GENESIS 1-4

    Long ago,when things began, God made our World . He made the sun to light the day. He made the moon and stars for the night. He made the sky and land and sea.

       He made birds to fly in the sky,fish to swim in the sea, and animals for the land.God looked around at all that he had made,and he was pleased. It was very good. The world was ready for people. So God made a man and a woman- Adam and Eve.

       God put Adam and Eve in charge of his new world-to look after the plants and trees, the birds and fish and animals. He gave them a lovely place to live in. There were cool rivers,shady trees, and all kinds of fruit to eat. The place was called the garden of Eden.

      Adam and Eve were very happy.There was just one thing that God told them they must never do. They were not  to eat the fruit of one special tree-the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If they did, God said they would die. So Adam and Eve lived as God's friends. And did as he said.

     But there was someone who wanted to spoil God's world. One day, as Eve was walking past the special  tree the tree of the knowledge of good and evil-she heard the soft, hissing voice of the snake.

     'See how good this fruit is. Doesn't it make your mouth water? why not try it? The fruit will make you wise. If you eat it you will be as clever as God is.'

      Eve listened to the snakes's soft voice. she looked at the fruit. And she forget how good and kind God was. she wanted to be as clever as God. She wanted to do as she liked.

      Eve stretched out her hand and picked the fruit . She began to eat- and she gave some to Adam. From that moment things began to go wrong. God knew what Adam and Eve had done. No one can hide anything from him. Adam and Eve weren't God's friends any more, and he sent them away.

        They had to leave the garden of Eden, where they had been so happy, where they had walked and talked with God. An angel with  a sword stood guard to stop them ever coming back.

         Now they had to work hard, so hard that they ached with tiredness. They learnt what pain felt like. But worst of all. God's dreadful warning came true: they knew that when they grew old, they would die.

        After they left the garden of Eden, Adam and Eve had two sons: Cain and Abel. When they grew up, Cain became a farmer, digging the soil and planting his crops. Abel looked  after his father's flocks. He was a shepherd.

       At harvest time Cain brought some of his crops and gave them as a present to God. It was his way of saying thank you. Abel gave God one of his lambs. They were good presents. But we can't buy God's love with presents. He looks to  see what kind of people we are .

       Abel was a good man, so God was pleased with Abel's present. But Cain was jealous and angry. He hated his brother Abel. And he knew that God was not pleased  with his present .

       One day, out in the fields, Cain killed Abel. He thought no one had seen him. But God knew what he had done. God punished Cain by sending him away from his home and family for ever. God's new world, the world  that was so good, was already being spoilt.