
- Genesis 3:6 The Heb. lacks it
- Genesis 3:6 The Heb. lacks some, too
- Genesis 3:7 Lit. the eyes of both of them were opened
- Genesis 3:10 Lit. he
- Genesis 3:10 The Heb. lacks from you
- Genesis 3:11 Lit. he
- Genesis 3:11 The Heb. lacks fruit
- Genesis 3:12 Or you gave
- Genesis 3:12 The Heb. lacks fruit
- Genesis 3:12 The Heb. lacks some of it
- Genesis 3:13 Lit. What is this you did?
- Genesis 3:13 Or the Diviner; the Heb. word ha-Nachash connotes one who falsely claims to reveal God’s word; or the Serpent; cf. Isa 14:12; Eze 28:13-14
- Genesis 3:14 Or the Diviner; the Heb. word ha-Nachash connotes one who falsely claims to reveal God’s word; or the Serpent; cf. Isa 14:12; Eze 28:13-14
- Genesis 3:14 I.e., non-domesticated animals, as opposed to domesticated livestock
- Genesis 3:16 Or Your desire is
- Genesis 3:17 Lit. to the voice of your wife
- Genesis 3:17 Lit. you when I said
- Genesis 3:19 Lit. you return to
- Genesis 3:20 Or the man
- Genesis 3:20 The Heb. name Hawwa (Eve) means life.
- Genesis 3:23 Lit. expelled him
- Genesis 3:24 Lit. man, he
- Genesis 3:24 MT reads placed cherubim
- Genesis 3:24 Or to watch over
Genesis 3
Easy-to-Read Version
The Beginning of Sin
3 The snake was the most clever of all the wild animals that the Lord God had made. The snake spoke to the woman and said, “Woman, did God really tell you that you must not eat from any tree in the garden?”
2 The woman answered the snake, “No, we can eat fruit from the trees in the garden. 3 But there is one tree we must not eat from. God told us, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden. You must not even touch that tree, or you will die.’”
4 But the snake said to the woman, “You will not die. 5 God knows that if you eat the fruit from that tree you will learn about good and evil, and then you will be like God!”
6 The woman could see that the tree was beautiful and the fruit looked so good to eat. She also liked the idea that it would make her wise. So she took some of the fruit from the tree and ate it. Her husband was there with her, so she gave him some of the fruit, and he ate it.
7 Then it was as if their eyes opened, and they saw things differently. They saw that they were naked. So they got some fig leaves, sewed them together, and wore them for clothes.
8 During the cool part of the day, the Lord God was walking in the garden. The man and the woman heard him, and they hid among the trees in the garden. 9 The Lord God called to the man and said, “Where are you?”
10 The man said, “I heard you walking in the garden, and I was afraid. I was naked, so I hid.”
11 God said to the man, “Who told you that you were naked? Did you eat fruit from that special tree? I told you not to eat from that tree!”
12 The man said, “The woman you put here with me gave me fruit from that tree. So I ate it.”
13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What have you done?”
She said, “The snake tricked me, so I ate the fruit.”
14 So the Lord God said to the snake,
“You did this very bad thing,
so bad things will happen to you.
It will be worse for you
than for any other animal.
You must crawl on your belly
and eat dust all the days of your life.
15 I will make you and the woman enemies to each other.
Your children and her children will be enemies.
You will bite her child’s foot,
but he will crush your head.”
16 Then God said to the woman,
“I will cause you to have much trouble
when you are pregnant.
And when you give birth to children,
you will have much pain.
You will want your husband very much,
but he will rule over you.”[a]
17 Then God said to the man,
“I commanded you not to eat from that tree.
But you listened to your wife and ate from it.
So I will curse the ground because of you.
You will have to work hard all your life for the food the ground produces.
18 The ground will grow thorns and weeds for you.
And you will have to eat the plants that grow wild in the fields.[b]
19 You will work hard for your food,
until your face is covered with sweat.
You will work hard until the day you die,
and then you will become dust again.
I used dust to make you,
and when you die, you will become dust again.”
20 Adam[c] named his wife Eve.[d] He gave her this name because Eve would be the mother of everyone who ever lived.
21 The Lord God used animal skins and made some clothes for the man and his wife. Then he put the clothes on them.
22 The Lord God said, “Look, the man has become like us—he knows about good and evil. And now the man might take the fruit from the tree of life. If the man eats that fruit, he will live forever.”
23 So the Lord God forced the man out of the Garden of Eden to work the ground he was made from. 24 God forced the man to leave the garden. Then he put Cherub angels and a sword of fire at the entrance to the garden to protect it. The sword flashed around and around, guarding the way to the tree of life.
Footnotes
- Genesis 3:16 You will … over you Or “You will want to rule your husband, but he will rule over you.” In Hebrew this is like the last part of Gen. 4:7.
- Genesis 3:18 See Gen. 1:28-29.
- Genesis 3:20 Adam This name means “man” or “people.” It is like the word meaning “earth” or “red clay.”
- Genesis 3:20 Eve This name is like the Hebrew word meaning “life.”
Genesis 3
King James Version
3 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:
3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
8 And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.
9 And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?
10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.
11 And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?
12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.
13 And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.
14 And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:
15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.
17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;
19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
20 And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.
21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them.
22 And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:
23 Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.
24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.
Genesis 3
New King James Version
The Temptation and Fall of Man(A)
3 Now (B)the serpent was (C)more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?”
2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the (D)fruit of the trees of the garden; 3 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you (E)touch it, lest you die.’ ”
4 (F)Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
6 So when the woman (G)saw that the tree was good for food, that it was [a]pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit (H)and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, (I)and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves [b]coverings.
8 And they heard (J)the [c]sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the [d]cool of the day, and Adam and his wife (K)hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
9 Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?”
10 So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, (L)and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.”
11 And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?”
12 Then the man said, (M)“The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.”
13 And the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?”
The woman said, (N)“The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
14 So the Lord God said to the serpent:
“Because you have done this,
You are cursed more than all cattle,
And more than every beast of the field;
On your belly you shall go,
And (O)you shall eat dust
All the days of your life.
15 And I will put enmity
Between you and the woman,
And between (P)your seed and (Q)her Seed;
(R)He shall bruise your head,
And you shall bruise His heel.”
16 To the woman He said:
“I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception;
(S)In pain you shall bring forth children;
(T)Your desire shall be [e]for your husband,
And he shall (U)rule over you.”
17 Then to Adam He said, (V)“Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree (W)of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’:
(X)“Cursed is the ground for your sake;
(Y)In toil you shall eat of it
All the days of your life.
18 Both thorns and thistles it shall [f]bring forth for you,
And (Z)you shall eat the herb of the field.
19 (AA)In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread
Till you return to the ground,
For out of it you were taken;
(AB)For dust you are,
And (AC)to dust you shall return.”
20 And Adam called his wife’s name (AD)Eve,[g] because she was the mother of all living.
21 Also for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics of skin, and clothed them.
22 Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”— 23 therefore the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden (AE)to till the ground from which he was taken. 24 So (AF)He drove out the man; and He placed (AG)cherubim (AH)at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of (AI)life.
Footnotes
- Genesis 3:6 Lit. a desirable thing
- Genesis 3:7 girding coverings
- Genesis 3:8 Or voice
- Genesis 3:8 Or wind, breeze
- Genesis 3:16 Lit. toward
- Genesis 3:18 cause to grow
- Genesis 3:20 Lit. Life or Living
Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.
Copyright © 2006 by Bible League International
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
