02-00
Sin Enters the World
This title can also be translated as: “About how people began to sin” or “How did people begin to sin?”
02-01
the beautiful garden
This refers to a special collection of trees and plants that God prepared for Adam and Eve to enjoy and from which to eat. This should be the same word that was used in 01:11. See how you translated it there.
shame
the feeling that comes with knowing we have sinned or that we fall short in some way
talked with God
The word for talk should be the same as would be used to refer to talking to a human being. God may have taken a physical form to talk to the man and the woman since the text indicates that they talked to him face-to-face.
02-02
a snake
This refers to an elongated, legless creature that now moves by wiggling on its belly. Although later on in the story it is revealed that Satan spoke through the snake, this should not be said here in this frame.
crafty
clever and sly, with the intent to deceive
He asked the woman, “Did God really tell you not to eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”
This is direct quotation. It can also be stated as an indirect quotation: “He asked the woman if God had really told her not to eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden.” (See: [[https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-quotations/01.md]])
Did God really tell you not to eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?
This is a rhetorical question. The snake asked the woman whether God actually said not to eat from any of the trees in the garden. But he was only pretending that he didn’t know what God had said because he wanted to create doubt in the woman’s mind. He wanted her to question God’s goodness. (See: [[https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-rquestion/01.md]])
you
If your language has different words for you depending on the number of people intended, use the plural form. God had given this command to both the man and the woman. (See: [[https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-pronouns/01.md]])
the fruit from any of the trees
This refers to all of the various types of fruit from each of the different trees in the garden.
02-03
The woman answered, “God told us we could eat the fruit of any tree except from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God told us, ‘If you eat that fruit or even touch it, you will die.’”
This is direct quotation. It can also be stated as an indirect quotation: “The woman answered that God had told them that they could eat the fruit of any tree except from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and that if they ate that fruit or even touched it, they would die.” (See: [[https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-quotations/01.md]])
If you eat that fruit or even touch it, you will die
If your language has different words for you depending on the number of people intended, use the plural form. God had given this command to both the man and the woman. (See: [[https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-pronouns/01.md]])
the fruit
We don’t know what kind of fruit this was. We only know that it grew on this tree. If possible, it is best to use a general word for fruit here, and not a word for a specific kind of fruit.
the tree of the knowledge of good and evil
The woman correctly understood that they were not allowed to eat from this one tree that would enable them to understand evil as well as good.
you will die
Use your ordinary word for death, for a person’s physical life to end. Don’t avoid the term just because the thought of death sounds too harsh.
02-04
The snake responded to the woman, “That is not true! You will not die. God just knows that as soon as you eat it, you will be like God and will understand good and evil like he does.”
This is direct quotation. It can also be stated as an indirect quotation: “The snake responded to the woman that this was not true! They would not die. God just knew that as soon as they ate it, they would be like God and would understand good and evil like he does.” (See: [[https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-quotations/01.md]])
You will not die. God just knows that as soon as you eat it, you will be like God
If your language has different words for you depending on the number of people intended, use the plural form. Satan was speaking about what would happen to both the man and the woman. (See: [[https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-pronouns/01.md]])
like God
The man and the woman were already made in the likeness of God. The snake is suggesting that the woman would be more like God if she understood evil. However, God never intended for her to have this knowledge.
will understand good and evil
To know from personal experience what things are good and what things are bad, or being able to know whether something is good or bad.
good and evil
This is a merism. Good and evil are two extremes that represent everything in between them. Satan is saying that they would understand everthing about what is right and wrong. (See: [[https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-merism/01.md]])
02-05
wise
The woman wanted to have insight and understanding like the snake seemed to have, and like God has.
who was with her
This is important information because it shows that the man was present when the woman made the decision to eat the fruit.
02-06
their eyes were opened
This expression means they now understood something for the first time. This could be translated as: “they saw things differently.” In your language, there may be an expression with similar meaning that you could use to translate this. (See: [[https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-idiom/01.md]])
they realized they were naked
After the man and the woman disobeyed God, they felt ashamed that they were naked. That is why they used leaves to try to cover their naked bodies.
They tried to cover their bodies
The man and the woman tried to cover their bodies in order to hide from God because they were ashamed that they were naked. You may want to make that explicit. Alternate translation: “They were ashamed that they were naked, and tried to cover their bodies to hide from God” (See: [[https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-explicit/01.md]])
02-07
God walking
It seems that God regularly came to the garden to walk and talk with the man and the woman. We do not know what this looked like. If it is possible, it is best to use the same word that would be used to talk about a person walking.
Then God called to the man, “Where are you?”
This is direct quotation. It can also be stated as an indirect quotation: “Then God called to the man and asked him where he was.” (See: [[https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-quotations/01.md]])
Where are you?
This is a rhetorical question. God already knew the answer to this question. The purpose of the question was to force the man and the woman to explain why they were hiding. (See: [[https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-rquestion/01.md]])
you
If your language has different words for you depending on the number of people intended, use the singular form. God was speaking only to the man. (See: [[https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-pronouns/01.md]])
Adam replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked. So I hid.”
This is direct quotation. It can also be stated as an indirect quotation: “Adam replied that he heard God walking in the garden, and was afraid, because he was naked. So he hid.” (See: [[https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-quotations/01.md]])
02-08
Then God asked, “Who told you that you were naked? Did you eat the fruit I told you not to eat?”
This is direct quotation. It can also be stated as an indirect quotation: “Then God asked who told Adam, that he were naked, and it he had eaten the fruit that God told him not to eat.” (See: [[https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-quotations/01.md]])
Who told you that you were naked?
Or, “How did you find out that you were naked?” God already knows the answer to all of his questions. By asking this question and the following question, he was giving Adam the opportunity to admit his sin of disobedience. Being naked was not a sin. God created them that way. Their knowledge of their nakedness was the problem. Their shame showed that they had sinned. (See: [[https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-rquestion/01.md]])
Did you eat the fruit I told you not to eat?
This is a rhetorical question. God already knew that Adam had eaten the fruit that God had told him not to eat. This can be translated as: a statement: “You ate the fruit that I told you not to eat!” (See: [[https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-rquestion/01.md]])
she gave me the fruit
The man blamed the woman rather than confessing his disobedience and accepting responsibility for disobeying God.
Then God asked the woman, “What have you done?”
This is direct quotation. It can also be stated as an indirect quotation: “Then God asked the woman what she had done.” (See: [[https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-quotations/01.md]])
What have you done?
Or, “Why have you done this?” God already knew the answer to this question. By asking this question, he was giving the woman the opportunity to admit her guilt. He was also implying that she should not have done what she did. (See: [[https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-rquestion/01.md]])
The snake tricked me
The snake deceived or misled her. He lied to her. Don’t use a word that indicates that he cast a spell on her or bewitched her. The woman blamed the snake rather than confessing her disobedience and accepting responsibility for disobeying God.
02-09
You are cursed!
This could also be translated as: “I curse you!” or “Great harm will come to you.” Do not use a word that implies magic.
will hate each other
The woman would hate the snake and the snake would hate the woman. The women’s descendants would also hate the snake’s descendants, and the snake’s descendants would hate them.
The woman’s descendant
Refers to one of her descendants in particular.
will crush your head
The descendant of the woman will destroy the descendant of the snake.
will wound his heel
The descendant of the snake will wound the descendant of the woman.
02-10
childbirth very painful
Some languages may need to express this as a verb. You could say: I will cause you to have much more pain when you give birth to children.
02-11
the ground is cursed
As punishment for Adam’s disobedience, the earth would no longer be fruitful. Adam would have to work very hard to raise enough food to eat.
you will die
The ultimate punishment for their disobedience was death. Spiritual death is our separation from God. Physical death is our separation from our body.
will return to soil
God created Adam from the soil and gave him life. As a result of sin, his life will be taken from him and his body will decompose and become soil again.
Eve, which means life-giver
God gave life to Adam and Eve, and it is passed on to every person through childbirth.
the mother of all people
This means that she would be the female ancestor of all people. Some languages might say she would be the grandmother of all people.
02-12
like us by knowing good and evil
Here, this phrase points to a new way that Adam and Eve would be like God. Because they had sinned, they were aware of evil and could experience it. You could say: “because now they knew both good and evil.”
like us
The Bible teaches that there is one God, but the Old Testament word God is a plural form, and God uses plural pronouns when speaking to himself. Some understand this as a special way of speaking that expresses God’s majesty, and others understand this as God the Father speaking to the Son and the Spirit, who are all God. (See: [[https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-pronouns/01.md]])
good and evil
This is a merism. Good and evil are two extremes that represent everything in between them. God is saying that they would understand everything about what is right and wrong. (See: [[https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-merism/01.md]])
they must not be allowed
This can be stated in active form: “we must not allow them” (See: [[https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-activepassive/01.md]])
the fruit
The specific kind of fruit is not revealed, so it is best to translate this using a general word for fruit.
the tree of life
This was an actual tree with fruit (See: 01:11). If a person ate this fruit, he would live continually and never die.
A Bible story from
These references may be slightly different in some Bible translations.