⁴ These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created.

Another Account of the Creation

In the day that the Lord^[a] God made the earth and the heavens, ⁵ when no plant of the field was yet in the earth and no vegetation of the field had yet sprung up—for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was no one to till the ground,^{(A) 6} but a stream would rise from the earth and water the whole face of the ground— ⁷ then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground^[b] and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.^{(B) 8} And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed.^{(C) 9} Out of the ground the Lord God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.^(D)

¹⁰ A river flows out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it divides and becomes four branches. ¹¹ The name of the first is Pishon; it is the one that flows around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold, ¹² and the gold of that land is good; bdellium and onyx stone are there.^{(E) 13} The name of the second river is Gihon; it is the one that flows around the whole land of Cush. ¹⁴ The name of the third river is Tigris, which flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.^(F)

¹⁵ The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it. ¹⁶ And the Lord God commanded the man, “You may freely eat of every tree of the garden, ¹⁷ but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.”^(G)

²⁷ When they had brought them, they had them stand before the council. The high priest questioned them, ²⁸ saying, “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,^[a] yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you are determined to bring this man’s blood on us.”^{(A) 29} But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than any human authority.^{[b](B) 30} The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus, whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree.^{(C) 31} God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior that he might give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.^{(D) 32} And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.”^(E)

Jesus Appears to the Disciples

¹⁹ When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors were locked where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”^{(A) 20} After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.^{(B) 21} Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”^{(C) 22} When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. ²³ If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”^(D)

Jesus and Thomas

²⁴ But Thomas (who was called the Twin^[a]), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came.^{(E) 25} So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”^(F)

²⁶ A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”^{(G) 27} Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.”^{(H) 28} Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” ²⁹ Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”^(I)

The Purpose of This Book

³⁰ Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book. ³¹ But these are written so that you may continue^[b] to believe that Jesus is the Messiah,^[c] the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.^(J)