Genesis 2:8-17

8The Lord God planted a garden. It was in the east, in a place called Eden. God took the man that he had made and he put him in the garden.

9The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow from the ground there. The trees were beautiful to look at. The fruit from the trees was good for people to eat. In the middle of the garden were two special trees. One was the tree that gives life. The other was the tree that gives knowledge of what is good and what is evil.

10A river began in Eden. It went through the garden and it gave water for the ground. After that, it became four separate rivers.

11The name of the first river is the Pishon. It goes through the whole land of Havilah. There is gold in that land.

12The gold there is very good. Bdellium and onyx stone are also in Havilah.

13The name of the second river is the Gihon. It goes through the whole land of Cush.

14The third river is called the Tigris. It goes along the east side of Assyria. The fourth river is called the Euphrates.

15The Lord God took the man and he put him in the Garden of Eden. God wanted the man to work in the garden and to take care of it.

16Then the Lord God told the man, ‘You may eat the fruit from any tree in the garden, as much as you like.

17But you must not eat any fruit from the tree that gives knowledge of good and evil. If you do eat fruit from that tree, that day you will certainly die.’