1. The snake was more cunning than any of the other wild animals that the Lord God had made. One day it came to the woman and asked, “Did God tell you not to eat fruit from any tree in the garden?”
2. The woman answered, “God said we could eat fruit from any tree in the garden,
3. except the one in the middle. He told us not to eat fruit from that tree or even to touch it. If we do, we will die.”
4. “No, you won't!” the snake replied.
5. “God understands what will happen on the day you eat fruit from that tree. You will see what you have done, and you will know the difference between right and wrong, just as God does.”
6. The woman stared at the fruit. It looked beautiful and tasty. She wanted the wisdom that it would give her, and she ate some of the fruit. Her husband was there with her, so she gave some to him, and he ate it too.
7. Straight away they saw what they had done, and they realized they were naked. Then they sewed fig leaves together to make something to cover themselves.
8. Late in the afternoon a breeze began to blow, and the man and woman heard the Lord God walking in the garden. They were frightened and hid behind some trees.
9. The Lord called out to the man and asked, “Where are you?”
10. The man answered, “I was naked, and when I heard you walking through the garden, I was frightened and hid!”
11. “How did you know you were naked?” God asked. “Did you eat any fruit from that tree in the middle of the garden?”
12. “It was the woman you put here with me,” the man said. “She gave me some of the fruit, and I ate it.”