Genesis 1:1-23

New International Version

The Beginning

1 In the beginning^(A) God created^(B) the heavens^(C) and the earth.^(D) ²Now 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.

³And God said,^(J) “Let there be light,” and there was light.^(K) ⁴God saw that the light was good,^(L) and he separated the light from the darkness.^(M) ⁵God called^(N) the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.”^(O) And there was evening, and there was morning^(P)—the first day.

⁶And God said,^(Q) “Let there be a vault^(R) between the waters^(S) to separate water from water.” ⁷So God made the vault and separated the water under the vault from the water above it.^(T) And it was so.^(U) ⁸God called^(V) the vault “sky.”^(W) And there was evening, and there was morning^(X)—the second day.

⁹And 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) ¹⁰God called^(AB) the dry ground “land,” and the gathered waters^(AC) he called “seas.”^(AD) And God saw that it was good.^(AE)

¹¹Then 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) ¹²The 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) ¹³And there was evening, and there was morning^(AK)—the third day.

¹⁴And 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) ¹⁵and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so.^(AQ) ¹⁶God 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) ¹⁷God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth, ¹⁸to govern the day and the night,^(AW) and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good.^(AX) ¹⁹And there was evening, and there was morning^(AY)—the fourth day.

²⁰And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures,^(AZ) and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.”^(BA) ²¹So 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) ²²God 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) ²³And there was evening, and there was morning^(BH)—the fifth day.

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Job 38:1-18

New International Version

The Lord Speaks

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

²“Who is this that obscures my plans^(C)
    with words without knowledge?^(D)
³Brace yourself like a man;
    I will question you,
    and you shall answer me.^(E)

⁴“Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?^(F)
    Tell me, if you understand.^(G)
⁵Who marked off its dimensions?^(H) Surely you know!
    Who stretched a measuring line^(I) across it?
⁶On what were its footings set,^(J)
    or who laid its cornerstone^(K)—
⁷while the morning stars^(L) sang together^(M)
    and all the angels^[a]^(N) shouted for joy?^(O)

⁸“Who shut up the sea behind doors^(P)
    when it burst forth from the womb,^(Q)
⁹when I made the clouds its garment
    and wrapped it in thick darkness,^(R)
¹⁰when I fixed limits for it^(S)
    and set its doors and bars in place,^(T)
¹¹when 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)
¹³that it might take the earth by the edges
    and shake the wicked^(Y) out of it?^(Z)
¹⁴The earth takes shape like clay under a seal;^(AA)
    its features stand out like those of a garment.
¹⁵The 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)
¹⁷Have the gates of death^(AE) been shown to you?
    Have you seen the gates of the deepest darkness?^(AF)
¹⁸Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth?^(AG)
    Tell me, if you know all this.^(AH)