The Creation

1In the beginninga God created the heavens and the earth.b, c

2Now the earth wasd formless and empty,e darkness covered the surface of the watery depths, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.f 3Then God said, “Let there be light,”g and there was light. 4God saw that the light was good, and God separated the light from the darkness. 5God called the light “day,” and He called the darkness “night.” Evening came and then morning: the first day.

6Then God said, “Let there be an expanseh between the waters, separating water from water.”i 7So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above the expanse.j And it was so. 8God called the expanse “sky.”k Evening came and then morning: the second day.

9Then God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered into one place,l and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. 10God called the dry land “earth,” and He called the gathering of the water “seas.” And God saw that it was good. 11Then God said, “Let the earth produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds.”m And it was so. 12The earth produced vegetation: seed-bearing plants according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 13Evening came and then morning: the third day.

14Then God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night. They will serve as signsn for festivalso and for days and years.p 15They will be lights in the expanse of the sky to provide light on the earth.” And it was so. 16God made the two great lights — the greater light to have dominion over the day and the lesser light to have dominion over the night — as well as the stars.q 17God placed them in the expanse of the sky to provide light on the earth, 18to dominate the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness.r And God saw that it was good. 19Evening came and then morning: the fourth day.

20Then God said, “Let the water swarm withs living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky.” 21So God created the large sea-creaturest and every living creature that moves and swarms in the water,u according to their kinds. He also created every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22So God blessed them, “Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the waters of the seas, and let the birds multiply on the earth.”v 23Evening came and then morning: the fifth day.

24Then God said, “Let the earth produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that crawl, and the wildlife of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so. 25So God made the wildlife of the earth according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and creatures that crawl on the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.

26Then God said, “Let Usw make man in Our image, according to Our likeness.x They will rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, all the earth,y and the creatures that crawlz on the earth.”aa

27So God created man in His own image;

He created him in the image of God;

He created them male and female.ab

28God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth,ac and subdue it. Rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and every creature that crawlsad on the earth.” 29God also said, “Look, I have given you every seed-bearing plant on the surface of the entire earth and every tree whose fruit contains seed. This food will be for you,ae 30for all the wildlife of the earth, for every bird of the sky, and for every creature that crawls on the earth — everything having the breath of life in it. I have given every green plant for food.”af And it was so. 31God saw all that He had made, and it was very good.ag Evening came and then morning: the sixth day.