The Creation

1 ^(A)In the beginning ^(B)God ^(C)created the heavens and the earth. ² And the earth was a ^(D)[a]formless and desolate emptiness, and ^(E)darkness was over the ^[b]surface of the deep, and ^(F)the Spirit of God ^(G)was hovering over the ^[c]surface of the waters. ³ Then ^(H)God said, “^[d]Let there be light”; and there was light.

²⁶ Then God said, “^[a]Let ^(A)Us make ^(B)mankind in Our image, according to Our likeness; and ^[b]let them ^(C)rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the livestock and over all the earth, and over every crawling thing that crawls on the earth.” ²⁷ So God created man ^(D)in His own image, in the image of God He created him; ^(E)male and female He created them. ²⁸ God blessed them; and God said to them, “^(F)Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that ^[c]moves on the earth.”

¹³ For this reason we also constantly ^(A)thank God that when you received the ^(B)word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it ^(C)not as the word of mere men, but as what it really is, the word of God, ^(D)which also is at work in you who believe.