1 I n the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

In the beginning God (prepared, formed, fashioned, and) created the heavens and the earth.

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

The earth was without form and an empty waste, and darkness was upon the face of the very great deep. The Spirit of God was moving (hovering, brooding) over the face of the waters.

3 T hen God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.

And God said, Let there be light; and there was light.

4 A nd God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness.

And God saw that the light was good (suitable, pleasant) and He approved it; and God separated the light from the darkness.

5 G od called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day.

And God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day.

6 T hen God said, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.”

And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.

7 T hus God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament; and it was so.

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

8 A nd God called the firmament Heaven. So the evening and the morning were the second day.

And God called the firmament Heavens. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day.

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

And God said, Let the waters under the heavens be collected into one place, and let the dry land appear. And it was so.

10 A nd God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters He called Seas. And God saw that it was good.

God called the dry land Earth, and the accumulated waters He called Seas. And God saw that this was good (fitting, admirable) and He approved it.

11 T hen God said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth”; and it was so.

And God said, Let the earth put forth vegetation: plants yielding seed and fruit trees yielding fruit whose seed is in itself, each according to its kind, upon the earth. And it was so.

12 A nd the earth brought forth grass, the herb that yields seed according to its kind, and the tree that yields fruit, whose seed is in itself according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

The earth brought forth vegetation: plants yielding seed according to their own kinds and trees bearing fruit in which was their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good (suitable, admirable) and He approved it.

13 S o the evening and the morning were the third day.

And there was evening and there was morning, a third day.

14 T hen God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years;

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

15 a nd let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth”; and it was so.

And let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light upon the earth. And it was so.

16 T hen God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also.

And God made the two great lights—the greater light (the sun) to rule the day and the lesser light (the moon) to rule the night. He also made the stars.

17 G od set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth,

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

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

To rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good (fitting, pleasant) and He approved it.

19 S o the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

And there was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.

20 T hen God said, “Let the waters abound with an abundance of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the face of the firmament of the heavens.”

And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly and swarm with living creatures, and let birds fly over the earth in the open expanse of the heavens.

21 S o God created great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters abounded, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, which the waters brought forth abundantly, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good (suitable, admirable) and He approved it.

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

And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let the fowl multiply in the earth.

23 S o the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

And there was evening and there was morning, a fifth day.

24 T hen God said, “Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind”; and it was so.

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

25 A nd God made the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle according to its kind, and everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds, and domestic animals according to their kinds, and everything that creeps upon the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good (fitting, pleasant) and He approved it.

26 T hen God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

God said, Let Us make mankind in Our image, after Our likeness, and let them have complete authority over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the beasts, and over all of the earth, and over everything that creeps upon the earth.

27 S o God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

So God created man in His own image, in the image and likeness of God He created him; male and female He created them.

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

And God blessed them and said to them, Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and over every living creature that moves upon the earth.

29 A nd God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food.

And God said, See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the land and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food.

30 A lso, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food”; and it was so.

And to all the animals on the earth and to every bird of the air and to everything that creeps on the ground—to everything in which there is the breath of life—I have given every green plant for food. And it was so.

31 T hen God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

And God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good (suitable, pleasant) and He approved it completely. And there was evening and there was morning, a sixth day.