Translations have made two major errors in translating God’s words to the woman in Genesis 3:16.

1. They have made it look like God basically cursed the woman with just one bad action in giving her “pain in childbirth.” But God didn’t curse Eve (or Adam) or limit woman in any way! The King James Version is more true here to the Hebrew text and shows the two ways God acts in Line 1 of Genesis 3:16. She will have “sorrowful toil” in fieldwork, as will the man, because of the curse on the ground AND she will have “conception” which will include the birth of her coming offspring who will crush the serpent’s head. Neither has to do with the moment of childbirth.
2. They have made it look like her “desire” was somehow faulty. Yet her desire in Eden was unchanged and not at fault. Even Solomon had such “desire” (Song of Solomon 7:10).

Regarding her “desire,” the ESV in 2016 made a change for the worse. In 2025 they undid that error. In the future will they fix their other error?

Here is Christianity Today’s reporting on the ESV change.