Genesis 3
The Voice
Genesis provides an image of the ideal marriage: One man. One woman. In a one-flesh relationship. For life. These four elements constitute the ideal, as Jesus reminds His followers (Matthew 19:4–5). Anything less, anything more, or anything other misses the ideal. In marriage two individuals, who once lived as “me,” come together as “we” in one flesh and one life. No earthly bond can match the intimacy of this divinely sanctioned union.
3 Of all the wild creatures the Eternal God had created, the serpent was the craftiest.
Serpent (to the woman): Is it true that God has forbidden you to eat fruits from the trees of the garden?
Eve: 2 No, serpent. God said we are free to eat the fruit from the trees in the garden. 3 We are granted access to any variety and all amounts of fruit with one exception: the fruit from the tree found in the center of the garden. God instructed us not to eat or touch the fruit of that tree or we would die.
Serpent: 4 Die? No, you’ll not die. God is playing games with you. 5 The truth is that God knows the day you eat the fruit from that tree you will awaken something powerful in you and become like Him: possessing knowledge of both good and evil.
6 The woman approached the tree, eyed its fruit, and coveted its mouth-watering, wisdom-granting beauty. She plucked a fruit from the tree and ate. She then offered the fruit to her husband who was close by, and he ate as well. 7 Suddenly their eyes were opened to a reality previously unknown. For the first time, they sensed their vulnerability and rushed to hide their naked bodies, stitching fig leaves into crude loincloths. 8 Then they heard the sound of the Eternal God walking in the cool misting shadows of the garden. The man and his wife took cover among the trees and hid from the Eternal God.
The story of humanity’s sin begins with a tree and ends on a tree: first, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; and finally, the cross on which Jesus dies. The first tree offers fruit that leads to death, but the second offers a death that leads to eternal life.
God (calling to Adam): 9 Where are you?
Adam: 10 When I heard the sound of You coming in the garden, I was afraid because I am naked. So I hid from You.
God: 11 Who told you that you are naked? Have you eaten from the tree in the center of the garden, the very one I commanded you not to eat from?
Adam (pointing at the woman): 12 It was she! The woman You gave me as a companion put the fruit in my hands, and I ate it.
Since Adam and Eve, people have been blaming others for their mistakes. Adam has the audacity to blame God for his.
God (to the woman): 13 What have you done?
Eve: It was the serpent! He tricked me, and I ate.
14 God (to the serpent): What you have done carries great consequences.
Now you are cursed more than cattle or wild beasts.
You will writhe on your belly forever,
consuming the dust out of which man was made.
15 I will make you and your brood enemies
of the woman and all her children;
The woman’s child will stomp your head,
and you will strike his heel.
16 (to the woman) As a consequence of your actions,
I will increase your suffering—the pain of childbirth
And the sorrow of bringing forth the next generation.
You will desire your husband; but rather than a companion,
He will be the dominant partner.
17 (to the man) Because you followed your wife’s advice
instead of My command and ate of the tree
From which I had forbidden you to eat, cursed is the ground.
For the rest of your life,
You will fight for every crumb of food
from the crusty clump of clay I made you from.
18 As you labor, the ground will produce thorns and thistles,
and you will eat the plants of the field.
19 Your brow will sweat for your mouth to taste
even a morsel of bread until the day you return
To the very ground I made you from.
From dust you have come,
And to dust you shall return.
20 The man named his wife Eve because she was destined to become the mother of all living. 21 The Eternal God pieced together the skins of animals and made clothes for Adam and Eve to wear.
In Hebrew “Eve” sounds like the word meaning “life-giver.”
God: 22 Look, the human has become like one of Us, possessing the knowledge of good and evil. If We don’t do something, he will reach out his hand and take some of the fruit from the tree of life, eat it, and live forever.
23 So the Eternal God banished Adam and Eve from the garden of Eden and exiled humanity from paradise, sentencing humans to laborious lives working the very ground man came from. 24 After driving them out, He stationed winged guardians[a] at the east end of the garden of Eden and set up a sword of flames which alertly turned back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.
Footnotes
- 3:24 Hebrew, cherubim
Genesis 3
New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised
The First Sin and Its Punishment
3 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, ‘Did God say, “You shall not eat from any tree in the garden”?’ 2 The woman said to the serpent, ‘We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; 3 but God said, “You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, nor shall you touch it, or you shall die.”’ 4 But the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not die; 5 for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God,[a] knowing good and evil.’ 6 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, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves.
8 They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, ‘Where are you?’ 10 He said, ‘I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.’ 11 He said, ‘Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?’ 12 The man said, ‘The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate.’ 13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, ‘What is this that you have done?’ The woman said, ‘The serpent tricked me, and I ate.’ 14 The Lord God said to the serpent,
‘Because you have done this,
cursed are you among all animals
and among all wild creatures;
upon your belly you shall go,
and dust you shall eat
all the days of your life.
15 I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
he will strike your head,
and you will strike his heel.’
16 To the woman he said,
‘I will greatly increase your pangs in childbearing;
in pain you shall bring forth children,
yet your desire shall be for your husband,
and he shall rule over you.’
17 And to the man[b] he said,
‘Because you have listened to the voice of your wife,
and have eaten of the tree
about which I commanded you,
“You shall not eat of it”,
cursed is the ground because of you;
in toil 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
until you return to the ground,
for out of it you were taken;
you are dust,
and to dust you shall return.’
20 The man named his wife Eve,[c] because she was the mother of all who live. 21 And the Lord God made garments of skins for the man[d] and for his wife, and clothed them.
22 Then the Lord God said, ‘See, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might reach out his hand and take also from 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 which he was taken. 24 He drove out the man; and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim, and a sword flaming and turning to guard the way to the tree of life.
Footnotes
- Genesis 3:5 Or gods
- Genesis 3:17 Or to Adam
- Genesis 3:20 In Heb Eve resembles the word for living
- Genesis 3:21 Or for Adam
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
創世記 3
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Traditional)
始祖犯罪
3 在耶和華上帝所造的田野的各種動物中，蛇最狡猾。蛇對女人說：「上帝真的說過不許你們吃園中所有樹上的果子嗎？」 2 女人回答說：「我們可以吃園中樹上的果子， 3 只是不可以吃園子中間那棵樹的果子。上帝曾經吩咐說，『你們不可吃那果子，也不可摸，否則你們就會死。』」 4 蛇對女人說：「你們一定不會死！ 5 上帝那樣說是因為祂知道你們吃了那樹的果子以後，眼睛就會明亮，像上帝一樣懂得分辨善惡。」 6 女人見那棵樹上的果子可口，賞心悅目，可以使人有智慧，就摘下來吃了。她也把果子給跟她在一起的丈夫，他也吃了。 7 二人的眼睛果然明亮起來，這才發覺自己原來赤身露體，便把無花果樹的葉子編起來遮體。
8 傍晚天涼時，夫婦二人聽見耶和華上帝在園中行走的聲音，就藏在園子的樹叢中，想躲開耶和華上帝。 9 耶和華上帝呼喚那人說：「你在哪裡？」 10 那人說：「我聽見你在園中行走的聲音，就害怕得躲了起來，因為我赤身露體！」 11 耶和華上帝問：「誰說你赤身露體？難道你吃了我吩咐你不可吃的果子嗎？」 12 那人說：「你賜給我作伴的女人摘了那樹上的果子給我，我就吃了。」 13 耶和華上帝對女人說：「你這做的是什麼事？」女人說：「是蛇誘騙我，我才吃的。」
上帝的審判
14 耶和華上帝對蛇說：
「你既然做了這事，
你要比一切的牲畜和野獸受更重的咒詛，
你要用肚子爬行，
一生都要吃塵土。
15 我要使你和女人結仇，
你的後代和女人的後代也要彼此為仇，
女人的後代必傷你的頭，
你必傷他的腳跟。」
16 耶和華上帝對女人說：
「我必大大加重你懷孕的痛苦，
你分娩時必受痛苦。
你必戀慕[a]自己的丈夫，
你的丈夫必管轄你。」
17 耶和華上帝又對亞當說：
「因為你聽從妻子的話，
吃了我吩咐你不可吃的果子，
地必因你而受咒詛。
你必終生艱辛勞苦，
才能吃到地裡出產的食物。
18 地必給你長出荊棘和蒺藜，
你要吃田間長出來的菜蔬。
19 你必汗流滿面，才有飯吃，
一直到你歸回塵土。
因為你是塵土造的，
也必歸回塵土。」
20 亞當給他的妻子取名叫夏娃，因為她是眾生之母。 21 耶和華上帝做了皮衣給他們夫婦穿。 22 耶和華上帝說：「看啊，那人已經與我們相似，能分辨善惡。現在，恐怕他會伸手去摘生命樹的果子吃，那樣他就會永遠活著。」 23 因此，耶和華上帝就把亞當趕出伊甸園，讓他去開墾土地——他的本源。 24 上帝趕走了亞當以後，就派遣基路伯天使駐守在伊甸園東邊，又用一把旋轉的火劍守護在通往生命樹的路上。
Footnotes
- 3·16 「戀慕」或譯「想控制」。
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicised Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
