Print Page Options Listen to Genesis 1

The Beginning

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

24 And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures(BI) according to their kinds:(BJ) the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so.(BK) 25 God made the wild animals(BL) according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds.(BM) And God saw that it was good.(BN)

26 Then God said, “Let us(BO) make mankind(BP) in our image,(BQ) in our likeness,(BR) so that they may rule(BS) over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky,(BT) over the livestock and all the wild animals,[a] and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

27 So God created(BU) mankind(BV) in his own image,(BW)
    in the image of God(BX) he created them;
    male and female(BY) he created them.(BZ)

28 God blessed them and said to them,(CA) “Be fruitful and increase in number;(CB) fill the earth(CC) and subdue it. Rule over(CD) the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.(CE)

29 Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.(CF) 30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life(CG) in it—I give every green plant for food.(CH)” And it was so.

31 God saw all that he had made,(CI) and it was very good.(CJ) And there was evening, and there was morning(CK)—the sixth day.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 1:26 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text (see Syriac); Masoretic Text the earth

The Creation

(A)In the beginning (B)God (C)created the heavens and the earth. 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. Then (H)God said, “[d]Let there be light”; and there was light. God saw that the light was (I)good; and God (J)separated the light from the darkness. (K)God called the light “day,” and the darkness He called “night.” And (L)there was evening and there was morning, one day.

Then God said, “Let there be [e]an (M)expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” God made the [f]expanse, and separated (N)the waters that were below the [g]expanse from the waters (O)that were above the [h]expanse; and it was so. God called the [i]expanse “heaven.” And there was evening and there was morning, a second day.

Then God said, “(P)Let the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place, and let (Q)the dry land appear”; and it was so. 10 And God called the dry land “earth,” and the (R)gathering of the waters He called “seas”; and God saw that it was good. 11 Then God said, “Let the earth sprout [j](S)vegetation, [k]plants yielding seed, and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit according to [l]their kind [m]with seed in them”; and it was so. 12 The earth produced [n]vegetation, [o]plants yielding seed according to [p]their kind, and trees bearing fruit [q]with seed in them, according to [r]their kind; and God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening and there was morning, a third day.

14 Then God said, “Let there be [s](T)lights in the [t](U)expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and they shall [u]serve as (V)signs and for (W)seasons, and for days and years; 15 and they [v]shall serve as lights in the [w]expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth”; and it was so. 16 God made the two great lights, the (X)greater light [x]to govern the day, and the lesser light [y]to govern the night; He made (Y)the stars also. 17 (Z)God placed them in the [z]expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, 18 and [aa]to (AA)govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.

20 Then God said, “Let the waters [ab]teem with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth [ac]in the open [ad]expanse of the heavens.” 21 And God created (AB)the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind; and God saw that it was good. 22 God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” 23 And there was evening and there was morning, a fifth day.

24 (AC)Then God said, “Let the earth produce living creatures according to [ae]their kind: livestock and crawling things and animals of the earth according to [af]their kind”; and it was so. 25 God made the (AD)animals of the earth according to [ag]their kind, and the livestock according to [ah]their kind, and everything that crawls on the ground according to its kind; and God saw that it was good.

26 Then God said, “[ai]Let (AE)Us make (AF)mankind in Our image, according to Our likeness; and [aj]let them (AG)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 (AH)in His own image, in the image of God He created him; (AI)male and female He created them. 28 God blessed them; and God said to them, “(AJ)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 [ak]moves on the earth.” 29 Then God said, “Behold, (AK)I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the [al]surface of all the earth, and every tree [am]which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you; 30 and (AL)to every animal of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to everything that [an]moves on the earth [ao]which has life, I have given every green plant for food”; and it was so. 31 And God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very (AM)good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 1:2 Or waste
  2. Genesis 1:2 Lit face of
  3. Genesis 1:2 Lit face of
  4. Genesis 1:3 I.e., a command, not a request; and so throughout the ch
  5. Genesis 1:6 Or a firmament; i.e., atmosphere and space
  6. Genesis 1:7 Or firmament
  7. Genesis 1:7 Or firmament
  8. Genesis 1:7 Or firmament
  9. Genesis 1:8 Or firmament
  10. Genesis 1:11 Or grass
  11. Genesis 1:11 Or herbs
  12. Genesis 1:11 Lit its
  13. Genesis 1:11 Lit in which is its seed
  14. Genesis 1:12 Or grass
  15. Genesis 1:12 Or herbs
  16. Genesis 1:12 Lit its
  17. Genesis 1:12 Lit in which is its seed
  18. Genesis 1:12 Lit its
  19. Genesis 1:14 Or luminaries, light-bearers, and so throughout the ch
  20. Genesis 1:14 Or firmament; i.e., atmosphere and space
  21. Genesis 1:14 Lit be for
  22. Genesis 1:15 Lit be for
  23. Genesis 1:15 Or firmament
  24. Genesis 1:16 Lit for the dominion of
  25. Genesis 1:16 Lit for the dominion of
  26. Genesis 1:17 Or firmament
  27. Genesis 1:18 Lit for the dominion of
  28. Genesis 1:20 Or swarm
  29. Genesis 1:20 Lit on the face of
  30. Genesis 1:20 Or firmament
  31. Genesis 1:24 Lit its
  32. Genesis 1:24 Lit its
  33. Genesis 1:25 Lit its
  34. Genesis 1:25 Lit its
  35. Genesis 1:26 I.e., indicating united action, not a request
  36. Genesis 1:26 I.e., have them rule
  37. Genesis 1:28 Or crawls
  38. Genesis 1:29 Lit face of
  39. Genesis 1:29 Lit in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed
  40. Genesis 1:30 Or crawls
  41. Genesis 1:30 Lit in which is living breath

La creación

En el principio creó Dios los cielos y la tierra. Y la tierra estaba desordenada y vacía, y las tinieblas estaban sobre la faz del abismo, y el Espíritu de Dios se movía sobre la faz de las aguas.

Y dijo Dios: Sea la luz;(A) y fue la luz. Y vio Dios que la luz era buena; y separó Dios la luz de las tinieblas. Y llamó Dios a la luz Día, y a las tinieblas llamó Noche. Y fue la tarde y la mañana un día.

Luego dijo Dios: Haya expansión en medio de las aguas, y separe las aguas de las aguas. E hizo Dios la expansión, y separó las aguas que estaban debajo de la expansión, de las aguas que estaban sobre la expansión. Y fue así. Y llamó Dios a la expansión Cielos.(B) Y fue la tarde y la mañana el día segundo.

Dijo también Dios: Júntense las aguas que están debajo de los cielos en un lugar, y descúbrase lo seco. Y fue así. 10 Y llamó Dios a lo seco Tierra, y a la reunión de las aguas llamó Mares. Y vio Dios que era bueno. 11 Después dijo Dios: Produzca la tierra hierba verde, hierba que dé semilla; árbol de fruto que dé fruto según su género, que su semilla esté en él, sobre la tierra. Y fue así. 12 Produjo, pues, la tierra hierba verde, hierba que da semilla según su naturaleza, y árbol que da fruto, cuya semilla está en él, según su género. Y vio Dios que era bueno. 13 Y fue la tarde y la mañana el día tercero.

14 Dijo luego Dios: Haya lumbreras en la expansión de los cielos para separar el día de la noche; y sirvan de señales para las estaciones, para días y años, 15 y sean por lumbreras en la expansión de los cielos para alumbrar sobre la tierra. Y fue así. 16 E hizo Dios las dos grandes lumbreras; la lumbrera mayor para que señorease en el día, y la lumbrera menor para que señorease en la noche; hizo también las estrellas. 17 Y las puso Dios en la expansión de los cielos para alumbrar sobre la tierra, 18 y para señorear en el día y en la noche, y para separar la luz de las tinieblas. Y vio Dios que era bueno. 19 Y fue la tarde y la mañana el día cuarto. 20 Dijo Dios: Produzcan las aguas seres vivientes, y aves que vuelen sobre la tierra, en la abierta expansión de los cielos. 21 Y creó Dios los grandes monstruos marinos, y todo ser viviente que se mueve, que las aguas produjeron según su género, y toda ave alada según su especie. Y vio Dios que era bueno. 22 Y Dios los bendijo, diciendo: Fructificad y multiplicaos, y llenad las aguas en los mares, y multiplíquense las aves en la tierra. 23 Y fue la tarde y la mañana el día quinto.

24 Luego dijo Dios: Produzca la tierra seres vivientes según su género, bestias y serpientes y animales de la tierra según su especie. Y fue así. 25 E hizo Dios animales de la tierra según su género, y ganado según su género, y todo animal que se arrastra sobre la tierra según su especie. Y vio Dios que era bueno.

26 Entonces dijo Dios: Hagamos al hombre a nuestra imagen,(C) conforme a nuestra semejanza; y señoree en los peces del mar, en las aves de los cielos, en las bestias, en toda la tierra, y en todo animal que se arrastra sobre la tierra. 27 Y creó Dios al hombre a su imagen, a imagen de Dios lo creó; varón y hembra los creó.(D) 28 Y los bendijo Dios,(E) y les dijo: Fructificad y multiplicaos; llenad la tierra, y sojuzgadla, y señoread en los peces del mar, en las aves de los cielos, y en todas las bestias que se mueven sobre la tierra.

29 Y dijo Dios: He aquí que os he dado toda planta que da semilla, que está sobre toda la tierra, y todo árbol en que hay fruto y que da semilla; os serán para comer. 30 Y a toda bestia de la tierra, y a todas las aves de los cielos, y a todo lo que se arrastra sobre la tierra, en que hay vida, toda planta verde les será para comer. Y fue así. 31 Y vio Dios todo lo que había hecho, y he aquí que era bueno en gran manera. Y fue la tarde y la mañana el día sexto.

EN el principio crió Dios los cielos y la tierra.

Y la tierra estaba desordenada y vacía, y las tinieblas estaban sobre la haz del abismo, y el Espíritu de Dios se movía sobre la haz de las aguas.

Y dijo Dios: Sea la luz: y fué la luz.

Y vió Dios que la luz era buena: y apartó Dios la luz de las tinieblas.

Y llamó Dios á la luz Día, y á las tinieblas llamó Noche: y fué la tarde y la mañana un día.

Y dijo Dios: Haya expansión en medio de las aguas, y separe las aguas de las aguas.

E hizo Dios la expansión, y apartó las aguas que estaban debajo de la expansión, de las aguas que estaban sobre la expansión: y fué así.

Y llamó Dios á la expansión Cielos: y fué la tarde y la mañana el día segundo.

Y dijo Dios: Júntense las aguas que están debajo de los cielos en un lugar, y descúbrase la seca: y fué así.

10 Y llamó Dios á la seca Tierra, y á la reunión de las aguas llamó Mares: y vió Dios que era bueno.

11 Y dijo Dios: Produzca la tierra hierba verde, hierba que dé simiente; árbol de fruto que dé fruto según su género, que su simiente esté en él, sobre la tierra: y fué así.

12 Y produjo la tierra hierba verde, hierba que da simiente según su naturaleza, y árbol que da fruto, cuya simiente está en él, según su género: y vió Dios que era bueno.

13 Y fué la tarde y la mañana el día tercero.

14 Y dijo Dios: Sean lumbreras en la expansión de los cielos para apartar el día y la noche: y sean por señales, y para las estaciones, y para días y años;

15 Y sean por lumbreras en la expansión de los cielos para alumbrar sobre la tierra: y fue.

16 E hizo Dios las dos grandes lumbreras; la lumbrera mayor para que señorease en el día, y la lumbrera menor para que señorease en la noche: hizo también las estrellas.

17 Y púsolas Dios en la expansión de los cielos, para alumbrar sobre la tierra,

18 Y para señorear en el día y en la noche, y para apartar la luz y las tinieblas: y vió Dios que era bueno.

19 Y fué la tarde y la mañana el día cuarto.

20 Y dijo Dios: Produzcan las aguas reptil de ánima viviente, y aves que vuelen sobre la tierra, en la abierta expansión de los cielos.

21 Y crió Dios las grandes ballenas, y toda cosa viva que anda arrastrando, que las aguas produjeron según su género, y toda ave alada según su especie: y vió Dios que era bueno.

22 Y Dios los bendijo diciendo: Fructificad y multiplicad, y henchid las aguas en los mares, y las aves se multipliquen en la tierra.

23 Y fué la tarde y la mañana el día quinto.

24 Y dijo Dios: Produzca la tierra seres vivientes según su género, bestias y serpientes y animales de la tierra según su especie: y fué así.

25 E hizo Dios animales de la tierra según su género, y ganado según su género, y todo animal que anda arrastrando sobre la tierra según su especie: y vió Dios que era bueno.

26 Y dijo Dios: Hagamos al hombre á nuestra imagen, conforme á nuestra semejanza; y señoree en los peces de la mar, y en las aves de los cielos, y en las bestias, y en toda la tierra, y en todo animal que anda arrastrando sobre la tierra.

27 Y crió Dios al hombre á su imagen, á imagen de Dios lo crió; varón y hembra los crió.

28 Y los bendijo Dios; y díjoles Dios: Fructificad y multiplicad, y henchid la tierra, y sojuzgadla, y señoread en los peces de la mar, y en las aves de los cielos, y en todas las bestias que se mueven sobre la tierra.

29 Y dijo Dios: He aquí que os he dado toda hierba que da simiente, que está sobre la haz de toda la tierra; y todo árbol en que hay fruto de árbol que da simiente, seros ha para comer.

30 Y á toda bestia de la tierra, y á todas las aves de los cielos, y á todo lo que se mueve sobre la tierra, en que hay vida, toda hierba verde les será para comer: y fué así.

31 Y vió Dios todo lo que había hecho, y he aquí que era bueno en gran manera. Y fué la tarde y la mañana el día sexto.

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