The Story of Creation
1 In the beginning God
created the heavens
and the earth.
2 The earth was barren,
with no form of life;
it was under a roaring ocean
covered with darkness.
But the Spirit of God
was moving over the water.
The First Day
3 God said, “I command light to shine!” And light started shining. 4 God looked at the light and saw that it was good. He separated light from darkness 5 and named the light “Day” and the darkness “Night.” Evening came, then morning—that was the first day.
The Second Day
6 God said, “I command a dome to separate the water above it from the water below it.” 7 And that's what happened. God made the dome 8 and named it “Sky.” Evening came, then morning—that was the second day.
The Third Day
9 God said, “I command the water under the sky to come together in one place, so there will be dry ground.” And that's what happened. 10 God named the dry ground “Land,” and he named the water “Ocean.” God looked at what he had done and saw that it was good.
11 God said, “I command the earth to produce all kinds of plants, including fruit trees and grain.” And that's what happened. 12 The earth produced all kinds of vegetation. God looked at what he had done, and it was good. 13 Evening came, then morning—that was the third day.
The Fourth Day
14 God said, “I command lights to appear in the sky and to separate day from night and to show the time for seasons, special days, and years. 15 I command them to shine on the earth.” And that's what happened. 16 God made two powerful lights, the brighter one to rule the day and the other to rule the night. He also made the stars. 17 Then God put these lights in the sky to shine on the earth, 18 to rule day and night, and to separate light from darkness. God looked at what he had done, and it was good. 19 Evening came, then morning—that was the fourth day.
The Fifth Day
20 God said, “I command the ocean to be full of living creatures, and I command birds to fly above the earth.” 21 So God made the giant sea monsters and all the living creatures that swim in the ocean. He also made every kind of bird. God looked at what he had done, and it was good. 22 Then he gave the living creatures his blessing—he told the ocean creatures to increase and live everywhere in the ocean and the birds to increase everywhere on earth. 23 Evening came, then morning—that was the fifth day.
The Sixth Day
24 God said, “I command the earth to give life to all kinds of tame animals, wild animals, and reptiles.” And that's what happened. 25 God made every one of them. Then he looked at what he had done, and it was good.
26 God said, “Now we will make humans, and they will be like us. We will let them rule the fish, the birds, and all other living creatures.”
27 So God created humans to be like himself; he made men and women. 28 God gave them his blessing and said:
Have a lot of children! Fill the earth with people and bring it under your control. Rule over the fish in the ocean, the birds in the sky, and every animal on the earth.
29 I have provided all kinds of fruit and grain for you to eat. 30 And I have given the green plants as food for everything else that breathes, including animals, both wild and tame, and birds. And so it was.
31 God looked at what he had done. All of it was very good! Evening came, then morning—that was the sixth day.
1 In the beginning God created the heauen and the earth. 2 And the earth was without forme and void, and darkenesse was vpon the deepe, and the Spirit of God mooued vpon the waters. 3 Then God said, Let there be light: And there was light. 4 And God saw the light that it was good, and God separated the light from the darkenes. 5 And God called the Light, Day, and the darkenes, he called Night. So the euening and the morning were the first day. 6 Againe God said, Let there be a firmament in the mids of the waters: and let it separate the waters from the waters. 7 Then God made the firmament, and separated the waters, which were vnder the firmament, from the waters which were aboue the firmament: and it was so. 8 And God called the firmament Heauen. So the Euening and the morning were the second day. 9 God said againe, Let the waters vnder the heauen be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appeare. and it was so. 10 And God called the dry land, Earth, and he called the gathering together of the waters, Seas: and God saw that it was good. 11 Then God said, Let the earth bud forth the bud of the herbe, that seedeth seed, the fruitfull tree, which beareth fruite according to his kinde, which hath his seede in it selfe vpon the earth: and it was so. 12 And the earth brought foorth the bud of the herbe, that seedeth seede according to his kind, also the tree that beareth fruit, which hath his seed in it selfe according to his kinde: and God saw that it was good. 13 So the euening and the morning were the third day. 14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heauen, to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signes, and for seasons, and for dayes and yeeres. 15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heauen to giue light vpon the earth: and it was so. 16 God then made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesse light to rule the night: he made also the starres. 17 And God set them in the firmament of the heauen, to shine vpon the earth, 18 And to rule in the day, and in the night, and to separate the light from the darkenesse: and God saw that it was good. 19 So the euening and the morning were the fourth day. 20 Afterward God said, Let the waters bring foorth in abundance euery creeping thing that hath life: and let the foule flie vpon the earth in the open firmament of the heauen. 21 Then God created the great whales, and euery thing liuing and mouing, which the waters brought foorth in abundance according to their kinde, and euery fethered foule according to his kinde: and God sawe that it was good. 22 Then God blessed them, saying, Bring foorth fruite and multiplie, and fill the waters in the seas, and let the foule multiplie in the earth. 23 So the euening and the morning were the fifte day. 24 Moreouer God said, Let the earth bring foorth the liuing thing according to his kinde, cattel, and that which creepeth, and the beast of the earth, according to his kinde. and it was so. 25 And God made the beast of the earth according to his kinde, and the cattell according to his kinde, and euery creeping thing of the earth according to his kind: and God saw that it was good. 26 Furthermore God said, Let vs make man in our image according to our likenes, and let them rule ouer the fish of the sea, and ouer the foule of the heauen, and ouer the beastes, and ouer all the earth, and ouer euery thing that creepeth and moueth on the earth. 27 Thus God created the man in his image: in the image of God created he him: he created them male and female. 28 And God blessed them, and God said to them, Bring forth fruite and multiplie, and fill the earth, and subdue it, and rule ouer the fish of the sea, and ouer the foule of the heauen, and ouer euery beast that moueth vpon the earth. 29 And God said, Beholde, I haue giuen vnto you euery herbe bearing seede, which is vpon al the earth, and euery tree, wherein is the fruite of a tree bearing seede: that shall be to you for meate. 30 Likewise to euery beast of the earth, and to euery foule of the heauen, and to euery thing that moueth vpon the earth, which hath life in it selfe, euery greene herbe shall be for meate. and it was so. 31 And God sawe all that he had made, and loe, it was very good. So the euening and the morning were the sixt day.