UNkulunkulu wathi ku-Adamu, “Ungaze usidle [isithelo] uzakufa ngempela.” (UGenesisi 2:17) UNkulunkulu wayengasoze anike u-Adamu umthetho lo nxa kuyikuthi kwakumele aguge futhi afe. Kwakumele alalele akutshelwe nguNkulunkulu ukuze angafi.

Babengelasizatho sokudla izithelo zesihlahla lesi ngoba kwakulezihlahla ezinengi esivandeni. (UGenesisi 2:9) Ukungazidli izithelo lezo kwakuzatshengisa ukuthi balalela uMdali wabo onguye yedwa owayelelungelo lokubatshela okumele bakwenze.

Ake siqale sihlole ingxoxo eyabakhona esivandeni sase-Edeni ukuze sizwisise ukuthi kungani bafa. USathane uDeveli wasebenzisa inyoka ukuze aqambe amanga aluhlaza tshoko. IBhayibhili lisitshela ukuthi inyoka yayiliqili ukudlula zonke izinyamazana zeganga uNkulunkulu ayezenzile. Yathi ku-Eva: “Kambe uNkulunkulu watsho ngeqiniso wathi, ‘Lingadli noma yisiphi isihlahla esivandeni’?”​—UGenesisi 3:1.

U-Eva wathi kuyo: “Singadla izithelo zezihlahla esivandeni, kodwa uNkulunkulu watsho wathi, ‘Lingazidli izithelo zesihlahla esiphakathi laphakathi kwesivande, njalo lingasithinti funa life.’” Inyoka yathi kowesifazana: “Kalisoze life ngempela. Ngoba uNkulunkulu uyazi ukuthi lingasidla amehlo enu azavuleka, beselisiba njengoNkulunkulu, lazi okuhle lokubi.” Lapha uSathane ayekutsho yikuthi uJehova ulamanga njalo uncitsha u-Adamu lo-Eva inkululeko.​—UGenesisi 3:2-5.

U-Eva wakukholwa ayekutshelwa nguSathane. Wasibuka isihlahla wasibona sisihle, wakhangela isithelo samgobhozisa amathe yikho wasikha, wasesidla. IBhayibhili liqhubeka lisithi: “Wapha njalo ezinye indoda yakhe eyayilaye khonapho, layo yadla.”​—UGenesisi 3:6.

Kwamzwisa ubuhlungu kakhulu uJehova ukubona abantwabakhe abathandayo bemhlamukela. Manje wenzani? UJehova wathi ku-Adamu, ‘Uzabuyela emhlabathini njengoba wathathwa kuwo. Ngokuba uluthuli uzabuyela othulini.’ (UGenesisi 3:17-19) Lakanye yikho okwenzakalayo, ‘waphila iminyaka engu-930 wasesifa.’ (UGenesisi 5:5) U-Adamu kazange aye ezulwini kumbe endaweni yomoya. U-Adamu wayengekho engakadalwa nguNkulunkulu. Esefile wabuyela othulini ayethethwe kulo.

U-Adamu lo-Eva bephulela izigodo endlebeni, lokhu kwabangela ukuthi babe lesono baguge futhi bafe. Kuyadanisa ukuthi badlulisela isono ebantwaneni babo. URoma 5:12 uthi: “Ngakho-ke, njengoba isono sangena emhlabeni ngomuntu oyedwa [u-Adamu], lokufa kwangena ngesono, ngaleyondlela ukufa kwafika ebantwini bonke ngenxa yokuthi bonke bonile.”

IBhayibhili lithi isono lokufa “yisembeso esimboze abantu bonke, ilembu elembese izizwe zonke.” (U-Isaya 25:7) Isembeso lesi sigubuzele abantu njengenkungu eletshefu abangeke bayicatshele. Liqiniso sibili ukuthi ‘ku-Adamu bonke bayafa.’ (1 KwabaseKhorinte 15:22) Umphostoli uPhawuli wabuza wathi: “Kambe ngubani ozangikhulula emzimbeni lo ozangibulalisa?” Ukhona yini?​—KwabaseRoma 7:24.