After some days, Adam and Eve made a vow that they would go, one of them to the river Tigris and the other to the river Euphrates, and would wade into the water up to the neck, and stand there for forty whole days and nights, praying earnestly that they might be forgiven; for even yet they went on hoping that, if they accomplished some great act of repentance, they might be permitted to return into Eden.  They separated, therefore, and stood in the water of the river, fasting and praying.  But Satan suspected that they had made such a vow, and it frightened him, for he did not feel sure that God would not change His purpose and forgive them; and he said to himself, “I will take care that they shall not keep their vow.”  Accordingly, on the thirty-fifth day, as Eve stood praying in the water, she heard a voice as of an angel praising God, and she looked and saw one in bright raiment coming to her, and he called to her and said, “God has forgiven Adam!  All is well.  I have just now brought the good tidings to Adam, and he bade me come and tell you; and lest you should doubt of the truth, he said, ’Remind her of the sign which was given to us in the cave:  how the angels brought the gold and laid it on the south side, and the incense on the east, and the myrrh on the west.’” Then Eve was sure that the messenger spoke true, and she rejoiced greatly, and came, as well as she could, out of the water, and followed him.  But when they came in sight of the river Euphrates, she saw Adam still standing in the water praying, and she knew that she had been deceived; and at that moment Satan vanished away, and Eve fell upon the ground, for she was stiff with the cold, and weak with fasting.  As for Adam, when he saw her, he cried out and smote upon his breast, and sank down into the water, and would have perished but that God sent His angel and drew him up out of the water.  And he showed Adam that he could not by these means gain admittance to the garden before the time appointed was fulfilled.

After these things God showed Adam and Eve the things that were necessary for their life.  For as yet they had eaten nothing since they came out of the garden; because the food which they had when they were there was heavenly food, and it sustained them through all these many days.  Neither had they any clothes.  Therefore God told them to go to the seashore, and there they should find the skins of some sheep whose flesh had been devoured by lions, and these skins they should take and make them into raiment.  But Satan heard the words of God, and immediately went to the place where the skins were, with intent to throw them into the sea, or burn them with fire; only, just as he was about to seize them, God spake a word, and Satan was bound there immovable, in his own hideous form.  And when Adam and Eve came to the place, they saw him crouching beside the skins; and they were afraid at the horrible look of him.  Then the Word came to them, saying, “This is he who promised to make you as gods.  What have you gained, think you, by hearkening to his words?” And Satan was cowed, and fled away in shame.