GENESIS 1–3
In the very beginning, God created everything—from absolutely nothing!
The first thing God created was light. Then He created the sky and air so people and plants could breathe. He created plants and trees to provide food and shelter. He put the sun, moon, and stars in place.
Then God created animals: every kind of sea creature and every kind of bird. He filled the earth with animals that walked and crawled and growled and mooed and roared.
God finished by creating people—a man and a woman, each one specially created in His image. And God saw that everything He created was very good.
God gave the first people a rule to follow. “You may eat from any tree in the garden where you live,” He told them, “but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you do, on that day, you must die.”
Of all the animals, the serpent was the most crafty (sly and sneaky). He spoke to the woman one day: “Did God really say, ‘You cannot eat from any tree in the garden?’
”The woman corrected him: “We may eat from the trees in the garden, except for the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden. God said, ‘You must not eat or touch it, or you will die.’“
“You will not die!” said the serpent. “If you eat it, you will be like God.
”The woman ate the fruit and gave some to the man. Immediately, they realized what they had done and tried to hide from God. God confronted them and told them there would be consequences for their sin. He provided clothing for the man and woman and sent them away from the garden of Eden.