UNkulunkulu wathi ku-Adamu: “Ngosuku oyodla ngalo [kulesi sihlahla] uyokufa nokufa.” (Genesise 2:17) UNkulunkulu wayengeke asho la mazwi uma u-Adamu wayevele edalelwe ukuba aguge bese eyafa. U-Adamu wayazi ukuthi uma engadli kulesi sihlahla wayengeke afe.

U-Adamu no-Eva babengazidingi izithelo zaleso sihlahla ukuze baphile, ngoba zaziziningi izihlahla ababengadla kuzo. (Genesise 2:9) Ukungadli kuleso sihlahla kwakuzobonisa ukuthi balalela uNkulunkulu, okunguyena owabanika ukuphila. Kwakuzobonisa nokuthi bayaqaphela ukuthi uNkulunkulu unegunya lokubatshela ukuthi benzeni.

Ukuze siqonde ukuthi kungani u-Adamu no-Eva bafa, kufanele sihlole ingxoxo eyaba nemiphumela esithintayo nathi. USathane, uDeveli, waqamba amanga esebenzisa inyoka. IBhayibheli lithi: “Inyoka yayiqaphe kunazo zonke izilwane zasendle uJehova uNkulunkulu ayezenzile. Ngakho yathi kowesifazane: ‘Ingabe uNkulunkulu ushilo ngempela ukuthi akumelwe nidle kuyo yonke imithi yensimu?’”—Genesise 3:1.

U-Eva wathi: “Singazidla izithelo zemithi yensimu. Kodwa ngokuqondene nokudla izithelo zomuthi ophakathi nensimu, uNkulunkulu uthé, ‘Ningadli kuwo, cha, ningawuthinti ukuze ningafi.’” Inyoka yathi kowesifazane: “Ngokuqinisekile ngeke nife. Yingoba uNkulunkulu uyazi ukuthi ngalo kanye usuku enidla ngalo kuwo nakanjani amehlo enu ayovuleka futhi nakanjani niyoba njengoNkulunkulu, nazi okuhle nokubi.” Ngokusho lokhu, uSathane wayethi uNkulunkulu ungumqambimanga oncisha abazali bethu bokuqala izinto ezinhle.—Genesise 3:2-5.

U-Eva wakukholwa lokho ayekuzwa. Wasibuka isihlahla. Sasisihle futhi sihalisa! Wakha izithelo zaso, wadla. IBhayibheli libe selithi: “Kamuva wanika nomyeni wakhe lapho esekanye naye, naye wadla.”—Genesise 3:6.

Kufanele ukuba uNkulunkulu waphatheka kabi lapho ebona ukuthi izingane zakhe azithandayo zazingamlalelanga ngamabomu. Yini ayenza? UJehova wathi ku-Adamu: ‘Uzobuyela emhlabathini, ngoba wathathwa kuwo. Ngoba uluthuli, uyobuyela othulini.’ (Genesise 3:17-19) Nangempela, “zizonke izinsuku zika-Adamu aziphila zaba iminyaka engamakhulu ayisishiyagalolunye namashumi amathathu, wayesefa.” (Genesise 5:5) U-Adamu akazange aye ezulwini noma kwenye indawo yemimoya. Ngaphambi kokuba uJehova amdale ngothuli lomhlabathi, u-Adamu wayengaphili ndawo. Ngakho lapho efa, wabuyela emhlabathini ayethathwe  kuwo. Akabange esaba khona. Yeka isiphetho esibuhlungu!

Ngokwenqaba ukulalela uNkulunkulu, u-Adamu no-Eva baba nesono, ngenxa yalokho babengeke besakwazi ukuphila phakade. Imizimba yabo yaqala ukushintsha ngenxa yesono. Kodwa imiphumela yokona kwabo ayilimazanga bona bodwa. Badlulisela isono nasezinganeni zabo. EyabaseRoma 5:12 ithi: “Kungakho, njengoba nje ngomuntu oyedwa [u-Adamu] isono sangena ezweni nokufa kwangena ngesono, futhi kanjalo ukufa kwasakazekela kubantu bonke ngenxa yokuthi bonke bonile.”

IBhayibheli lichaza isono nokufa ngokuthi ‘isigubuzelo esigubuzele zonke izizwe, nokwelukiweyo okulukwe kwahlanganiswa phezu kwazo zonke izizwe.’ (Isaya 25:7) Lesi sigubuzelo sifana nenkungu enobuthi futhi esingeke siyibalekele. Kuyiqiniso ngempela ukuthi ‘sonke siyafa ngenxa ka-Adamu.’ (1 Korinte 15:22) Umbuzo okufanele uphendulwe yilowo owabuzwa umphostoli uPawulu, othi: “Ubani oyongophula kulo mzimba othola lokhu kufa?” Ukhona yini ongasihlenga?—Roma 7:24.