The Creation

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

Now the earth was[b] 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) Then God said, “Let there be light,”(E) and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and He called the darkness “night.” Evening came and then morning: the first day.

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

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 He called the gathering of the water “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 festivals[e] 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 have dominion over the day and the lesser light to have dominion 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 dominate 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[f] living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky.” 21 So God created the large sea-creatures[g] and every living creature that moves and swarms in the water,(N) according to their kinds. He also created every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 So 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 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 in Our image, according to Our likeness.(Q) They will rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, all the earth,[h] and the creatures that crawl[i] on the earth.”(R)

27 So God created man in His own image;
He created him in the image of God;
He created them male and female.(S)

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[j] 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 food will be 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 every green plant for food.”(V) And it was so. 31 God saw all that He had made, and it was very good.(W) Evening came and then morning: the sixth day.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 1:1 Or created the universe
  2. Genesis 1:2 Or When God began to create the sky and the earth, the earth was
  3. Genesis 1:6 The Hb word for expanse is from a root meaning “to spread out, stamp, beat firmly,” which suggests something like a dome; Jb 37:16-18; Is 40:22.
  4. Genesis 1:8 Or “heavens”
  5. Genesis 1:14 Or for the appointed times
  6. Genesis 1:20 Lit with swarms of
  7. Genesis 1:21 Or created sea monsters
  8. Genesis 1:26 Syr reads sky, and over every animal of the land
  9. Genesis 1:26 Lit scurry
  10. Genesis 1:28 Lit and all scurrying animals that scurry

The Beginning of the World

In the beginning God created the sky and the earth. The earth was empty and had no form. Darkness covered the ocean, and God’s Spirit was moving over the water.

Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, so he divided the light from the darkness. God named the light “day” and the darkness “night.” Evening passed, and morning came. This was the first day.

Then God said, “Let there be something to divide the water in two.” So God made the air and placed some of the water above the air and some below it. God named the air “sky.” Evening passed, and morning came. This was the second day.

Then God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered together so the dry land will appear.” And it happened. 10 God named the dry land “earth” and the water that was gathered together “seas.” God saw that this was good.

11 Then God said, “Let the earth produce plants—some to make grain for seeds and others to make fruits with seeds in them. Every seed will produce more of its own kind of plant.” And it happened. 12 The earth produced plants with grain for seeds and trees that made fruits with seeds in them. Each seed grew its own kind of plant. God saw that all this was good. 13 Evening passed, and morning came. This was the third day.

14 Then God said, “Let there be lights in the sky to separate day from night. These lights will be used for signs, seasons, days, and years. 15 They will be in the sky to give light to the earth.” And it happened.

16 So God made the two large lights. He made the brighter light to rule the day and made the smaller light to rule the night. He also made the stars. 17 God put all these in the sky to shine on the earth, 18 to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. God saw that all these things were good. 19 Evening passed, and morning came. This was the fourth day.

20 Then God said, “Let the water be filled with living things, and let birds fly in the air above the earth.”

21 So God created the large sea animals and every living thing that moves in the sea. The sea is filled with these living things, with each one producing more of its own kind. He also made every bird that flies, and each bird produced more of its own kind. God saw that this was good. 22 God blessed them and said, “Have many young ones so that you may grow in number. Fill the water of the seas, and let the birds grow in number on the earth.” 23 Evening passed, and morning came. This was the fifth day.

24 Then God said, “Let the earth be filled with animals, each producing more of its own kind. Let there be tame animals and small crawling animals and wild animals, and let each produce more of its kind.” And it happened.

25 So God made the wild animals, the tame animals, and all the small crawling animals to produce more of their own kind. God saw that this was good.

26 Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image and likeness. And let them rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the tame animals, over all the earth, and over all the small crawling animals on the earth.”

27 So God created human beings in his image. In the image of God he created them. He created them male and female. 28 God blessed them and said, “Have many children and grow in number. Fill the earth and be its master. Rule over the fish in the sea and over the birds in the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

29 God said, “Look, I have given you all the plants that have grain for seeds and all the trees whose fruits have seeds in them. They will be food for you. 30 I have given all the green plants as food for every wild animal, every bird of the air, and every small crawling animal.” And it happened. 31 God looked at everything he had made, and it was very good. Evening passed, and morning came. This was the sixth day.

The History of Creation(A)

In the (B)beginning (C)God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was (D)without form, and void; and darkness [a]was on the face of the deep. (E)And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

(F)Then God said, (G)“Let there be (H)light”; and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the (I)darkness He called Night. [b]So the evening and the morning were the first day.

Then God said, (J)“Let there be a [c]firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.” Thus God made the firmament, (K)and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were (L)above the firmament; and it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven. So the evening and the morning were the second day.

Then God said, (M)“Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and (N)let the dry land appear”; and it was so. 10 And God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters He called Seas. And God saw that it was good.

11 Then God said, “Let the earth (O)bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the (P)fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth”; and it was so. 12 And the earth brought forth grass, the herb that yields seed according to its kind, and the tree that yields fruit, whose seed is in itself according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 13 So the evening and the morning were the third day.

14 Then God said, “Let there be (Q)lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and (R)seasons, and for days and years; 15 and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth”; and it was so. 16 Then God made two great [d]lights: the (S)greater light to rule the day, and the (T)lesser light to rule the night. He made (U)the stars also. 17 God set them in the firmament of the (V)heavens to give light on the earth, 18 and to (W)rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 So the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

20 Then God said, “Let the waters abound with an abundance of living [e]creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the face of the [f]firmament of the heavens.” 21 So (X)God created great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters abounded, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 And God blessed them, saying, (Y)“Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” 23 So the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

24 Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind”; and it was so. 25 And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle according to its kind, and everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

26 Then God said, (Z)“Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; (AA)let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over [g]all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man (AB)in His own image; in the image of God He created him; (AC)male and female He created them. 28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, (AD)“Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and (AE)subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that [h]moves on the earth.”

29 And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; (AF)to you it shall be for food. 30 Also, to (AG)every beast of the earth, to every (AH)bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is [i]life, I have given every green herb for food”; and it was so. 31 Then (AI)God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 1:2 Words in italic type have been added for clarity. They are not found in the original Hebrew or Aramaic.
  2. Genesis 1:5 Lit. And evening was, and morning was, a day, one.
  3. Genesis 1:6 expanse
  4. Genesis 1:16 luminaries
  5. Genesis 1:20 souls
  6. Genesis 1:20 expanse
  7. Genesis 1:26 Syr. all the wild animals of
  8. Genesis 1:28 moves about on
  9. Genesis 1:30 a living soul

Hvordan Gud skaber universet

I begyndelsen skabte Gud himlen og jorden. Jorden var øde og tom, og urdybet lå hen i totalt mørke, men Guds Ånd svævede over de mørke vande.

Så sagde Gud: „Der skal blive lys!” og så var der lys. Gud glædede sig over lyset, og han satte skel mellem lyset og mørket. Tiden med lys kaldte han dag, og tiden med mørke kaldte han nat. Det blev aften, og det blev morgen. Det var den første dag.

Så sagde Gud: „Der skal være en hvælving midt i alt vandet til at dele det.” Og Gud dannede en hvælving, så vandet ovenfor den blev adskilt fra vandet nedenfor den. Hvælvingen kaldte han himmel. Det blev aften, og det blev morgen. Det var den anden dag.

Dernæst sagde Gud: „Vandet under himmelhvælvingen skal samle sig, så det tørre land kommer til syne.” Og sådan skete det. 10 Det tørre land kaldte han jord, og de steder, hvor vandet var, kaldte han hav; og Gud glædede sig over sit værk.

11 Derpå sagde Gud: „Grønne planter, der bærer frø, skal spire frem af jorden, og frugttræer, som bærer frugt med kerner, skal vokse op, så de kan formere sig, hver efter sin art.” Og sådan blev det. 12 Op af jorden spirede grønne planter, som bar frø, og træer, som bar frugt med kerner, hver efter sin art. Og Gud glædede sig over sit værk. 13 Det blev aften, og det blev morgen. Det var den tredje dag.

14-15 Så sagde Gud: „Der skal være lysgivere på himmelhvælvingen, som sætter skel mellem dag og nat, og som markerer årstidernes skiften og festdagenes begyndelse.” Og sådan blev det. 16 Gud frembragte to store lys på himlen til at skinne på jorden, det største lys, solen, til at herske om dagen, og det mindre, månen, til at herske om natten sammen med stjernerne. 17 Han satte dem på himmelhvælvingen til at lyse på jorden, 18 til at sætte skel mellem dagen og natten. Og han glædede sig over sit værk. 19 Det blev aften, og det blev morgen. Det var den fjerde dag.

20 Dernæst sagde Gud: „Vandet skal vrimle med fisk og andet liv, og der skal være et mylder af fugle i luften.” Og sådan blev det. 21 Gud skabte de store havdyr og en mangfoldighed af fisk og fugle; og han glædede sig over sit værk. 22 Han velsignede dem og sagde: „Formér jer og bliv mange. Fiskene skal fylde havene, og fuglene skal fylde luften.” 23 Det blev aften, og det blev morgen. Det var den femte dag.

24 Derpå sagde Gud: „Af jorden skal der fremstå alle slags dyr—kvæg, krybdyr og alle mulige vilde dyr.” Og sådan blev det. 25 Gud dannede alle slags vilde dyr, krybdyr og husdyr, alle i stand til at formere sig, hver efter sin art; og Gud glædede sig over sit værk.

26 Så sagde Gud: „Lad os frembringe et levende væsen, der ligner os. Det skal herske over alt dyrelivet—fiskene i havet, fuglene i luften og de tamme og vilde dyr på jorden.” 27 Da skabte Gud to mennesker, som lignede ham. De blev skabt som mand og kvinde. 28 Gud velsignede dem og sagde: „Formér jer og bliv mange, bred jer over hele jorden og tag den i besiddelse! Hersk over fiskene, fuglene og alle de andre dyr på jorden.” 29 Gud fortsatte: „Se! Jeg giver jer alle de frøbærende planter på jorden som føde, og I må også spise frugt fra de mange frugttræer. 30 Jeg giver græsset og alt grønt til føde for dyrene og fuglene.” Og sådan blev det. 31 Gud betragtede nu hele sit skaberværk, og han var ovenud tilfreds med det. Det blev aften, og det blev morgen. Det var den sjette dag.