The Fall

Genesis 3

1 Now a the serpent was b 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 c 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 d touch it, lest you die."' 4 e 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 f saw that the tree was good for food, that it was 1 pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit g and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, h and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves 2 coverings.

8 And they heard i the 3 sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the 4 cool of the day, and Adam and his wife j 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, k 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, l "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, m "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 n you shall eat dust
All the days of your life. 15 And I will put enmity
Between you and the woman,
And between o your seed and p her Seed;
q 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;
r In pain you shall bring forth children;
s Your desire shall be 5 for your husband,
And he shall t rule over you."

17 Then to Adam He said, u "Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree v of which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat of it':
w Cursed is the ground for your sake;
x In toil you shall eat of it
All the days of your life. 18 Both thorns and thistles it shall 6 bring forth for you,
And y you shall eat the herb of the field. 19 z In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread
Till you return to the ground,
For out of it you were taken;
a For dust you are,
And b to dust you shall return."

20 And Adam called his wife's name c Eve, 7 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 d to till the ground from which he was taken. 24 So e He drove out the man; and He placed f cherubim g at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of h life.

  1. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 21:1
    Now Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel.
    Revelation 12:9
    So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
    Revelation 20:2
    He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.
    Revelation 20:10
    The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
  2. Cross References
    2 Corinthians 11:3
    But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
  3. Cross References
    Genesis 2:16
    And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat.
    Genesis 2:17
    "but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."
  4. Cross References
    Exodus 19:12
    You shall set bounds for the people all around, saying, 'Take heed to yourselves that you do not go up to the mountain or touch its base. Whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death.
    Exodus 19:13
    'Not a hand shall touch him, but he shall surely be stoned or shot with an arrow; whether man or beast, he shall not live.' When the trumpet sounds long, they shall come near the mountain."
    Revelation 22:14
    Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.
  5. Cross References
    John 8:44
    You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.
    2 Corinthians 11:3
    But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
    1 Timothy 2:14
    And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression.
  6. Cross References
    1 John 2:16
    For all that is in the world - the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life - is not of the Father but is of the world.
  7. Cross References
    1 Timothy 2:14
    And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression.
  8. Cross References
    Genesis 2:25
    And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.
  9. Cross References
    Job 38:1
    Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said:
  10. Cross References
    Job 31:33
    If I have covered my transgressions as Adam, By hiding my iniquity in my bosom.
    Jeremiah 23:24
    Can anyone hide himself in secret places, So I shall not see him?" says the LORD; "Do I not fill heaven and earth?" says the LORD.
  11. Cross References
    Genesis 2:25
    And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.
    Exodus 3:6
    Moreover He said, "I am the God of your father - the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God.
    Deuteronomy 9:19
    For I was afraid of the anger and hot displeasure with which the LORD was angry with you, to destroy you. But the LORD listened to me at that time also.
    1 John 3:20
    For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.
  12. Cross References
    Proverbs 28:13
    He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.
  13. Cross References
    Genesis 3:4
    Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die.
    2 Corinthians 11:3
    But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
    1 Timothy 2:14
    And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression.
  14. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 28:15 - 20
    But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you:
    Isaiah 65:25
    The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, The lion shall eat straw like the ox, And dust shall be the serpent's food. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain," Says the LORD.
    Micah 7:17
    They shall lick the dust like a serpent; They shall crawl from their holes like snakes of the earth. They shall be afraid of the LORD our God, And shall fear because of You.
  15. Cross References
    John 8:44
    You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.
    Acts 13:10
    And said, "O full of all deceit and all fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord?
    1 John 3:8
    He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.
  16. Cross References
    Isaiah 7:14
    Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.
    Luke 1:31
    And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS.
    Luke 1:34
    Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?
    Luke 1:35
    And the angel answered and said to her, " The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.
    Galatians 4:4
    But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law.
  17. Cross References
    Romans 16:20
    And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
    Revelation 12:7
    And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought.
    Revelation 12:17
    And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
  18. Cross References
    Isaiah 13:8
    And they will be afraid. Pangs and sorrows will take hold of them; They will be in pain as a woman in childbirth; They will be amazed at one another; Their faces will be like flames.
    John 16:21
    A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world.
  19. Cross References
    Genesis 4:7
    "If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it."
  20. Cross References
    1 Corinthians 11:3
    But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.
    Ephesians 5:22
    Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.
    1 Timothy 2:12
    And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence.
    1 Timothy 2:15
    Nevertheless she will be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with self-control.
  21. Cross References
    1 Samuel 15:23
    For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He also has rejected you from being king.
  22. Cross References
    Genesis 2:17
    "but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."
  23. Cross References
    Genesis 5:29
    And he called his name Noah, saying, "This one will comfort us concerning our work and the toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD has cursed.
    Romans 8:20 - 22
    For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope.
    Hebrews 6:8
    But if it bears thorns and briers, it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned.
  24. Cross References
    Job 5:7
    Yet man is born to trouble, As the sparks fly upward.
    Job 14:1
    Man who is born of woman Is of few days and full of trouble.
    Ecclesiastes 2:23
    For all his days are sorrowful, and his work burdensome; even in the night his heart takes no rest. This also is vanity.
  25. Cross References
    Psalms 104:14
    He causes the grass to grow for the cattle, And vegetation for the service of man, That he may bring forth food from the earth.
  26. Cross References
    2 Thessalonians 3:10
    For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.
  27. Cross References
    Genesis 2:7
    And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.
    Genesis 5:5
    So all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years; and he died.
  28. Cross References
    Job 21:26
    They lie down alike in the dust, And worms cover them.
    Ecclesiastes 3:20
    All go to one place: all are from the dust, and all return to dust.
  29. Cross References
    2 Corinthians 11:3
    But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
    1 Timothy 2:13
    For Adam was formed first, then Eve.
  30. Cross References
    Genesis 4:2
    Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.
    Genesis 9:20
    And Noah began to be a farmer, and he planted a vineyard.
  31. Cross References
    Ezekiel 31:3
    Indeed Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon, With fine branches that shaded the forest, And of high stature; And its top was among the thick boughs.
    Ezekiel 31:11
    Therefore I will deliver it into the hand of the mighty one of the nations, and he shall surely deal with it; I have driven it out for its wickedness.
  32. Cross References
    Exodus 25:18 - 22
    And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work you shall make them at the two ends of the mercy seat.
    Psalms 104:4
    Who makes His angels spirits, His ministers a flame of fire.
    Ezekiel 10:1 - 20
    And I looked, and there in the firmament that was above the head of the cherubim, there appeared something like a sapphire stone, having the appearance of the likeness of a throne.
    Hebrews 1:7
    And of the angels He says: "Who makes His angels spirits And His ministers a flame of fire.
  33. Cross References
    Genesis 2:8
    The LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed.
  34. Cross References
    Genesis 2:9
    And out of the ground the LORD God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
    Revelation 22:2
    In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
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