A reading from the book of Genesis.

God fashioned an earth creature out of the clay of the earth and blew into its nostrils the breath of life, and so the earth creature became a living being.

God planted a garden in Eden, which is in the east, and placed in it the earth creature which God had formed.  Then God caused to spring up from the soil every kind of tree, enticing to look at and good to eat, with the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil in the middle of the garden.

Now the serpent was more cunning than any of the animals of the field that Our God had made.  It asked the woman, “Did God really tell you not to eat from any of the trees in the garden?”

The woman answered the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees in the garden.  But of the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden, God said, ‘Do not eat it or touch it, or you will die.’ ”       But the serpent said to the woman, “No!  You will not die!  God knows well that on the day you eat it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”  The woman saw that the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and that it was desirable for the knowledge that it could give.  So she took some of its fruit and ate it.  She gave some also to the man, who was with her, and he ate it.  Then the eyes of both were opened, and they realized that they were naked.  So they sewed fig leaves together to make loincloths for themselves.

The Word of God recorded in the book of Genesis.

R: Have mercy on me, O God, in Your goodness.

Have mercy on me, O God, in Your goodness,

in Your great tenderness wipe away my faults;

Wash me clean of my guilt

purify me from my sin.

R: Have mercy on me, O God, in Your goodness.

For I am well aware of my faults,

I have my sin constantly in mind.

Having sinned against none other than You,

having done what You regard as wrong.

R: Have mercy on me, O God, in Your goodness.

God, create a clean heart in me,

put into me a new and constant spirit,

Do not banish me from Your presence,

do not deprive me of Your Holy Spirit.

R: Have mercy on me, O God, in Your goodness.

Be my savior again, renew my joy,

keep my spirit steady and willing;

Open my lips,

and my mouth will speak out Your praise.

R: Have mercy on me, O God, in Your goodness.