003. Adam and Eve mar God’s Image, in verse

Adam

Hello, folks! I am Adam. Meet my wife Eve.

Eve

God made man in his likeness, and I am his wife
   God has made us one flesh for the rest of our life.

Precious love for each other grows stronger each day.
   We commune with our God in a most precious way

Adam

Look at these beautiful trees that God has made!

Prompter & Echoes

Some are very tall!

Eve

They grow here in the Garden of Eden where God planted them.
(If small children are present,
ask them to come stand by you and be trees,
holding their arms out like limbs.)

Adam

The trees are bearing good fruit now.
Their limbs sag under its weight.

Prompter & Echoes

Our limbs bend down!
(Lower arms, and have the children lower their arms a bit)

Eve

I am Eve the first lady; I’m glad I can be!
   And such beauty till now Adam never did see!

Adam now has a partner to his great delight!
   He is breathless with joy; it is love at first sight!

Adam

Our Creator has joined us as one, man and wife.
   All is good; all is joy, such a wonderful life!
We are innocent, pure and we’re totally free.
   Here in Eden pure beauty is all we can see!

Eve

A soft breeze blows, and trees clap their hands for joy!
(If children portray trees, ask them to clap their hands.)

Voice

The good fruit of these trees, you may eat and enjoy;
   All but one, because you it would surely destroy.
Do not taste of that one; though it pleases the eye.
   You will know good and bad, if its fruit you dare try.

Serpent

Indeed!
(Approach Eve, laugh fiendishly. Pronounce the s with a hiss.)
Listen to me, my sweet beauty!
Yes, I have good news for you!

Eve

Oh, hello! Well! One of the animals talks!
You’re beautiful and wise!

Serpent

Has God said you shall not eat from one of these trees?

Eve

He has said from all trees he permits us to eat;
   But that tree in the midst we can’t taste of its treat
God has said if we eat it we surely will die.
   We enjoy all the rest under heaven’s vast sky!

Serpent

You’ll not die! Its good fruit will soon open your eyes!
   God would hide from you both what would make you be wise.

You will be just like God, so there’s nothing to fear!
   So just taste and enjoy it, discover its cheer!
(Pretend to hand Eve the fruit.)

Eve

Now, why should we let such good fruit go to waste?
   Oh, it looks so delicious! Its joy I must taste.
It will make human beings become really smart!
   Although somehow I feel it is troubling my heart!
(Pretend to eat.)

Prompter & Echoes

Oh, no! She is eating it!

Eve

Here, husband, dear. (Pretend to hand the fruit to Adam.)
Try it. It’ll make you wise.
That beautiful, serpentine dragon said so.

Adam

  (Look fearfully from side to side. Then pretend to eat)
Mmm! (Look down.) Oh, no!

Prompter & Echoes

Oh, what has he done?

Adam

What’s gone wrong? We are naked; we are both all unclothed!
   We must dress ourselves now, as my sin I do loathe.
We had lacked this dire knowledge; the serpent’s to blame.
   Let these fig leaves conceal our sad guilt and our shame.

Prompter & Echoes

Guilt and shame!

Adam

I just heard a dread noise! It’s the sound God’s tread made;
   Let us hide, let’s be quick! For we’ve both disobeyed!
God now walks in the cool of the day in the garden.
   I’m afraid, for our shame he might never grant pardon.

Prompter & Echoes

Adam now knows good and evil!
(Pull Eve away from Voice.)

Voice

Adam! Adam! Where are you?

Adam

Oh, oh! Too late!

Voice

Adam!

Adam

I heard you, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.

Voice

Who told you that you were naked?
Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?

Adam

(Point at Eve) The woman you gave me, she gave it to me, and I ate.

Voice

Eve, what is this you have done?

Eve

(Point at Satan) The serpent deceived me.

Voice

Now the good and the evil they have come to discern.
   Lying serpent, with envy and hatred you burn.
We had made men unsullied, but you made them fall.
   Starting now, on your belly you’ll slither and crawl!

Serpent

(Scream and fall to your knees)
My legs are gone! I have no feet!

Prompter & Echoes

Crawl, Satan, crawl!

Voice

Between you and the woman there’ll be enmity.
   Her male child will condemn you for eternity.
Since you duped her; forever her seed you will dread.
   You will injure his heel; but he’ll crush your fanged head.

Adam

The serpent slithered away.
Now the Lord speaks to my wife Eve.

Voice

My dear daughter, from me you have wandered astray;
   Now your husband you’ll serve and be forced to obey.
You have tarnished my image; it has lost its full worth,
   And you’ll suffer great pain every time you give birth.

Eve

(Cover your face with your hands.) Oh, No!

Voice

Now you Adam, you brought on yourself sad defeat,
   You will sweat and you’ll toil for whatever you eat.
Piercing thorns and cruel weeds from the soil will now grow.
   Since from dust you have come, back to dust you will go.

Adam

Then the Lord drives us out of his grand paradise.
   Since our fig leaves required no blood sacrifice,
Our God made better garments from animal skins
   As son Cain would soon learn, only blood covers sins.

Voice

The first man did not heed the decree of his Lord.
   So an angel I’ve stationed with sharp, flaming sword
To forbid to all men Eden’s grand tree of life.
   Since they dared heed the devil, both the man and his wife

Prompter & Echoes

Paradise lost!