Read the Modern Pastor’s Version

The serpent was more cunning than any other creature in the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, "Has God really said you must not eat from every tree in the garden? What's this, that only one tree is off-limits?"

The woman replied, "We may eat fruit from the trees of the garden, but not from the tree in its center." But then she hesitated and added, "But of the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat from it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.'"

The serpent countered, "You won't really die. For God knows that in the day you eat it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." He spoke with a persuasive voice, making her question what God had said.

When the woman saw how attractive the tree looked – its fruit was delicious to eat, and it would make her wise – she took some of its fruit and ate it. She also gave some to her husband with her, who then ate along with her.

As soon as they ate, their eyes were opened, and they both realized they were naked. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves. 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 among the trees of the garden.

The Lord God called out to Adam, "Where are you?" Adam replied, "I heard your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself." The Lord God asked, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?"

Adam explained, "You gave me the woman to be with me, and she gave me fruit from the tree, so I ate it." Then Adam pointed to his wife, saying, "It was her idea – she took some of its fruit and gave it to me."

The Lord God turned to the woman and asked, "What have you done?" She replied, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate it." The Lord God responded by cursing the serpent above all other creatures in the field: "On your belly you will go, and dust you will eat all the days of your life."

Furthermore, He said to the woman, "I will greatly multiply your pain and your conception; in pain you will bring forth children. And your desire shall be to your husband, and he shall rule over you." The Lord God also cursed the ground because Adam had listened to his wife and eaten from the forbidden tree: "Cursed is the ground because of you; in hard labor you will eat its produce all the days of your life."

The earth would now grow thorns and thistles for them, and they would have to eat the herb of the field. They would struggle to find food, eating bread by the sweat of their faces until they returned to the ground from which they were taken – for dust they are, and unto dust they will return.

Adam named his wife Eve, because she was the mother of all living beings. The Lord God made garments of animal skins for Adam and his wife, and clothed them. However, now that Adam had become like one of the gods, knowing good and evil, there was a new concern: "Lest he reach out his hand and also take from the tree of life and eat and live forever."

To prevent this, the Lord God expelled him from the garden of Eden to cultivate the soil from which he was taken. He drove Adam out and stationed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, with a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.