The Creation

1 In the beginning^(A) God created the heavens and the earth.^[a](B)

² Now the earth was formless and empty,^(C) darkness covered the surface of the watery depths, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.^{(D) 3} Then God said, “Let there be light,”^(E) and there was light. ⁴ God saw that the light was good, and God separated the light from the darkness. ⁵ God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” There was an evening, and there was a morning: one day.

⁶ Then God said, “Let there be an expanse between the waters, separating water from water.”^{(F) 7} So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above the expanse.^(G) And it was so. ⁸ God called the expanse “sky.”^[b] Evening came and then morning: the second day.

⁹ Then God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered into one place,^(H) and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. ¹⁰ God called the dry land “earth,” and the gathering of the water he called “seas.” And God saw that it was good. ¹¹ Then God said, “Let the earth produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds.”^(I) And it was so. ¹² The earth produced vegetation: seed-bearing plants according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. ¹³ Evening came and then morning: the third day.

¹⁴ Then God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night. They will serve as signs^(J) for seasons^[c] and for days and years.^{(K) 15} They will be lights in the expanse of the sky to provide light on the earth.” And it was so. ¹⁶ God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule over the day and the lesser light to rule over the night—as well as the stars.^{(L) 17} God placed them in the expanse of the sky to provide light on the earth, ¹⁸ to rule the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness.^(M) And God saw that it was good. ¹⁹ Evening came and then morning: the fourth day.

²⁰ Then God said, “Let the water swarm with^[d] living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky.” ²¹ So God created the large sea-creatures and every living creature that moves and swarms in the water,^(N) according to their kinds. He also created every winged creature according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. ²² God blessed them: “Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the waters of the seas, and let the birds multiply on the earth.”^{(O) 23} Evening came and then morning: the fifth day.

²⁴ Then God said, “Let the earth produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that crawl, and the wildlife of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so. ²⁵ So God made the wildlife of the earth according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that crawl on the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.

²⁶ Then God said, “Let us^(P) make man^[e] in^[f] our image, according to our likeness.^(Q) They will rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, the whole earth, and the creatures that crawl^[g] on the earth.”^(R)

²⁸ God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth,^(T) and subdue it. Rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and every creature that crawls on the earth.” ²⁹ God also said, “Look, I have given you every seed-bearing plant on the surface of the entire earth and every tree whose fruit contains seed. This will be food for you,^{(U) 30} for all the wildlife of the earth, for every bird of the sky, and for every creature that crawls on the earth—everything having the breath of life in it—I have given^[h] every green plant for food.”^(V) And it was so. ³¹ God saw all that he had made, and it was very good indeed.^(W) Evening came and then morning: the sixth day.

Betrayal at the Passover

¹⁷ On the first day of Unleavened Bread^(A) the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?”

¹⁸ “Go into the city to a certain man,” he said, “and tell him, ‘The Teacher says: My time is near; I am celebrating the Passover at your place^[a] with my disciples.’”^{(B) 19} So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover. ²⁰ When evening came, he was reclining at the table with the Twelve. ²¹ While they were eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.”^(C)

²² Deeply distressed, each one began to say to him, “Surely not I, Lord?”

²³ He replied, “The one who dipped his hand with me in the bowl—he will betray me. ²⁴ The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him,^(D) but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for him if he had not been born.”

²⁵ Judas, his betrayer, replied, “Surely not I, Rabbi?” ^(E)

“You have said it,” he told him.

The First Lord’s Supper

²⁶ As they were eating,^(F) Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, gave it to the disciples,^(G) and said, “Take and eat it; this is my body.”^(H)

A Living Sacrifice

12 Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you^(A) to present your bodies as a living sacrifice,^(B) holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship.^{[a] 2} Do not be conformed^(C) to this age,^(D) but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,^(E) so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will^(F) of God.