The Creation of the World

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

¹² The 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.

²¹ So ^(A)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.

²⁶ Then God said, ^(A)“Let us make man^[a] in our image, ^(B)after our likeness. And ^(C)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.”

¹⁵ The Lord God took the man ^(A)and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.

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. ² He 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.

⁴⁶ For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for ^(A)he wrote of me. ⁴⁷ But ^(B)if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”

¹⁶ For by^[a] him all things were created, ^(A)in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether ^(B)thrones or ^(C)dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created ^(D)through him and for him. ¹⁷ And ^(E)he is before all things, and in him all things ^(F)hold together.