1Slangen var den mest listige af alle de dyr, Gud havde skabt. Den kom til kvinden og sagde: „Har Gud virkelig sagt, at I ikke må spise af frugten fra noget som helst træ i haven?”2„Nej, vi må da gerne spise frugt fra træerne i haven!” svarede kvinden.3„Det er kun frugten fra træet midt i haven, vi ikke må spise. Gud sagde, at hvis vi spiser af den, eller bare rører den, så dør vi!”4„I dør da ikke,” hvislede slangen.5„Men Gud ved, at i samme øjeblik I spiser den frugt, bliver jeres øjne åbnet for ting, I ikke før har set, og I bliver som Gud med evne til at skelne mellem godt og ondt.”6Kvinden lagde nu mærke til, hvor dejlig frugten så ud, lige til at spise og få forstand af. Hun plukkede en frugt og spiste af den. Derefter gav hun en til sin mand, som også var der, og han spiste af den.7Straks lagde de mærke til, at de var nøgne. Derfor syede de figenblade sammen og bandt dem om sig.8Henimod aften, da luften blev kølig, hørte Adam og kvinden, at Gud kom gående i haven, og de gemte sig inde mellem træerne.9Gud kaldte: „Adam, hvor er du?”10Adam svarede: „Jeg hørte dig komme, og så blev jeg bange, fordi jeg var nøgen. Derfor gemte jeg mig.”11„Hvem fortalte dig, at du var nøgen?” spurgte Gud. „Du har vel ikke spist frugt fra det træ, jeg sagde, du ikke måtte spise af?”12„Det var kvinden, som du satte ved min side, der gav mig den,” indvendte Adam, „og så spiste jeg.”13Så vendte Gud sig til kvinden: „Hvor kunne du gøre det?” udbrød han. „Det var slangen, der lokkede mig til det,” forsvarede hun sig, „og så spiste jeg.”
Konsekvensen af ulydighed
14Nu talte Gud til slangen: „Som straf for det, du har gjort, skal du være den mest forbandede af alle jordens dyr! Så længe du lever, skal du krybe på din bug og æde støv!15Jeg sætter fjendskab mellem dig og kvinden, og mellem dit afkom og hendes afkom.[1] Du skal hugge ham i hælen, men han skal knuse dit hoved!” (1.Mos 22,18)16Derpå sagde Gud til kvinden: „Jeg vil forstærke ubehaget ved din graviditet og smerten ved at føde børn. Du vil gerne have magt over[2] din mand, men du skal underordne dig under ham.[3]” (1.Mos 4,7)17Til Adam sagde Gud: „Fordi du adlød din kone og spiste af frugten, som jeg sagde, du ikke måtte spise af, er du nu skyld i, at jorden bliver forbandet. Hele dit liv må du møjsommeligt slide for at skaffe dig føden.18Nu må du leve af, hvad du kan dyrke på marken, hvor der også vil vokse tjørn og tidsler.19Du kommer til at arbejde hårdt for føden, indtil du dør og bliver lagt i jorden, hvoraf du er formet. For af jord er du kommet, og til jord skal du blive.”20Adam kaldte sin kone Eva[4], for hun blev hele menneskeslægtens mor.21Derpå lavede Gud skindtøj til Adam og hans kone.22Så sagde Gud: „Nu da menneskene er blevet som os i den forstand, at de kender både det gode og det onde, skal de ikke også spise frugten fra livets træ og leve evigt.”23Derfor bortviste Gud dem fra Edens have og satte dem til at dyrke den jord, hvoraf de var taget.24Han drev dem ud og satte keruber[5] øst for Edens have til at bevogte vejen til livets træ med glimtende og hvirvlende flammesværd.
1Now 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[1] shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” (Matt 10,16; 2.Kor 11,3; Åb 12,9; Åb 20,2)2And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden,3but God said, ‘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.’” (1.Mos 2,17)4But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. (1.Mos 3,13; Joh 8,44; 2.Kor 11,3)5For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”6So 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,[2] she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. (1.Mos 3,12; 1.Mos 3,17; Hos 6,7; 1.Tim 2,14)7Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. (1.Mos 2,25; 1.Mos 3,5)8And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool[3] of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. (Salm 139,1; Jer 23,23)9But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”[4]10And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” (1.Mos 2,25; 1.Mos 3,7)11He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?”12The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” (1.Mos 2,18; Job 31,33)13Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” (1.Mos 3,4; 2.Kor 11,3; 1.Tim 2,14)14The 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 dust you shall eat all the days of your life. (Es 65,25; Mika 7,17)15I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring[5] and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” (Es 7,14; Mika 5,3; Matt 1,23; Matt 1,25; Luk 1,34; Rom 16,20; Gal 4,4; 1.Tim 2,15; Heb 2,14; Åb 20,1; Åb 20,10)16To the woman he said, “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be contrary to[6] your husband, but he shall rule over you.” (1.Mos 4,7; Høj 7,10; Joh 16,21; 1.Kor 11,3; 1.Kor 14,34; Ef 5,22; Kol 3,18; 1.Tim 2,11; Titus 2,5; 1.Pet 3,1; 1.Pet 3,5)17And to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; (1.Mos 2,17; 1.Mos 5,29; Præd 2,22; Rom 8,20)18thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field.19By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” (1.Mos 2,7; Job 34,15; Salm 103,14; Salm 104,29; Præd 3,20; Præd 12,7; Rom 5,12)20The man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living.[7]21And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.22Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—” (1.Mos 2,9; 1.Mos 3,5)23therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. (1.Mos 2,5)24He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life. (2.Mos 25,18; Salm 18,10; Salm 104,4; Ez 28,11; Heb 1,7)