The Beginning

In the beginning(A) God created(B) the heavens(C) and the earth.(D) Now the earth was formless(E) and empty,(F) darkness was over the surface of the deep,(G) and the Spirit of God(H) was hovering(I) over the waters.

And God said,(J) “Let there be light,” and there was light.(K) God saw that the light was good,(L) and he separated the light from the darkness.(M) God called(N) the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.”(O) And there was evening, and there was morning(P)—the first day.

And God said,(Q) “Let there be a vault(R) between the waters(S) to separate water from water.” So God made the vault and separated the water under the vault from the water above it.(T) And it was so.(U) God called(V) the vault “sky.”(W) And there was evening, and there was morning(X)—the second day.

And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place,(Y) and let dry ground(Z) appear.” And it was so.(AA) 10 God called(AB) the dry ground “land,” and the gathered waters(AC) he called “seas.”(AD) And God saw that it was good.(AE)

11 Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation:(AF) seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.(AG)” And it was so.(AH) 12 The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds(AI) and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.(AJ) 13 And there was evening, and there was morning(AK)—the third day.

14 And God said, “Let there be lights(AL) in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night,(AM) and let them serve as signs(AN) to mark sacred times,(AO) and days and years,(AP) 15 and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so.(AQ) 16 God made two great lights—the greater light(AR) to govern(AS) the day and the lesser light to govern(AT) the night.(AU) He also made the stars.(AV) 17 God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth, 18 to govern the day and the night,(AW) and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good.(AX) 19 And there was evening, and there was morning(AY)—the fourth day.

20 And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures,(AZ) and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.”(BA) 21 So God created(BB) the great creatures of the sea(BC) and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it,(BD) according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind.(BE) And God saw that it was good.(BF) 22 God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.”(BG) 23 And there was evening, and there was morning(BH)—the fifth day.

24 And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures(BI) according to their kinds:(BJ) the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so.(BK) 25 God made the wild animals(BL) according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds.(BM) And God saw that it was good.(BN)

26 Then God said, “Let us(BO) make mankind(BP) in our image,(BQ) in our likeness,(BR) so that they may rule(BS) over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky,(BT) over the livestock and all the wild animals,[a] and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

27 So God created(BU) mankind(BV) in his own image,(BW)
    in the image of God(BX) he created them;
    male and female(BY) he created them.(BZ)

28 God blessed them and said to them,(CA) “Be fruitful and increase in number;(CB) fill the earth(CC) and subdue it. Rule over(CD) the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.(CE)

29 Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.(CF) 30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life(CG) in it—I give every green plant for food.(CH)” And it was so.

31 God saw all that he had made,(CI) and it was very good.(CJ) And there was evening, and there was morning(CK)—the sixth day.

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Footnotes

  1. Genesis 1:26 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text (see Syriac); Masoretic Text the earth

11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth,(A) the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested(B) on the seventh day.(C) Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

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20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made,(A) so that people are without excuse.(B)

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20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it,(A) in hope 21 that[a] the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay(B) and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.(C)

22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning(D) as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.

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Footnotes

  1. Romans 8:21 Or subjected it in hope. 21 For

The Lord Speaks

38 Then the Lord spoke to Job(A) out of the storm.(B) He said:

“Who is this that obscures my plans(C)
    with words without knowledge?(D)
Brace yourself like a man;
    I will question you,
    and you shall answer me.(E)

“Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?(F)
    Tell me, if you understand.(G)
Who marked off its dimensions?(H) Surely you know!
    Who stretched a measuring line(I) across it?
On what were its footings set,(J)
    or who laid its cornerstone(K)
while the morning stars(L) sang together(M)
    and all the angels[a](N) shouted for joy?(O)

“Who shut up the sea behind doors(P)
    when it burst forth from the womb,(Q)
when I made the clouds its garment
    and wrapped it in thick darkness,(R)
10 when I fixed limits for it(S)
    and set its doors and bars in place,(T)
11 when I said, ‘This far you may come and no farther;(U)
    here is where your proud waves halt’?(V)

12 “Have you ever given orders to the morning,(W)
    or shown the dawn its place,(X)
13 that it might take the earth by the edges
    and shake the wicked(Y) out of it?(Z)
14 The earth takes shape like clay under a seal;(AA)
    its features stand out like those of a garment.
15 The wicked are denied their light,(AB)
    and their upraised arm is broken.(AC)

16 “Have you journeyed to the springs of the sea
    or walked in the recesses of the deep?(AD)
17 Have the gates of death(AE) been shown to you?
    Have you seen the gates of the deepest darkness?(AF)
18 Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth?(AG)
    Tell me, if you know all this.(AH)

19 “What is the way to the abode of light?
    And where does darkness reside?(AI)
20 Can you take them to their places?
    Do you know the paths(AJ) to their dwellings?
21 Surely you know, for you were already born!(AK)
    You have lived so many years!

22 “Have you entered the storehouses of the snow(AL)
    or seen the storehouses(AM) of the hail,(AN)
23 which I reserve for times of trouble,(AO)
    for days of war and battle?(AP)
24 What is the way to the place where the lightning is dispersed,(AQ)
    or the place where the east winds(AR) are scattered over the earth?(AS)
25 Who cuts a channel for the torrents of rain,
    and a path for the thunderstorm,(AT)
26 to water(AU) a land where no one lives,
    an uninhabited desert,(AV)
27 to satisfy a desolate wasteland
    and make it sprout with grass?(AW)
28 Does the rain have a father?(AX)
    Who fathers the drops of dew?
29 From whose womb comes the ice?
    Who gives birth to the frost from the heavens(AY)
30 when the waters become hard as stone,
    when the surface of the deep is frozen?(AZ)

31 “Can you bind the chains[b] of the Pleiades?
    Can you loosen Orion’s belt?(BA)
32 Can you bring forth the constellations(BB) in their seasons[c]
    or lead out the Bear[d] with its cubs?(BC)
33 Do you know the laws(BD) of the heavens?(BE)
    Can you set up God’s[e] dominion over the earth?

34 “Can you raise your voice to the clouds
    and cover yourself with a flood of water?(BF)
35 Do you send the lightning bolts on their way?(BG)
    Do they report to you, ‘Here we are’?
36 Who gives the ibis wisdom[f](BH)
    or gives the rooster understanding?[g](BI)
37 Who has the wisdom to count the clouds?
    Who can tip over the water jars(BJ) of the heavens(BK)
38 when the dust becomes hard(BL)
    and the clods of earth stick together?(BM)

39 “Do you hunt the prey for the lioness
    and satisfy the hunger of the lions(BN)
40 when they crouch in their dens(BO)
    or lie in wait in a thicket?(BP)
41 Who provides food(BQ) for the raven(BR)
    when its young cry out to God
    and wander about for lack of food?(BS)

39 “Do you know when the mountain goats(BT) give birth?
    Do you watch when the doe bears her fawn?(BU)
Do you count the months till they bear?
    Do you know the time they give birth?(BV)
They crouch down and bring forth their young;
    their labor pains are ended.
Their young thrive and grow strong in the wilds;
    they leave and do not return.

“Who let the wild donkey(BW) go free?
    Who untied its ropes?
I gave it the wasteland(BX) as its home,
    the salt flats(BY) as its habitat.(BZ)
It laughs(CA) at the commotion in the town;
    it does not hear a driver’s shout.(CB)
It ranges the hills(CC) for its pasture
    and searches for any green thing.

“Will the wild ox(CD) consent to serve you?(CE)
    Will it stay by your manger(CF) at night?
10 Can you hold it to the furrow with a harness?(CG)
    Will it till the valleys behind you?
11 Will you rely on it for its great strength?(CH)
    Will you leave your heavy work to it?
12 Can you trust it to haul in your grain
    and bring it to your threshing floor?

13 “The wings of the ostrich flap joyfully,
    though they cannot compare
    with the wings and feathers of the stork.(CI)
14 She lays her eggs on the ground
    and lets them warm in the sand,
15 unmindful that a foot may crush them,
    that some wild animal may trample them.(CJ)
16 She treats her young harshly,(CK) as if they were not hers;
    she cares not that her labor was in vain,
17 for God did not endow her with wisdom
    or give her a share of good sense.(CL)
18 Yet when she spreads her feathers to run,
    she laughs(CM) at horse and rider.

19 “Do you give the horse its strength(CN)
    or clothe its neck with a flowing mane?
20 Do you make it leap like a locust,(CO)
    striking terror(CP) with its proud snorting?(CQ)
21 It paws fiercely, rejoicing in its strength,(CR)
    and charges into the fray.(CS)
22 It laughs(CT) at fear, afraid of nothing;
    it does not shy away from the sword.
23 The quiver(CU) rattles against its side,
    along with the flashing spear(CV) and lance.
24 In frenzied excitement it eats up the ground;
    it cannot stand still when the trumpet sounds.(CW)
25 At the blast of the trumpet(CX) it snorts, ‘Aha!’
    It catches the scent of battle from afar,
    the shout of commanders and the battle cry.(CY)

26 “Does the hawk take flight by your wisdom
    and spread its wings toward the south?(CZ)
27 Does the eagle soar at your command
    and build its nest on high?(DA)
28 It dwells on a cliff and stays there at night;
    a rocky crag(DB) is its stronghold.
29 From there it looks for food;(DC)
    its eyes detect it from afar.
30 Its young ones feast on blood,
    and where the slain are, there it is.”(DD)

40 The Lord said to Job:(DE)

“Will the one who contends with the Almighty(DF) correct him?(DG)
    Let him who accuses God answer him!”(DH)

Then Job answered the Lord:

“I am unworthy(DI)—how can I reply to you?
    I put my hand over my mouth.(DJ)
I spoke once, but I have no answer(DK)
    twice, but I will say no more.”(DL)

Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm:(DM)

“Brace yourself like a man;
    I will question you,
    and you shall answer me.(DN)

“Would you discredit my justice?(DO)
    Would you condemn me to justify yourself?(DP)
Do you have an arm like God’s,(DQ)
    and can your voice(DR) thunder like his?(DS)
10 Then adorn yourself with glory and splendor,
    and clothe yourself in honor and majesty.(DT)
11 Unleash the fury of your wrath,(DU)
    look at all who are proud and bring them low,(DV)
12 look at all who are proud(DW) and humble them,(DX)
    crush(DY) the wicked where they stand.
13 Bury them all in the dust together;(DZ)
    shroud their faces in the grave.(EA)
14 Then I myself will admit to you
    that your own right hand can save you.(EB)

15 “Look at Behemoth,
    which I made(EC) along with you
    and which feeds on grass like an ox.(ED)
16 What strength(EE) it has in its loins,
    what power in the muscles of its belly!(EF)
17 Its tail sways like a cedar;
    the sinews of its thighs are close-knit.(EG)
18 Its bones are tubes of bronze,
    its limbs(EH) like rods of iron.(EI)
19 It ranks first among the works of God,(EJ)
    yet its Maker(EK) can approach it with his sword.(EL)
20 The hills bring it their produce,(EM)
    and all the wild animals play(EN) nearby.(EO)
21 Under the lotus plants it lies,
    hidden among the reeds(EP) in the marsh.(EQ)
22 The lotuses conceal it in their shadow;
    the poplars by the stream(ER) surround it.
23 A raging river(ES) does not alarm it;
    it is secure, though the Jordan(ET) should surge against its mouth.
24 Can anyone capture it by the eyes,
    or trap it and pierce its nose?(EU)

41 [h]“Can you pull in Leviathan(EV) with a fishhook(EW)
    or tie down its tongue with a rope?
Can you put a cord through its nose(EX)
    or pierce its jaw with a hook?(EY)
Will it keep begging you for mercy?(EZ)
    Will it speak to you with gentle words?
Will it make an agreement with you
    for you to take it as your slave for life?(FA)
Can you make a pet of it like a bird
    or put it on a leash for the young women in your house?
Will traders barter for it?
    Will they divide it up among the merchants?
Can you fill its hide with harpoons
    or its head with fishing spears?(FB)
If you lay a hand on it,
    you will remember the struggle and never do it again!(FC)
Any hope of subduing it is false;
    the mere sight of it is overpowering.(FD)
10 No one is fierce enough to rouse it.(FE)
    Who then is able to stand against me?(FF)
11 Who has a claim against me that I must pay?(FG)
    Everything under heaven belongs to me.(FH)

12 “I will not fail to speak of Leviathan’s limbs,(FI)
    its strength(FJ) and its graceful form.
13 Who can strip off its outer coat?
    Who can penetrate its double coat of armor[i]?(FK)
14 Who dares open the doors of its mouth,(FL)
    ringed about with fearsome teeth?
15 Its back has[j] rows of shields
    tightly sealed together;(FM)
16 each is so close to the next
    that no air can pass between.
17 They are joined fast to one another;
    they cling together and cannot be parted.
18 Its snorting throws out flashes of light;
    its eyes are like the rays of dawn.(FN)
19 Flames(FO) stream from its mouth;
    sparks of fire shoot out.
20 Smoke pours from its nostrils(FP)
    as from a boiling pot over burning reeds.
21 Its breath(FQ) sets coals ablaze,
    and flames dart from its mouth.(FR)
22 Strength(FS) resides in its neck;
    dismay goes before it.
23 The folds of its flesh are tightly joined;
    they are firm and immovable.
24 Its chest is hard as rock,
    hard as a lower millstone.(FT)
25 When it rises up, the mighty are terrified;(FU)
    they retreat before its thrashing.(FV)
26 The sword that reaches it has no effect,
    nor does the spear or the dart or the javelin.(FW)
27 Iron it treats like straw(FX)
    and bronze like rotten wood.
28 Arrows do not make it flee;(FY)
    slingstones are like chaff to it.
29 A club seems to it but a piece of straw;(FZ)
    it laughs(GA) at the rattling of the lance.
30 Its undersides are jagged potsherds,
    leaving a trail in the mud like a threshing sledge.(GB)
31 It makes the depths churn like a boiling caldron(GC)
    and stirs up the sea like a pot of ointment.(GD)
32 It leaves a glistening wake behind it;
    one would think the deep had white hair.
33 Nothing on earth is its equal(GE)
    a creature without fear.
34 It looks down on all that are haughty;(GF)
    it is king over all that are proud.(GG)

Footnotes

  1. Job 38:7 Hebrew the sons of God
  2. Job 38:31 Septuagint; Hebrew beauty
  3. Job 38:32 Or the morning star in its season
  4. Job 38:32 Or out Leo
  5. Job 38:33 Or their
  6. Job 38:36 That is, wisdom about the flooding of the Nile
  7. Job 38:36 That is, understanding of when to crow; the meaning of the Hebrew for this verse is uncertain.
  8. Job 41:1 In Hebrew texts 41:1-8 is numbered 40:25-32, and 41:9-34 is numbered 41:1-26.
  9. Job 41:13 Septuagint; Hebrew double bridle
  10. Job 41:15 Or Its pride is its

Psalm 19[a]

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

The heavens(A) declare(B) the glory of God;(C)
    the skies(D) proclaim the work of his hands.(E)
Day after day they pour forth speech;
    night after night they reveal knowledge.(F)
They have no speech, they use no words;
    no sound is heard from them.

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 19:1 In Hebrew texts 19:1-14 is numbered 19:2-15.

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