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The Fall
3 Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God said, ‘You shall not eat of any tree of the garden’?”
2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit from the trees of the garden; 3 but from the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You will not eat of it, nor will you touch it, or else you will die.’ ”
4 Then the serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! 5 For God knows that on the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasing to the eyes and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she gave to her husband with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. So they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
8 Then they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 The Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”
10 He said, “I heard Your voice in the garden and was afraid because I was naked, so 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 not to eat?”
12 The man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.”
13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What have you done?”
And the woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
14 The Lord God said to the serpent: “Because you have done this,
You are cursed above all livestock,
and above every beast of the field;
you will go on your belly,
and you will eat dust
all the days of your life.
15 I will put enmity
between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring;
he will bruise your head,
and you will bruise his heel.”
16 To the woman He said,
“I will greatly multiply your pain in childbirth,
and in pain you will bring forth children;
your desire will be for your husband,
and he will rule over you.”
17 And to Adam He said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it,’
Cursed is the ground on account of you;
in hard labor you will eat of it
all the days of your life.
18 Thorns and thistles it will bring forth for you,
and you will eat the plants of the field.
19 By the sweat of your face
you will eat bread
until you return to the ground,
because out of it you were taken;
for you are dust,
and to dust you will return.”
20 The man called his wife’s name Eve because she was the mother of all the living.
21 The Lord God made garments of skins for both Adam and his wife and clothed them. 22 The Lord God said, “The man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil. And now, he might reach out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”— 23 therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he was taken. 24 He drove the man out, and at the east of the garden of Eden He placed the cherubim and a flaming sword which turned in every direction, to guard the way to the tree of life.
Cain and Abel
4 Adam had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived, gave birth to Cain and said, “I have gotten a man with the help of the Lord.” 2 Then she gave birth again to his brother Abel.
And Abel was a keeper of flocks, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. 3 In the course of time Cain brought an offering to the Lord of the fruit of the ground. 4 Abel also brought the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had respect for Abel and for his offering, 5 but for Cain and for his offering, He did not have respect. And Cain was very angry and his countenance fell.
6 The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your countenance fallen? 7 If you do well, shall you not be accepted?[a] But if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. It desires to dominate you, but you must rule over it.”
8 Cain told Abel his brother. And it came about, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.
9 The Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?”
He said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”
10 And then He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying out to Me from the ground. 11 Now you are cursed from the ground which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12 From now on when you till the ground, it will not yield for you its best. You will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.”
13 Then Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is more than I can bear. 14 You have driven me out this day from the face of the earth, and from your face will I be hidden; and I will be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth, and it will happen that anyone who finds me will kill me.”
15 So the Lord said to him, “Therefore whoever kills Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold.” Then the Lord put a mark upon Cain, so that no one finding him would kill him. 16 Then Cain went out from the presence of the Lord and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.
17 Cain had relations with his wife, and she conceived and gave birth to Enoch. He built a city and called the name of the city after the name of his son, Enoch. 18 To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad was the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael was the father of Methushael, and Methushael was the father of Lamech.
19 Lamech took two wives. The name of one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah. 20 Adah gave birth to Jabal. He was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock. 21 His brother’s name was Jubal. He was the father of all those who play the harp and flute. 22 Zillah gave birth to Tubal-Cain, a forger of every tool of bronze and iron. The sister of Tubal-Cain was Naamah.
23 Lamech said to his wives:
“Adah and Zillah, hear my voice,
you wives of Lamech, and listen to my speech.
For I have killed a man for wounding me,
a young man who hurt me.
24 If Cain will be avenged sevenfold,
then truly Lamech seventy-sevenfold.”
25 Adam had relations with his wife again, and she had another son and called his name Seth, for she said, “God has granted me another offspring instead of Abel because Cain killed him.” 26 To Seth also was born a son, and he called his name Enosh.
At that time men began to call on the name of the Lord.
The Escape to Egypt
13 Now when they departed, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and escape to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word. For Herod will seek the young Child to kill Him.”
14 When he rose, he took the young Child and His mother by night, and departed into Egypt, 15 and remained there until the death of Herod, to fulfill what the Lord had spoken through the prophet, “Out of Egypt I have called My Son.”[a]
The Killing of the Infants
16 Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, was utterly furious and sent forth and killed all the male children who were in Bethlehem and the surrounding region, from two years old and under, based on the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet:
18 “In Ramah a voice was heard,
grieving and weeping and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children,
and she would not be comforted,
because they are no more.”[b]
The Return From Egypt
19 But when Herod was dead, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20 saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go into the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child’s life are dead.”
21 And he rose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus reigned in Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Nevertheless, being warned by God in a dream, he withdrew to the region of Galilee. 23 And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, “He shall be called a Nazarene.”
The Preaching of John the Baptist(A)
3 In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying:
“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord;
make His paths straight.’ ”[c]
4 This same John had clothing made of camel’s hair, a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then Jerusalem, and all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him, 6 and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.
Psalm 2
1 Why do the nations rage,
and the peoples plot in vain?
2 The kings of the earth set themselves,
and the rulers take counsel together,
against the Lord
and against His anointed, saying,
3 “Let us tear off their bonds
and cast away their ropes from us.”
4 He who sits in the heavens laughs;
the Lord ridicules them.
5 Then He will speak to them in His wrath
and terrify them in His burning anger:
6 “I have installed My king
on Zion, My holy hill.”
7 I will declare the decree of the Lord:
He said to me, “You are My son;
this day have I begotten you.
8 Ask of Me,
and I will give you the nations for your inheritance,
and the ends of the earth for your possession.
9 You will break them with a scepter of iron;
you will dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”
10 Now then, you kings, be wise;
be admonished, you judges of the earth.
11 Serve the Lord with fear;
tremble with trepidation!
12 Kiss the son, lest He become angry,
and you perish in the way,
for His wrath kindles in a flash.
Blessed are all who seek refuge in Him.
7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
The Prologue: Embrace Wisdom
8 My son, hear the instruction of your father,
and do not forsake the teaching of your mother;
9 for they will be a garland of grace on your head,
and chains about your neck.
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.