CHAP. III.

1 The woman seduced by the serpent, 6 Entiseth her husbande to sinne. 8 They both flee from God. 14 They three are punished. 15 Christ is promised. 19 Man is dust. 22 Man is cast out of Paradise.

1. Nowe ¹ the serpent was more ² subtill then any beast of the fielde, which the Lord God had made: and he ³ said to the woman, Yea, hath God in deede said, Ye shall not eate of euery tree of the garden?

2. And the woman said vnto the serpent, We eate of the fruite of the trees of the garden,

3. But of the fruite of the tree which is in the middes of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eate of it, neither shall ye touche it, ⁴ lest ye die.

4. Then ⁵ the serpent said to the woman, Ye shall not ^{6 7} die at all,

5. But God doeth knowe, that when ye shall eate thereof, your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, ⁸ knowing good and euill.

6. So the woman (seeing that the tree was good for meate, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to get knowledge) tooke of the fruite thereof, and did ⁹ eate, and gaue also to her husband with her, and he ¹⁰ did eate.

7. Then the eyes of them both were opened, and they ¹¹ knewe that they were naked, and they sewed figge tree leaues together, and made them selues ¹² breeches.

8. ¶ Afterward they heard the voyce of the Lord God walking in the garden in the ¹³ coole of the day, and the man and his wife ¹⁴ hid themselues from the presence of the Lorde God among the trees of the garden.

9. But the Lord God called to the man, and said vnto him, Where art thou?

10. Who saide, I heard thy voyce in the garden, and was afraide: because I was ¹⁵ naked, therefore I hid my selfe.

11. And he saide, Who tolde thee, that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eate?

12. Then the man saide, The woman which thou ¹⁶ gauest to be with me, she gaue me of the tree, and I did eate.

13. And the Lorde God saide to the woman, Why hast thou done this? And the woman said, ¹⁷ The serpent beguiled me, and I did eate.

14. ¶ Then the Lord God said to the serpent, ¹⁸ Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed aboue all cattell, and aboue euery beast of the fielde: vpon thy belly shalt thou goe, and ¹⁹ dust shalt thou eate all the dayes of thy life.

15. I wil also put enimitie betweene ²⁰ thee and the woman, and betweene thy seede and her seede. He shall breake thine ²¹ head, and thou shalt ²² bruise his heele.

16. ¶ Vnto the woman he said, I will greatly increase thy ²³ sorowes, and thy conceptions. In sorowe shalt thou bring foorth children, and thy desire shalbe subiect to thine husbande, and he shall ²⁴ rule ouer thee.

17. ¶ Also to Adam he said, Because thou hast obeyed the voyce of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, (whereof I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eate of it) ²⁵ cursed is the earth for thy sake: in sorowe shalt thou eate of it all the dayes of thy life.

18. ²⁶ Thornes also, and thistles shall it bring foorth to thee, and thou shalt eate the herbe of the fielde.

19. In the sweate of thy face shalt thou eate bread, till thou returne to the earth: for out of it wast thou taken, because thou art dust, and to dust shalt thou returne.

20. (And the man called his wiues name Heuah, because she was the mother of all liuing)

21. Vnto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God ²⁷ make coates of skinnes, and clothed them.

22. ¶ And the Lord God said, ²⁸ Beholde, the man is become as one of vs, to knowe good and euill. And nowe lest he put foorth his hand, and ²⁹ take also of the tree of life and eate and liue for euer,

23. Therefore the Lord God sent him foorth from the garden of Eden, to till the earth, whence he was taken.

24. Thus he cast out man, and at the East side of the garden of Eden he set the Cherubims, and the blade of a sworde shaken, to keepe the way of the tree of life.

NOTES

1. Wisd.2.24.

2. As Satan can change himselfe into an Angel of light, so did he abuse the wisdome of the serpent to deceiue man.

3. God suffered Satan to make the serpent his instrument and to speake in him.

4. In douting of Gods threatning, she yeelded to Satan.

5. 2.Cor.11.3.

6. This is Satans chiefest subtiltie, to cause vs not to feare Gods threatnings.

7. Ebr. die the death.

8. As though he should say, God doeth not forbid you to eate of the fruite, saue that he knoweth that if ye should eate thereof, ye should be like to him.

9. Ecclus.25.26. 1.tim.2.14.

10. Not so much to please his wife, as moued by ambition at her persuasion.

11. They began to feele their miserie, but they sought not to God for remedie.

12. Ebr. things to gird about them to hide their priuities.

13. Or, winde.

14. The sinfull conscience fleeth Gods presence.

15. His hypocrisie appeareth in that he hid the cause of his nakednesse, which was the transgression of Gods commandement.

16. His wickednes and lacke of true repentance appeareth in this, that he burdeneth God [wt] his fault, because he had giuen him a wife.

17. In stead of confessing her sinne, she increaseth it by accusing the serpent.

18. He asked the reason of Adam and his wife, because he woulde bring them to repentance, but he asketh not the serpent, because he would shewe him no mercie.

19. As a vile and contemptible beast, Isai.65.23.

20. He chiefly meaneth Sathan by whose motion and craft the serpent deceiued the woman.

21. That is, the power of sinne and death.

22. Satan shall sting Christ and his members, but not ouercome them.

23. The Lord comforteth Adam by the promes of the blessed seede, and also punisheth the body for the sinne, which the soule should haue bene punished for, that the spirit hauing conceiued hope of forgiuenesse, might liue by faith.

24. 1.Cor.14.34.

25. The transgression of Gods commandement was the cause that both mankind and all other creatures were subiect to the curse.

26. These are not the naturall fruits of the earth, but proceede of the corruption of sinne.

27. Or gaue them knowledge to make themselues coates.

28. By this derision he reprocheth Adams miserie, whereinto he was fallen by ambition.

29. Adam depriued of life, lost also the signe thereof.