PRIMA AETAS

FIRST AGE

1. God creates the world in six days

God created the heaven and earth in six days. The first day He made light. The second day, He made the firmament, which He called sky. The third day He collected the waters into one place, and He drew out of the land plants and trees. The fourth day He made the sun, moon, and stars. The fifth day, the birds that fly in the air, and the fish who swim in the waters. The sixth day He made all the animals, finally mankind, and He rested on the seventh day.

2. Deus fingit corpus hominis e limo terrae

Deus finxit corpus hominis e limo terrae; dedit illi animam viventem; fecit illum ad similitudinem suam, et nominavit illum Adamum. Deinde immisit soporem in Adamum et detraxit unam e costis eius dormientis. Ex ea formavit mulierem, quam dedit sociam Adamo, sicque instituit matrimonium. Nomen primae mulieris fuit Eva.

2. God forms mankind's body from the mud of the earth

God formed the body of men from the mud of the earth; He gave him a living soul; He made him in His own image, and named him Adam. Then he sent a deep sleep upon Adam and removed one of his ribs while asleep. From it he formed woman whom He gave as a companion to Adam, and this established marriage. The name of the first woman was Eve.

3. Deus ponit Adamum et Evam in Paradiso terrestri

Deus posuit Adamum et Evam in horto amoenissimo, qui solet appellari Paradisus terrestris. Ingens fluvius irrigabat hortum: erant ibi omnes arbores iucundae adspectu, et fructus gustu suaves. Inter eas arbor scientiae boni et mali. Deus dixit homini: “utere fructibus omnium arborum Paradisi, praeter fructum arboris scientiae boni et mali; nam si comedas illum fructum, morieris.”

3. God places Adam and Eve in the earthly Paradise

God placed Adam and Even in a very beautiful garden, which is usually called earthly Paradise. A huge river watered the garden: there was there all trees pleasing to look at, and fruit sweet to the taste. Among these the tree of knowledge of good and evil. God said to man: "Make use of the fruits of all the trees of Paradise, except the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil; for if you eat that fruit, you will die."

4. Adamus et Eva Deo non oboediunt

Serpens, qui erat callidissimum omnium animantium, dixit mulieri: “cur non comedis fructum istius arboris? Mulier respondit: “Deus id prohibuit. Si tetigerimus illum, moriemur.” “Minime,” inquit serpens: “non moriemini; sed eritis similes Deo, scientes bonum et malum.” Mulier, decepta his verbis, decerpsit fructum et comedit; deinde obtulit viro, qui pariter comedit.

4. Adam and Eve are not obedient to God

The snake, who was the most clever of all the animals, said to woman: "why do you know eat the fruit of that tree?" The woman answers: "God prohibits that. If we touch that, we will die.""Certainly not" the snake says: "you will not die; but you will be like God, knowing good and evil." The woman, deceived by these words, plucks the fruit and eats; then offers it to the man, who likewise eats.

5. Adamus et Eva, quos maleficii pudet, se abscondunt

Adamus, fugiens conspectum Dei, se abscondit. Deus vocavit illum: “Adame, Adame.” Qui respondit: “timui conspectum tuum, et abscondi me.” “Cur times,” inquit Deus, “nisi quia comedisti fructum vetitum?” Adamus respondit: “mulier, quam dedisti mihi sociam, porrexit mihi fructum istum, ut ederem.” Dominus dixit mulieri: “cur fecisti hoc?” Quae respondit: “serpens me decepit.”

5. Adam and Eve, ashamed of their wickedness, hide themselves

Adam, fleeing the sight of God, hid himself. God called to him: "Adam, Adam." He answers: "I feared your sight and hid myself." "Why do you fear" God says, "unless that you ate of the forbidden fruit?" Adam answers: "the woman, that you gave to me as a companion, offered the fruit to me to eat." The Lord said to the woman: "why have you done this?" She answers: "The snake deceived me."

6. Deus serpenti maledicit

Dominus dixit serpenti: “quia decepisti mulierem, eris odiosus et exsecratus inter omnia animantia; reptabis super pectus, et comedes terram. Inimicitiae erunt inter te et mulierem; ipsa olim conteret caput tuum.” Dixit etiam mulieri: “afficiam te multis malis; paries liberos in dolore, et eris in potestate viri.”

6. God curses the snake

The Lord said to the snake: "because you deceived the woman, you will be hated and reviled among all the animals: you will crawl on your belly, and eat the earth. There will be hostility between you and the woman; one day she will crush your head." Also He said to the woman: "I will afflict you with many evils; you will bear children in pain, and you will be in the power of your husband.

7. Adamus eicitur e Paradiso terrestri

Deinde Deus dixit Adamo: “quia gessisti morem uxori tuae, habebis terram infestam; ea fundet tibi spinas et carduos. Quaeres ex ea victum cum multo labore, donec abeas in terram, e qua ortus es.” Tum eiecit Adamum et Evam ex horto, ut ille coleret terram, et collocavit Angelum, qui praeferebat manu gladium igneum, ut custodiret aditum Paradisi.

7. Adam is thrown out of Earthly Paradise

Then God said to Adam: "because you carried on the customs of your wife, you will have the land hostile [to you]; it will bear you thorns and thistles. You will seek nourishment from it with much labor, until you go into the earth, from which you rose." The He threw out Adam and Even from the garden, to till the land, and He placed an Angel, who bore a flaming sword in his hand to guard the entrance to Paradise.

8. Cainus et Abel, Adami liberi

Adamus habuit multos liberos, inter quos Caïnus et Abel numerantur; hic fuit pastor, ille agricola. Uterque obtulit dona Domino: Caïnus quidem fructus terrae; Abel autem, oves egregias. Dona Abelis placuerunt Deo, non autem dona Caïni; quod Caïnus aegre tulit. Dominus dixit Caïno: “Cur invides fratri? Si recte facies, recipies mercedem; sin autem male, lues poenam peccati.”

8. Cain and Abel, Adam's children

Adam had many children, among those Cain and Abel are counted; this one a shepherd, that one a farmer. Each offered gifts to the Lord: Cain of course fruit of the land, but Abel, excellent sheep. Abel's gifts pleased God, but not Cain's gifts; which Cain took badly. The Lord said to Cain; "Why do you envy your brother? If you had done correctly, you would receive a reward; but if badly, you will pay the penalty for your sin."

9. Cainus interficit Abelem

Caïnus non paruit Deo monenti; dissimulans iram, dixit fratri suo: “Age, eamus deambulatum.” Itaque una ambo abierunt foras, et quum essent in agro, Caïnus irruit in Abelem, et interfecit illum. Deus dixit Caïno: “Ubi est tuus frater?” Caïnus respondit: “Nescio; num ego sum custos fratris mei?”

9. Cain kills Abel

Cain did not obey God's warning; concealing his aanger, he said to this brother: "Come, let us go walk." Therefore together they went out walking, and when they were in the field, Cane rushed upon Abel and killed him. God said to Cain: "Where is your brother?" Cain answered: "I don't know; surely I am not my brother's keeper am I?"

10. Cainus punitur

Deus dixit Caïno: “Caïne, quid fecisti? Sanguis fratris tui, quem ipse fudisti manu tua, clamat ad me. Infesta tibi erit terra, quae bibit sanguinem Abelis; quum colueris eam longo et duro labore, nullos feret fructus. Eris vagus in orbe terrarum.” Caïnus, desperans veniam, fugit.

10. Cain punished

God said to Cain: "Cain, what have you done?" Your brother's blood, that you spilled with your own hand, cries out to me. The land will be against you, which drakn the blood of Abel; when you have tilled it with long and hard labor, it will bear no fruit. You will wander the whole earth." Cain, despairing of forgiveness, fled.