¹ Und die Schlange war listiger denn alle Tiere auf dem Felde, die Gott der HERR gemacht hatte, und sprach zu dem Weibe: Ja, sollte Gott gesagt haben: Ihr sollt nicht essen von allerlei Bäumen im Garten.

² Da sprach das Weib zu der Schlange: Wir essen von den Früchten der Bäume im Garten;

³ aber von den Früchten des Baumes mitten im Garten hat Gott gesagt: Esset nicht davon, rühret es auch nicht an, daß ihr nicht sterbet!

⁴ Da sprach die Schlange zum Weibe: Ihr werdet mitnichten des Todes sterben;

⁵ sondern Gott weiß, daß, welches Tages ihr davon esset, so werden eure Augen aufgetan, und werdet sein wie Gott und wissen, was gut und böse ist.

⁶ Und das Weib schauete an, daß von dem Baum gut zu essen wäre und lieblich anzusehen, daß es ein lustiger Baum wäre, weil er klug machte, und nahm von der Frucht und aß und gab ihrem Mann auch davon, und er aß.

⁷ Da wurden ihrer beiden Augen aufgetan und wurden gewahr, daß sie nackend waren, und flochten Feigenblätter zusammen und machten ihnen Schürze.

⁸ Und sie höreten die Stimme Gottes des HERRN, der im Garten ging, da der Tag kühl worden war. Und Adam versteckte sich mit seinem Weibe vor dem Angesicht Gottes des HERRN unter die Bäume im Garten.

⁹ Und Gott der HERR rief Adam und sprach zu ihm: Wo bist du?

¹⁰ Und er sprach: Ich hörete deine Stimme im Garten und fürchtete mich, denn ich bin nackend; darum versteckte ich mich.

¹¹ Und er sprach: Wer hat dir's gesagt, daß du nackend bist? Hast du nicht gegessen von dem Baum, davon ich dir gebot, du solltest nicht davon essen?

¹² Da sprach Adam: Das Weib, das du mir zugesellet hast, gab mir von dem Baum, und ich aß.

¹³ Da sprach Gott der HERR zum Weibe: Warum hast du das getan? Das Weib sprach: Die Schlange betrog mich also, daß ich aß.

¹⁴ Da sprach Gott der HERR zu der Schlange: Weil du solches getan hast, seiest du verflucht vor allem Vieh und vor allen Tieren auf dem Felde. Auf deinem Bauch sollst du gehen und Erde essen dein Leben lang.

¹⁵ Und ich will Feindschaft setzen zwischen dir und dem Weibe und zwischen deinem Samen und ihrem Samen. Der selbe soll dir den Kopf zertreten, und du wirst ihn in die Ferse stechen.

¹⁶ Und zum Weibe sprach er: Ich will dir viel Schmerzen schaffen, wenn du schwanger wirst; du sollst mit Schmerzen Kinder gebären; und dein Wille soll deinem Mann unterworfen sein, und er soll dein HERR sein.

¹⁷ Und zu Adam sprach er: Dieweil du hast gehorchet der Stimme deines Weibes und gegessen von dem Bäume, davon ich dir gebot und sprach: Du sollst nicht davon essen; verflucht sei der Acker um deinetwillen; mit Kummer sollst du dich drauf nähren dein Leben lang.

¹⁸ Dornen und Disteln soll er dir tragen, und sollst das Kraut auf dem Felde essen.

¹⁹ Im Schweiß deines Angesichts sollst du dein Brot essen, bis daß du wieder zu Erde werdest, davon du genommen bist. Denn du bist Erde und sollst zu Erde werden.

²⁰ Und Adam hieß sein Weib Heva, darum daß sie eine Mutter ist aller Lebendigen.

²¹ Und Gott der HERR machte Adam und seinem Weibe Röcke von Fellen und zog sie ihnen an,

²² Und Gott der HERR sprach: Siehe, Adam ist worden als unsereiner und weiß, was gut und böse ist. Nun aber, daß er nicht ausstrecke seine Hand und breche auch von dem Baum des Lebens und esse und lebe ewiglich:

²³ da ließ ihn Gott der HERR aus dem Garten Eden, daß er das Feld bauete, davon er genommen ist,

²⁴ und trieb Adam aus und lagerte vor den Garten Eden den Cherub mit einem bloßen hauenden Schwert, zu bewahren den Weg zu dem Baum des Lebens.

¹ The word of Yahweh came to me again, saying,

² What do you mean, that you use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge?

³ As I live, says the Lord Yahweh, you shall not have [occasion] any more to use this proverb in Israel.

⁴ Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul who sins, he shall die.

⁵ But if a man is just, and does that which is lawful and right,

⁶ and has not eaten on the mountains, neither has lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, neither has defiled his neighbor's wife, neither has come near to a woman in her impurity,

⁷ and has not wronged any, but has restored to the debtor his pledge, has taken nothing by robbery, has given his bread to the hungry, and has covered the naked with a garment;

⁸ he who has not given forth on interest, neither has taken any increase, who has withdrawn his hand from iniquity, has executed true justice between man and man,

⁹ has walked in my statutes, and has kept my ordinances, to deal truly; he is just, he shall surely live, says the Lord Yahweh.

¹⁰ If he fathers a son who is a robber, a shedder of blood, and who does any one of these things,

¹¹ and who does not any of those [duties], but even has eaten on the mountains, and defiled his neighbor's wife,

¹² has wronged the poor and needy, has taken by robbery, has not restored the pledge, and has lifted up his eyes to the idols, has committed abomination,

¹³ has given forth on interest, and has taken increase; shall he then live? he shall not live: he has done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be on him.

¹⁴ Now, behold, if he fathers a son, who sees all his father's sins, which he has done, and fears, and does not such like;

¹⁵ who has not eaten on the mountains, neither has lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, has not defiled his neighbor's wife,

¹⁶ neither has wronged any, has not taken anything to pledge, neither has taken by robbery, but has given his bread to the hungry, and has covered the naked with a garment;

¹⁷ who has withdrawn his hand from the poor, who has not received interest nor increase, has executed my ordinances, has walked in my statutes; he shall not die for the iniquity of his father, he shall surely live.

¹⁸ As for his father, because he cruelly oppressed, robbed his brother, and did that which is not good among his people, behold, he shall die in his iniquity.

¹⁹ Yet you say, Why doesn't the son bear the iniquity of the father? When the son has done that which is lawful and right, and has kept all my statutes, and has done them, he shall surely live.

²⁰ The soul who sins, he shall die: the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son; the righteousness of the righteous shall be on him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be on him.

²¹ But if the wicked turn from all his sins that he has committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die.

²² None of his transgressions that he has committed shall be remembered against him: in his righteousness that he has done he shall live.

²³ Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked? says the Lord Yahweh; and not rather that he should return from his way, and live?

²⁴ But when the righteous turns away from his righteousness, and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live? None of his righteous deeds that he has done shall be remembered: in his trespass that he has trespassed, and in his sin that he has sinned, in them shall he die.

²⁵ Yet you say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, house of Israel: Is my way not equal? Aren't your ways unequal?

²⁶ When the righteous man turns away from his righteousness, and commits iniquity, and dies therein; in his iniquity that he has done shall he die.

²⁷ Again, when the wicked man turns away from his wickedness that he has committed, and does that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive.

²⁸ Because he considers, and turns away from all his transgressions that he has committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.

²⁹ Yet says the house of Israel, The way of the Lord is not equal. house of Israel, are not my ways equal? Aren't your ways unequal?

³⁰ Therefore I will judge you, house of Israel, everyone according to his ways, says the Lord Yahweh. Return, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.

³¹ Cast away from you all your transgressions, in which you have transgressed; and make yourself a new heart and a new spirit: for why will you die, house of Israel?

³² For I have no pleasure in the death of him who dies, says the Lord Yahweh: therefore turn yourselves, and live.