Genesis 1

English Standard Version

The Creation of the World

1 In the ^(A)beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. ²The earth was ^(B)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.

³And God said, ^(C)“Let there be light,” and there was light. ⁴And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. ⁵God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

⁶And God said, ^(D)“Let there be an expanse^[a] in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” ⁷And God made^[b] the expanse and ^(E)separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were ^(F)above the expanse. And it was so. ⁸And God called the expanse Heaven.^[c] And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.

⁹And God said, ^(G)“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 land Earth,^[d] and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.

¹¹And God said, ^(H)“Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants^[e] yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.” And it was so. 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. ¹³And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.

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 ^(I)signs and for ^(J)seasons,^[f] and for days and years, ¹⁵and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. ¹⁶And God ^(K)made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. ¹⁷And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, ¹⁸to ^(L)rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. ¹⁹And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.

²⁰And God said, “Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds^[g] fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens.” ²¹So ^(M)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. ²²And God blessed them, saying, ^(N)“Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” ²³And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day.

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. 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, ^(O)“Let us make man^[h] in our image, ^(P)after our likeness. And ^(Q)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 man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
^(R)male and female he created them.

²⁸And God blessed them. And God said to them, ^(S)“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.” 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. ^(T)You shall have them for food. ³⁰And ^(U)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. ³¹^(V)And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

Footnotes

Genesis 1:6 Or a canopy; also verses 7, 8, 14, 15, 17, 20
Genesis 1:7 Or fashioned; also verse 16
Genesis 1:8 Or Sky; also verses 9, 14, 15, 17, 20, 26, 28, 30; 2:1
Genesis 1:10 Or Land; also verses 11, 12, 22, 24, 25, 26, 28, 30; 2:1
Genesis 1:11 Or small plants; also verses 12, 29
Genesis 1:14 Or appointed times
Genesis 1:20 Or flying things; see Leviticus 11:19–20
Genesis 1:26 The Hebrew word for man (adam) is the generic term for mankind and becomes the proper name Adam

John 1

English Standard Version

The Word Became Flesh

1 ^(A)In the beginning was ^(B)the Word, and ^(C)the Word was with God, and ^(D)the Word was God. ²He was in the beginning with God. ³^(E)All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. ⁴^(F)In him was life,^[a] and ^(G)the life was the light of men. ⁵^(H)The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

⁶There was a man ^(I)sent from God, whose name was ^(J)John. ⁷He came as a ^(K)witness, to bear witness about the light, ^(L)that all might believe through him. ⁸^(M)He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

⁹^(N)The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. ¹⁰He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet ^(O)the world did not know him. ¹¹He came to ^(P)his own,^[b] and ^(Q)his own people^[c] ^(R)did not receive him. ¹²But to all who did receive him, ^(S)who believed in his name, ^(T)he gave the right ^(U)to become ^(V)children of God, ¹³who ^(W)were born, ^(X)not of blood ^(Y)nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

¹⁴And ^(Z)the Word ^(AA)became flesh and ^(AB)dwelt among us, ^(AC)and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son^[d] from the Father, full of ^(AD)grace and ^(AE)truth. ¹⁵(^(AF)John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ^(AG)‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) ¹⁶For from ^(AH)his fullness we have all received, ^(AI)grace upon grace.^[e] ¹⁷For ^(AJ)the law was given through Moses; ^(AK)grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. ¹⁸^(AL)No one has ever seen God; ^(AM)the only God,^[f] who is at the Father's side,^[g] ^(AN)he has made him known.

The Testimony of John the Baptist

¹⁹And this is the ^(AO)testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, ^(AP)“Who are you?” ²⁰^(AQ)He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” ²¹And they asked him, “What then? ^(AR)Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you ^(AS)the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” ²²So they said to him, “Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” ²³He said, “I am ^(AT)the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight^[h] the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”

²⁴(Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.) ²⁵They asked him, ^(AU)“Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” ²⁶John answered them, ^(AV)“I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, ²⁷even ^(AW)he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” ²⁸These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

Behold, the Lamb of God

²⁹The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, ^(AX)the Lamb of God, who ^(AY)takes away the sin ^(AZ)of the world! ³⁰This is he of whom I said, ^(BA)‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ ³¹I myself did not know him, but ^(BB)for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” ³²And John ^(BC)bore witness: ^(BD)“I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and ^(BE)it remained on him. ³³I myself did not know him, but ^(BF)he who sent me to baptize ^(BG)with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, ^(BH)this is he who baptizes ^(BI)with the Holy Spirit.’ ³⁴And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son^[i] of God.”

Jesus Calls the First Disciples

³⁵The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, ³⁶and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, ^(BJ)the Lamb of God!” ³⁷The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. ³⁸Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, ^(BK)“What are you seeking?” And they said to him, ^(BL)“Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” ³⁹He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour.^[j] ⁴⁰^(BM)One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus^[k] was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. ⁴¹He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found ^(BN)the Messiah” (which means Christ). ⁴²He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of ^(BO)John. You shall be called ^(BP)Cephas” (which means ^(BQ)Peter^[l]).

Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael

⁴³^(BR)The next day Jesus decided ^(BS)to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” ⁴⁴Now ^(BT)Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. ⁴⁵Philip found ^(BU)Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom ^(BV)Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus ^(BW)of Nazareth, ^(BX)the son of Joseph.” ⁴⁶Nathanael said to him, ^(BY)“Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” ⁴⁷Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, ^(BZ)an Israelite indeed, ^(CA)in whom there is no deceit!” ⁴⁸Nathanael said to him, “How ^(CB)do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” ⁴⁹Nathanael answered him, ^(CC)“Rabbi, ^(CD)you are the Son of God! You are the ^(CE)King of Israel!” ⁵⁰Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” ⁵¹And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you,^[m] you will see ^(CF)heaven opened, and ^(CG)the angels of God ascending and descending on ^(CH)the Son of Man.”

Footnotes

John 1:4 Or was not any thing made. That which has been made was life in him
John 1:11 Greek to his own things; that is, to his own domain, or to his own people
John 1:11 People is implied in Greek
John 1:14 Or only One, or unique One
John 1:16 Or grace in place of grace
John 1:18 Or the only One, who is God; some manuscripts the only Son
John 1:18 Greek in the bosom of the Father
John 1:23 Or crying out, ‘In the wilderness make straight
John 1:34 Some manuscripts the Chosen One
John 1:39 That is, about 4 p.m.
John 1:40 Greek him
John 1:42 Cephas and Peter are from the word for rock in Aramaic and Greek, respectively
John 1:51 The Greek for you is plural; twice in this verse

Psalm 19

English Standard Version

The Law of the Lord Is Perfect

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

19 ^(A)The heavens declare the glory of God,
    and the sky above^[a] proclaims his handiwork.
²Day to day pours out speech,
    and night to night reveals knowledge.
³There is no speech, nor are there words,
    whose voice is not heard.
⁴^(B)Their ^(C)voice^[b] goes out through all the earth,
    and their words to the end of the world.
In them he has set a tent for ^(D)the sun,
⁵    ^(E)which comes out like ^(F)a bridegroom leaving his chamber,
    and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy.
⁶Its rising is from the end of the heavens,
    and its circuit to the end of them,
    and there is nothing hidden from its heat.

⁷^(G)The law of the Lord is perfect,^[c]
    ^(H)reviving the soul;
^(I)the testimony of the Lord is ^(J)sure,
    ^(K)making wise ^(L)the simple;
⁸^(M)the precepts of the Lord are right,
    rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is ^(N)pure,
    ^(O)enlightening the eyes;
⁹the fear of the Lord is clean,
    enduring forever;
the rules^[d] of the Lord are ^(P)true,
    and righteous altogether.
¹⁰More to be desired are they than ^(Q)gold,
    even much ^(R)fine gold;
^(S)sweeter also than honey
    and drippings of ^(T)the honeycomb.
¹¹Moreover, by them is your servant warned;
    ^(U)in keeping them there is great reward.

¹²^(V)Who can discern his errors?
    ^(W)Declare me innocent from ^(X)hidden faults.
¹³^(Y)Keep back your servant also from ^(Z)presumptuous sins;
    let them not have ^(AA)dominion over me!
Then I shall be blameless,
    and innocent of great transgression.

¹⁴Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable in your sight,
O Lord, my ^(AB)rock and my ^(AC)redeemer.

Footnotes

Psalm 19:1 Hebrew the expanse; compare Genesis 1:6–8
Psalm 19:4 Or Their measuring line
Psalm 19:7 Or blameless
Psalm 19:9 Or just decrees

Psalm 8

English Standard Version

How Majestic Is Your Name

To the choirmaster: according to The ^(A)Gittith.^[a] A Psalm of David.

8 O Lord, our Lord,
    how majestic is your ^(B)name in all the earth!
You have set your ^(C)glory above the heavens.
²    ^(D)Out of the mouth of babies and infants,
you have established ^(E)strength because of your foes,
    to still ^(F)the enemy and the avenger.

³When I ^(G)look at your heavens, the work of your ^(H)fingers,
the moon and the stars, ^(I)which you have set in place,
⁴^(J)what is man that you are ^(K)mindful of him,
and ^(L)the son of man that you ^(M)care for him?

⁵Yet you have made him a little lower than ^(N)the heavenly beings^[b]
    and crowned him with ^(O)glory and honor.
⁶You have given him ^(P)dominion over the works of your hands;
    ^(Q)you have put all things under his feet,
⁷all sheep and oxen,
    and also the beasts of the field,
⁸the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea,
    whatever passes along the paths of the seas.

⁹O Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Footnotes

Psalm 8:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
Psalm 8:5 Or than God; Septuagint than the angels

Job 38-40

English Standard Version

The Lord Answers Job

38 Then the Lord ^(A)answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:

²“Who is this that ^(B)darkens counsel by words ^(C)without knowledge?
³^(D)Dress for action^[a] like a man;
I will question you, and you make it known to me.

⁴“Where were you when I ^(E)laid the foundation of the earth?
    Tell me, if you have understanding.
⁵Who determined its measurements—surely you know!
    Or who stretched the line upon it?
⁶On what were its bases sunk,
    or who laid its cornerstone,
⁷when the morning stars ^(F)sang together
    and all ^(G)the sons of God ^(H)shouted for joy?

⁸“Or who ^(I)shut in the sea with doors
    when it burst out from the womb,
⁹when I made clouds its garment
    and ^(J)thick darkness its swaddling band,
¹⁰and prescribed ^(K)limits for it
    and set bars and doors,
¹¹and said, ‘Thus far shall you come, and no farther,
    and here shall your ^(L)proud waves be stayed’?

¹²“Have you ^(M)commanded the morning since your days began,
    and caused the dawn to know its place,
¹³that it might take hold of ^(N)the skirts of the earth,
    and the wicked be ^(O)shaken out of it?
¹⁴It is changed like clay under the seal,
    and its features stand out like a garment.
¹⁵From the wicked their ^(P)light is withheld,
    and ^(Q)their uplifted arm is broken.

¹⁶“Have you ^(R)entered into the springs of the sea,
    or walked in the recesses of the deep?
¹⁷Have ^(S)the gates of death been revealed to you,
    or have you seen the gates of ^(T)deep darkness?
¹⁸Have you comprehended the expanse of the earth?
    Declare, if you know all this.

¹⁹“Where is the way to the dwelling of light,
    and where is the place of darkness,
²⁰that you may take it to its territory
    and that you may discern ^(U)the paths to its home?
²¹You know, for ^(V)you were born then,
    and the number of your days is great!

²²“Have you entered ^(W)the storehouses of the snow,
    or have you seen ^(X)the storehouses of the hail,
²³which I have reserved ^(Y)for the time of trouble,
    ^(Z)for the day of battle and war?
²⁴What is the way to the place where the light is distributed,
    or where the east wind is scattered upon the earth?

²⁵“Who has cleft a channel for the torrents of rain
    and ^(AA)a way for the thunderbolt,
²⁶to bring rain on ^(AB)a land where no man is,
    on ^(AC)the desert in which there is no man,
²⁷to satisfy the waste and desolate land,
    and to make the ground sprout with ^(AD)grass?

²⁸“Has ^(AE)the rain a father,
    or who has begotten the drops of dew?
²⁹From whose womb did ^(AF)the ice come forth,
    and who has given birth to ^(AG)the frost of heaven?
³⁰The waters become hard like stone,
    and the face of the deep is ^(AH)frozen.

³¹“Can you bind the chains of ^(AI)the Pleiades
    or loose the cords of ^(AJ)Orion?
³²Can you lead forth the Mazzaroth^[b] in their season,
    or can you guide ^(AK)the Bear with its children?
³³Do you know ^(AL)the ordinances of the heavens?
    Can you establish their rule on the earth?

³⁴“Can you lift up your voice to the clouds,
    that ^(AM)a flood of waters may cover you?
³⁵Can you send forth lightnings, that they may go
    and say to you, ‘Here we are’?
³⁶Who has ^(AN)put wisdom in ^(AO)the inward parts^[c]
    or given understanding to the mind?^[d]
³⁷Who can number the clouds by wisdom?
    Or who can tilt the waterskins of the heavens,
³⁸when the dust runs into a mass
    and ^(AP)the clods stick fast together?

³⁹“Can you hunt the prey for the lion,
    or ^(AQ)satisfy the appetite of the young lions,
⁴⁰when they crouch in their ^(AR)dens
    or lie in wait ^(AS)in their thicket?
⁴¹Who provides for ^(AT)the raven its prey,
    when its young ones cry to God for help,
    and wander about for lack of food?

39 “Do you know when ^(AU)the mountain goats give birth?
    Do you observe ^(AV)the calving of the does?
²Can you number the months that they fulfill,
    and do you know the time when they give birth,
³when they ^(AW)crouch, bring forth their offspring,
    and are delivered of their young?
⁴Their young ones become strong; they grow up in the open;
    they go out and ^(AX)do not return to them.

⁵“Who has let the wild donkey go free?
    Who has ^(AY)loosed the bonds of the swift donkey,
⁶to whom I have given ^(AZ)the arid plain for his home
    and ^(BA)the salt land for his dwelling place?
⁷He scorns the tumult of the city;
    he hears not the shouts of the driver.
⁸He ranges the mountains as his pasture,
    and he searches after every green thing.

⁹“Is ^(BB)the wild ox willing to serve you?
    Will he spend the night at your ^(BC)manger?
¹⁰Can you bind ^(BD)him in the furrow with ropes,
    or will he harrow the valleys after you?
¹¹Will you depend on him because his strength is great,
    and will you leave to him your labor?
¹²Do you have faith in him that he will return your grain
    and gather it to your threshing floor?

¹³“The wings of the ostrich wave proudly,
    but are they the pinions and plumage of love?^[e]
¹⁴For she leaves her eggs to the earth
    and lets them be warmed on the ground,
¹⁵forgetting that a foot may crush them
    and that the wild beast may trample them.
¹⁶She ^(BE)deals cruelly with her young, as if they were not hers;
    though her ^(BF)labor be in vain, yet she has no fear,
¹⁷because God has made her forget wisdom
    and ^(BG)given her no share in understanding.
¹⁸When she rouses herself to flee,^[f]
    she laughs at the horse and his rider.

¹⁹“Do you give the horse his might?
    Do you clothe his neck with a mane?
²⁰Do you make him leap like the locust?
    His majestic ^(BH)snorting is terrifying.
²¹He paws^[g] in the valley and exults in his strength;
    he ^(BI)goes out to meet the weapons.
²²He laughs at fear and is not dismayed;
    he does not turn back from the sword.
²³Upon him rattle the quiver,
    the flashing spear, and the javelin.
²⁴With fierceness and rage he swallows the ground;
    he cannot stand still at ^(BJ)the sound of the trumpet.
²⁵When the trumpet sounds, he says ‘Aha!’
    He smells the battle from afar,
    the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.

²⁶“Is it by your understanding that the hawk soars
    and spreads his wings toward the south?
²⁷Is it at your command that the eagle mounts up
    and makes his ^(BK)nest on high?
²⁸On the rock he dwells and makes his home,
    on ^(BL)the rocky crag and stronghold.
²⁹From there he spies out the prey;
    his eyes behold it from far away.
³⁰His young ones suck up blood,
    and ^(BM)where the slain are, there is he.”

40 And the Lord ^(BN)said to Job:

²“Shall a faultfinder ^(BO)contend with the Almighty?
He who argues with God, let him answer it.”

Job Promises Silence

³Then Job answered the Lord and said:

⁴“Behold, I am ^(BP)of small account; what shall I answer you?
^(BQ)I lay my hand on my mouth.
⁵I have spoken ^(BR)once, and I will not answer;
^(BS)twice, but I will proceed no further.”

The Lord Challenges Job

⁶Then the Lord ^(BT)answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:

⁷^(BU)“Dress for action^[h] like a man;
    ^(BV)I will question you, and you make it known to me.
⁸Will you even put me in the wrong?
    Will you condemn me that ^(BW)you may be in the right?
⁹Have you ^(BX)an arm like God,
    and can you thunder with ^(BY)a voice like his?

¹⁰“Adorn yourself with majesty and dignity;
    ^(BZ)clothe yourself with glory and splendor.
¹¹Pour out the overflowings of your anger,
    and look on everyone who is ^(CA)proud and abase him.
¹²Look on everyone who is proud and bring him low
    and ^(CB)tread down the wicked ^(CC)where they stand.
¹³^(CD)Hide them all in ^(CE)the dust together;
    bind their faces in the world below.^[i]
¹⁴Then will I also acknowledge to you
    that your own ^(CF)right hand can save you.

¹⁵“Behold, Behemoth,^[j]
    which I made as I made you;
    he eats ^(CG)grass like an ox.
¹⁶Behold, his strength in his loins,
    and his power in the muscles of his belly.
¹⁷He makes his tail stiff like a cedar;
    the sinews of his thighs are knit together.
¹⁸His bones are tubes of bronze,
    his limbs like bars of iron.

¹⁹“He is ^(CH)the first of ^(CI)the works^[k] of God;
    let him who made him bring near his sword!
²⁰For the mountains yield food for him
    where all the wild beasts play.
²¹Under the lotus plants he lies,
    in the shelter of ^(CJ)the reeds and in the marsh.
²²For his shade the lotus trees cover him;
    the willows of the brook surround him.
²³Behold, if the river is turbulent he is not frightened;
    he is confident though Jordan rushes against his mouth.
²⁴Can one take him by his eyes,^[l]
    or pierce his nose with a snare?