Genesis 2
International Standard Version
The Seventh Day
2 With this, the universe[a] was[b] completed, including all of its vast array.[c] 2 By the seventh day, God had completed the work he had been doing, so on the seventh day he stopped working on[d] everything that he had done. 3 Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God stopped working on[e] everything that he had been creating.
Humans in the Garden
4 These are the records of the universe at its[f] creation. On the day that the Lord God made the universe,[g] 5 no shrubs had yet grown in the meadows of the earth and no vegetation had sprouted,[h] because the Lord God had not sent rain on the earth and there were no human beings[i] to work the ground. 6 Instead, an underground stream[j] would arise out of the earth and water the surface of the ground. 7 So the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground, breathed life into his lungs,[k] and the man became a living being.
8 The Lord God planted a garden in Eden, toward[l] the east, where he placed the man whom he had formed. 9 The Lord God caused every tree that is both beautiful[m] and suitable for food to spring up out of the ground. The tree of life was also in the middle of the garden, along with the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 10 A river flows from Eden to water the garden, and from there it divides, becoming four branches. 11 The name of the first one is Pishon—it winds through the entire land of Havilah,[n] where there is gold. 12 The gold of that land is pure;[o] bdellium[p] and onyx are also found[q] there. 13 The name of the second river is Gihon—[r] it winds through the entire land of Cush.[s] 14 The third river is named the Tigris— it flows to the east of Assyria. The fourth river is the Euphrates.
15 The Lord God took the man and placed him in the Garden of Eden in order to have him work it and guard[t] it. 16 The Lord God commanded the man: “You may freely eat from every tree of the garden, 17 but you are not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, because you will certainly die during the day that you eat from it.”
The Creation of the Woman
18 Later, the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make the woman[u] to be an authority[v] corresponding[w] to him.” 19 After the Lord God formed from the ground every wild animal[x] and every bird that flies, he brought each of them[y] to the man to see what he would call it. Whatever the man called each living creature became its name. 20 The man gave names to all the livestock, to the birds that fly, and to each of earth’s animals,[z] but there was not found a strength[aa] corresponding[ab] to him, 21 so the Lord God caused a deep sleep to overshadow the man.
When the man[ac] was asleep, he removed one of the man’s[ad] ribs and closed up the flesh where it had been. 22 Then the Lord God formed the rib that he had taken from the man into a woman and brought her to the man. 23 So the man exclaimed,
“At last! This is
bone from my bones
and flesh from my flesh.
This one will be called ‘Woman,’
because she was taken from Man.”[ae]
24 (Therefore a man will leave his father and his mother and cling to his wife, and they will become one flesh.) 25 Even though both the man and his wife were naked, they were not ashamed about it.[af]
Footnotes
- Genesis 2:1 Lit. the heavens and the earth; i.e. space and matter
- Genesis 2:1 Lit. were
- Genesis 2:1 Lit. of their hosts; i.e. armies of sentient beings (or stars, if referring to the night sky)
- Genesis 2:2 Or he rested from
- Genesis 2:3 Or God rested from
- Genesis 2:4 Lit. the heavens and the earth at their
- Genesis 2:4 Lit. the earth and the heavens; or the earth and space
- Genesis 2:5 Lit. sprouted in the fields
- Genesis 2:5 Lit. there was no man
- Genesis 2:6 Or mist
- Genesis 2:7 Lit. nostrils
- Genesis 2:8 Lit. in
- Genesis 2:9 Lit. is pleasing to the eyes
- Genesis 2:11 Possibly a reference to Nubia, a source of gold for ancient Egypt
- Genesis 2:12 Lit. good
- Genesis 2:12 I.e. a gum resin; or pearl
- Genesis 2:12 The Heb. lacks also found
- Genesis 2:13 Possibly an ancient reference to one of the branches of the Nile River
- Genesis 2:13 Possibly a portion of northeast Africa
- Genesis 2:15 Or and watch over
- Genesis 2:18 The Heb. lacks the woman
- Genesis 2:18 Or make a strength; or make a power
- Genesis 2:18 Or equal
- Genesis 2:19 Lit. every animal of the field; i.e., non-domesticated animals, as opposed to domesticated livestock
- Genesis 2:19 The Heb. lacks each of them
- Genesis 2:20 I.e., non-domesticated animals, as opposed to domesticated livestock
- Genesis 2:20 Or found an authority or found a power
- Genesis 2:20 Or equal
- Genesis 2:21 Lit. When he
- Genesis 2:21 Lit. of his
- Genesis 2:23 The Heb. roots for Man and Woman are identical.
- Genesis 2:25 The Heb. lacks about it
Genesis 2
Easy-to-Read Version
The Seventh Day—Rest
2 So the earth, the sky, and everything in them were finished. 2 God finished the work he was doing, so on the seventh day he rested from his work. 3 God blessed the seventh day and made it a holy day. He made it special because on that day he rested from all the work he did while creating the world.
The First Man and the Garden of Eden
4 This is the story about the creation of the sky and the earth. This is what happened when the Lord God made the earth and the sky. 5 This was before there were plants on the earth. Nothing was growing in the fields because the Lord God had not yet made it rain on the earth, and there was no one to care for the plants.
6 So water[a] came up from the earth and spread over the ground. 7 Then the Lord God took dust from the ground and made a man.[b] He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nose, and the man became a living thing. 8 Then the Lord God planted a garden in the East,[c] in a place named Eden. He put the man he made in that garden. 9 Then the Lord God caused all the beautiful trees that were good for food to grow in the garden. In the middle of the garden, he put the tree of life and the tree that gives knowledge about good and evil.
10 A river flowed from Eden and watered the garden. The river then separated and became four smaller rivers. 11 The name of the first river was Pishon. This river flowed around the entire country of Havilah.[d] 12 (There is gold in that country, and that gold is pure. A kind of expensive perfume and onyx are also found there.) 13 The name of the second river was Gihon. This river flowed around the whole land of Cush.[e] 14 The name of the third river was Tigris. This river flowed east of Assyria. The fourth river was the Euphrates.
15 The Lord God put the man in the Garden of Eden to work the soil and take care of the garden. 16 The Lord God gave him this command: “You may eat from any tree in the garden. 17 But you must not eat from the tree that gives knowledge about good and evil. If you eat fruit from that tree, on that day you will certainly die!”
A Companion for Adam
18 Then the Lord God said, “I see that it is not good for the man to be alone. I will make the companion he needs, one just right for him.”
19 The Lord God used dust from the ground and made every animal in the fields and every bird in the air. He brought all these animals to the man, and the man gave them all a name. 20 The man gave names to all the tame animals, to all the birds in the air, and to all the wild animals. He saw many animals and birds, but he could not find a companion that was right for him. 21 So the Lord God caused the man to sleep very deeply. While he was asleep, God took one of the ribs from the man’s body. Then he closed the man’s skin where the rib had been. 22 The Lord God used the rib from the man to make a woman. Then he brought the woman to the man. 23 And the man said,
“Finally! One like me,
with bones from my bones
and a body from my body.
She was taken out of a man,
so I will call her ‘woman.’”
24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife. In this way two people become one.
25 The man and his wife were naked, but they were not ashamed.
Footnotes
- Genesis 2:6 water Or “a mist.”
- Genesis 2:7 man The Hebrew word means “man,” “people,” or the name “Adam.” It is like the word meaning “earth” or “red clay.”
- Genesis 2:8 East This usually means the area between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers as far east as the Persian Gulf.
- Genesis 2:11 Havilah The land along the west coast of the Arabian peninsula and possibly, the part of Africa south of Ethiopia.
- Genesis 2:13 Cush Usually this means Ethiopia, but here, it probably refers to the area north and east of the Tigris River.
Genesis 2
King James Version
2 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.
4 These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens,
5 And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground.
6 But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground.
7 And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
8 And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.
9 And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
10 And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads.
11 The name of the first is Pison: that is it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold;
12 And the gold of that land is good: there is bdellium and the onyx stone.
13 And the name of the second river is Gihon: the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia.
14 And the name of the third river is Hiddekel: that is it which goeth toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates.
15 And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.
16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
18 And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.
19 And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.
20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.
21 And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;
22 And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.
23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.
24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.
Genesis 2
New King James Version
The Garden of Eden
2 Thus the heavens and the earth, and (A)all the host of them, were finished. 2 (B)And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. 3 Then God (C)blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.
4 (D)This is the [a]history of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens, 5 before any (E)plant of the field was in the earth and before any herb of the field had grown. For the Lord God had not (F)caused it to rain on the earth, and there was no man (G)to till the ground; 6 but a mist went up from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground.
7 And the Lord God formed man of the (H)dust of the ground, and (I)breathed into his (J)nostrils the breath of life; and (K)man became a living being.
Life in God’s Garden
8 The Lord God planted (L)a garden (M)eastward in (N)Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. 9 And out of the ground the Lord God made (O)every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. (P)The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and (Q)evil.
10 Now a river went out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it parted and became four riverheads. 11 The name of the first is Pishon; it is the one which skirts (R)the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. 12 And the gold of that land is good. (S)Bdellium and the onyx stone are there. 13 The name of the second river is Gihon; it is the one which goes around the whole land of Cush. 14 The name of the third river is (T)Hiddekel;[b] it is the one which goes toward the east of [c]Assyria. The fourth river is the Euphrates.
15 Then the Lord God took [d]the man and put him in the garden of Eden to [e]tend and keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (U)you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it (V)you[f] shall surely (W)die.”
18 And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; (X)I will make him a helper comparable to him.” 19 (Y)Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and (Z)brought them to [g]Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name. 20 So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him.
21 And the Lord God caused a (AA)deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. 22 Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He [h]made into a woman, (AB)and He (AC)brought her to the man.
23 And Adam said:
“This is now (AD)bone of my bones
And flesh of my flesh;
She shall be called [i]Woman,
Because she was (AE)taken out of [j]Man.”
24 (AF)Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and (AG)be[k] joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.
25 (AH)And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not (AI)ashamed.
Footnotes
- Genesis 2:4 Heb. toledoth, lit. generations
- Genesis 2:14 Or Tigris
- Genesis 2:14 Heb. Ashshur
- Genesis 2:15 Or Adam
- Genesis 2:15 cultivate
- Genesis 2:17 Lit. dying you shall die
- Genesis 2:19 Or the man
- Genesis 2:22 Lit. built
- Genesis 2:23 Heb. Ishshah
- Genesis 2:23 Heb. Ish
- Genesis 2:24 Lit. cling
Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.
Copyright © 2006 by Bible League International
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
