The Creation

1 In the beginning^(A) God created the heavens and the earth.^[a](B)

² Now the earth was^[b] formless and empty,^(C) darkness covered the surface of the watery depths, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.^{(D) 3} Then God said, “Let there be light,”^(E) and there was light. ⁴ God saw that the light was good, and God separated the light from the darkness. ⁵ God called the light “day,” and He called the darkness “night.” Evening came and then morning: the first day.

⁶ Then God said, “Let there be an expanse^[c] between the waters, separating water from water.”^{(F) 7} So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above the expanse.^(G) And it was so. ⁸ God called the expanse “sky.”^[d] Evening came and then morning: the second day.

⁹ Then God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered into one place,^(H) and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. ¹⁰ God called the dry land “earth,” and He called the gathering of the water “seas.” And God saw that it was good. ¹¹ Then 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.”^(I) And it was so. ¹² The 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. ¹³ Evening came and then morning: the third day.