UZimu wathi ku-Adamu: “Mhlana uwudlako [umuthi] uzokufa kokufa.” (Genesisi 2:17) UZimu bekangekhe atjho njalo ngathana vele bekadale u-Adamu bona afe ngokukhamba kwesikhathi. U-Adamu bekazi ukuthi nakangekhe adle emthini, bekangekhe afe.

Umuthi loyo bekungasikuphela komuthi onokudla, bekunemithi eminengi khulu eneenthelo engadini. (Genesisi 2:9) Ngathana akhenge badla emthini lo bebazabe batjengise ukuthi bathobekile kiLoyo obanikele ukuphila.

Nasizakuzwisisa bona kubayini u-Adamu no-Eva bafa, kufuze sifunde ngokukhulumisana okwakhamba ibanga elide. USathana wasebenzisa inyoka ukukhuluma amala alihlaza. IBhayibheli lithi: “Inyoka gade inobuqili ukudlula ezinye iinlwana zommango uZimu azenzileko. Yabuza umfazi yathi: ‘Kuliqiniso bona uZimu unalele ukudla kinanyana ngimuphi umuthi osesivandeni na?’”—Genesisi 3:1.

U-Eva waphendula wathi: “Awa, singadla isithelo sananyana ngimuphi umuthi esivandeni, kodwana uZimu uthe, ‘Ningadli isithelo somuthi ophakathi nesivande begodu ningawuthinti ukuze ningafi.’” Ngemva kwalokho inyoka yathi: “Awa, anikazukufa! Kuhlekuhle uZimu uyazi bonyana mhlazana nisidlako, amehlwenu azokuvuleka, nibe nokwazi koke njengoZimu.” Ngokutjho njalo uSathana wathi uJehova unamala, bekafihlela ababelethi bethu bokuthoma izinto ezihle.—Genesisi 3:2-5.

U-Eva wakholwa uSathana. Bekasolo aqale umuthi lo. Wawubona umuhle, begodu wawurhalela. Welula isandla sakhe wakha isithelo, wasidla. IBhayibheli lithi: “Yeke wakha iinthelo kiwo wadla, wanikela nendodakhe egade inaye, nayo yadla.”—Genesisi 3:6.

Lokho kwamdanisa tle uZimu, wabona ukuthi abantwana bakhe abathandako bakhethe ukungamlaleli. Alo wenzani? Wathi ku-Adamu: ‘Uzokubuyela ehlabathini. Iye, wathathwa kiyo begodu njengombana ulithuli nje, uzakubuyela ethulini.’ (Genesisi 3:17-19) Ngebanga lalokho, “yoke iminyaka u-Adamu ayiphilako imakhulu alithoba namatjhumi amathathu, emva kwalapho wahlongakala.” (Genesisi 5:5) U-Adamu akhenge aye ezulwini namkha aragele phambili aphila kenye indawo. Bekangekho ngaphambi kobana uJehova ambumbe, wambumba ngehlabathi. Yeke nakafako,  wabuyela ethulini athathwa kilo. Akhenge asaba khona. Kubuhlungu kwamambala lokho.

U-Adamu no-Eva akhenge balalela uZimu, yeke babanesono balahlekelwa lithemba lokuphila phakade. Batjhuguluka, babanesono. Isono sabo akhenge sibambe bona kwaphela. sadlulisela nebantwaneni babo. Umtlolo webeRoma 5:12 uthi: “Yeke njengombana isono seza ephasini ngomuntu munye, ukufa kwangena ngesono, ngaleyondlela ukufa kwadlulela kibo boke abantu ngombana boke bonile.”

IBhayibheli lihlathulula isono nokufa ngokuthi “sigubuzeso esisebusweni babantu boke ekuyingubo embese zoke izizwe.” (Isaya 25:7) Isigubuzesweso sisitha abantu njengekungu esingeze sayibalekela. Liqiniso “Ku-Adamu boke bayafa.” (1 Korinte 15:22) Njengombana umpostoli uPowula abuza, njenganje umbuzo kukuthi “Ngubani ozongikhulula kilomzimba wokufa na?”—Roma 7:24.