Theophilus to Autolycus

“Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And the serpent said to the woman, Why has God said, You shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We eat of every tree of the garden, 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. And the serpent said unto the woman, You shall not surely die. For God does know that in the day you eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

And the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise; and having taken of the fruit thereof, she ate, and gave also unto her husband with her: and they ate. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.

And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where are you? And he said unto Him, I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself. And He said unto him, Who told you that you were naked, unless you have eaten of the tree whereof I commanded you that you should not eat? And Adam said, The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate. And God said to the woman, What is this that you have done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I ate.

And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because you have done this, you are accursed above all the beasts of the earth; on your breast and belly shall you go, and dust shall you eat all the days of your life: and I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; it shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel. And to the woman He said, I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your travail: in sorrow shall you bring forth children; and your desire shall be to your husband, and he shall rule over you.

And to Adam He said, Because you have hearkened unto the voice of your wife, and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, saying, You shall not eat of it; cursed is the ground in your works: in sorrow shall you eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles shall it bring forth to you; and you shall eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of your face shall you eat your bread, till you return unto the earth; for out of it were you taken: for dust you are, and unto dust shall you return.” Such is the account given by holy Scripture of the history of man and of Paradise.