Visual Art ABM - The Beginning of Desire

(4) These are the generations of the heaven and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made earth and heaven. (5) No shrub of the field was yet in the earth, and no herb of the field had yet sprung up; for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground; (6) but there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground.

(7) Then 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 soul. (8) And the LORD God planted a garden eastward, in Eden; and there He put the man whom He had formed. (9) And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

(10) And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became four heads. (11) The name of the first is Pishon; that is it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold; (12) and the gold of that land is good; there is bdellium and the onyx stone. (13) And the name of the second river is Gihon; the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Cush. (14) And the name of the third river is Tigris; that is it which goeth toward the east of Asshur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.

(15) And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to work it and to guard it. (16) And the LORD God commanded the man, saying: ‘Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; (17) but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat of it; for in the day that you eat of it, you shalt surely die.’

(18) And the LORD God said: ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a help-meet for him.’ (19) And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto the man to see what he would call them; and whatsoever the man would call every living creature, that was to be the name thereof. (20) And the man gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found a help-meet for him.

(21) And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the place with flesh instead thereof. (22) And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from the man, made He a woman, and brought her unto the man. (23) And the man said: ‘This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.’

(24) Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh. (25) And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

(1) Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman: ‘Hey, has God said: You shall not eat of any tree of the garden?’ (2) And the woman said to the serpent: ‘Of the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; (3) but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said: You shall not eat of it, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’ (4) And the serpent said unto the woman: ‘You shall not surely die; (5) for God does know that in the day you eat of it, then your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be as God, knowing good and evil.’

(6) And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit, and did eat; and she gave also to her man with her, and he did eat. (7) And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig-leaves together, and made themselves skirts.

(8) And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden toward the cool of the day; and the man and his woman hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. (9) And the LORD God called unto the man, and said to him: ‘Where are you?’ (10) And he said: ‘I heard Your voice in the garden, 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 of the tree, that I commanded that you should not eat?’

(12) And the man said: ‘The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.’ (13) And the LORD God said to the woman: ‘What is this you have done?’ And the woman said: ‘The serpent tricked me, and I did eat.’

(14) And the LORD God said to the serpent: ‘Because you have done this, cursed are you from among all cattle, and from among all beasts of the field; upon your belly shall you go, and dust shall you eat all the days of your life. (15) And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; they shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise their heel.’ (16) To the woman God said: ‘I will greatly multiply your pain and your travail; in pain you shall bring forth children; and your desire shall be to your man, and he shall rule over you.’ (17) And unto Adam God said: ‘Because you hearkened to the voice of your woman, and ate of the tree, of which I commanded you, saying: You shall not eat of it; cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil shall you eat of it all the days of your life. (18) Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to you; and you shall eat the herb of the field. (19) In the sweat of your face shall you eat bread, till you eventually return to the ground; for out of it you were taken; for dust you are, and into dust shall you return.’

(20) And the man called his wife’s name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.

(21) And the LORD God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins, and clothed them. (22) And the LORD God said: ‘Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil; and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever.’ (23) Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. (24) So He drove out the man; and He placed at the east of the garden of Eden the cherubim, and the flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way to the tree of life.

(end of chapter)