International Standard Version

English Standard Version

1In the beginning, God created the universe.

1In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

2When the earth was as yet unformed and desolate, with the surface of the ocean depths shrouded in darkness, and while the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters,

2The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

3God said, "Let there be light!" So there was light.

3And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

4God saw that the light was beautiful. He separated the light from the darkness,

4And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness.

5calling the light "day," and the darkness "night." The twilight and the dawn were day one.

5God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

6Then God said, "Let there be a canopy between bodies of water, separating bodies of water from bodies of water!"

6And God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.”

7So God made a canopy that separated the water beneath the canopy from the water above it. And that is what happened:

7And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so.

8God called the canopy "sky." The twilight and the dawn were the second day.

8And God called the expanse Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.

9Then God said, "Let the water beneath the sky come together into one area, and let dry ground appear!" And that is what happened:

9And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so.

10God called the dry ground "land," and he called the water that had come together "oceans." And God saw how good it was.

10God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.

11Then God said, "Let vegetation sprout all over the earth, including seed-bearing plants and fruit trees, each kind containing its own seed!" And that is what happened:

11And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.” And it was so.

12Vegetation sprouted all over the earth, including seed-bearing plants and fruit trees, each kind containing its own seed. And God saw that it was good.

12The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

13The twilight and the dawn were the third day.

13And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.

14Then God said, "Let there be lights across the sky to distinguish day from night, to act as signs for seasons, days, and years,

14And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years,

15to serve as lights in the sky, and to shine on the earth!" And that is what happened:

15and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.” And it was so.

16God fashioned two great lights—the larger light to shine during the day and the smaller light to shine during the night—as well as stars.

16And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars.

17God placed them in space to shine on the earth,

17And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth,

18to differentiate between day and night, and to distinguish light from darkness. And God saw how good it was.

18to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good.

19The twilight and the dawn were the fourth day.

19And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.

20Then God said, "Let the oceans swarm with living creatures, and let flying creatures soar above the earth throughout the sky!"

20And God said, “Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens.”

21So God created every kind of magnificent marine creature, every kind of living marine crawler with which the waters swarmed, and every kind of flying creature. And God saw how good it was.

21So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

22God blessed them by saying, "Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the oceans. Let the birds multiply throughout the earth!"

22And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.”

23The twilight and the dawn were the fifth day.

23And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day.

24Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth each kind of living creature, each kind of livestock and crawling thing, and each kind of earth's animals!" And that is what happened:

24And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds—livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so.

25God made each kind of the earth's animals, along with every kind of livestock and crawling thing. And God saw how good it was.

25And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

26Then God said, "Let us make mankind in our image, to be like us. Let them be masters over the fish in the ocean, the birds that fly, the livestock, everything that crawls on the earth, and over the earth itself!"

26Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

27So God created mankind in his own image; in his own image God created them; he created them male and female.

27So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

28God blessed the humans by saying to them, "Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it! Be masters over the fish in the ocean, the birds that fly, and every living thing that crawls on the earth!"

28And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

29God also told them, "Look! I have given you every seed-bearing plant that grows throughout the earth, along with every tree that grows seed-bearing fruit. They will produce your food.

29And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food.

30I have given all green plants as food for every wild animal of the earth, every bird that flies, and to every living thing that crawls on the earth." And that is what happened.

30And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so.

31Now God saw all that he had made, and indeed, it was very good! The twilight and the dawn were the sixth day.

31And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

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ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.