And the LORD, god, said
Look! The man became like one of us,
– knowing good and evil.
And now
lest he will put out his hand
and will take also from the Tree of Life
and he will eat
and he will live forever…
And the Lord, god, expelled him
from the garden of Eden.
so that he might work the ground
from which he was taken.
And he drove out the man,
and he caused to dwell
on the east of the garden of Eden
the cherubim
and a flaming sword
turning back and forth
to guard the way of the tree of Life.
Eternal Light, shine into our hearts,
Eternal Goodness, deliver us from evil,
Eternal Power, be our support,
Eternal Wisdom, scatter the darkness of our ignorance,
Eternal Pity, have mercy upon us;
that with all our heart and mind
and soul and strength we may seek thy face
and be brought by thine infinite mercy
to thy holy presence;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Alcuin (735-804)