The Creation

1 In the beginning God (^[a]Elohim) ^[b]created [by forming from nothing] the heavens and the earth.^{(A) 2} The earth was ^[c]formless and void or a waste and emptiness, and darkness was upon the face of the deep [primeval ocean that covered the unformed earth]. The Spirit of God was moving (hovering, brooding) over the face of the waters. ³ And God said, ^[d]“Let there be light”; and there was light. ⁴ God saw that the light was good (pleasing, useful) and ^[e]He affirmed and sustained it; and God separated the light [distinguishing it] from the darkness.^{(B) 5} And God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was ^[f]evening and there was ^[g]morning, one day.

⁶ And God said, “Let there be an ^[h]expanse [of the sky] in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters [below the expanse] from the waters [above the expanse].” ⁷ And God made the expanse [of sky] and separated the waters which were under the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse; and it was so [just as He commanded]. ⁸ God called the expanse [of sky] heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day.

⁹ Then God said, “Let the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place [of standing, pooling together], and let the dry land appear”; and it was so. ¹⁰ God called the dry land earth, and the gathering of the waters He called seas; and God saw that this was good (pleasing, useful) and He affirmed and sustained it. ¹¹ So God said, “Let the earth sprout [tender] ^[i]vegetation, ^[j]plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit according to (limited to, consistent with) their kind, whose seed is in them upon the earth”; and it was so. ¹² The earth sprouted and abundantly produced vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their kind, and trees bearing fruit with seed in them, according to their kind; and God saw that it was good and He affirmed and sustained it. ¹³ And there was evening and there was morning, a third day.

¹⁴ Then God said, “Let there be light-bearers (sun, moon, stars) in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be useful for signs (tokens) [of God’s provident care], and for marking seasons, days, and years;^{(C) 15} and let them be useful as lights in the expanse of the heavens to provide light on the earth”; and it was so, [just as He commanded]. ¹⁶ God made the two great lights—the greater light (the sun) to rule the day, and the lesser light (the moon) to rule the night; He made the [galaxies of] stars also [that is, all the amazing wonders in the heavens]. ¹⁷ God placed them in the expanse of the heavens to provide light upon the earth, ¹⁸ to rule over the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good and He affirmed and sustained it. ¹⁹ And there was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.

²⁰ Then God said, “Let the waters swarm and abundantly produce living creatures, and let birds soar above the earth ^[k]in the open expanse of the heavens.” ²¹ God created the great sea monsters 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 and He affirmed and sustained it. ²² And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful, 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 Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to (limited to, consistent with) their kind: livestock, crawling things, and wild animals of the earth according to their kinds”; and it was so [because He had spoken them into creation]. ²⁵ So God made the wild animals of the earth according to their kind, and the cattle according to their kind, and everything that creeps and crawls on the earth according to its kind; and God saw that it was good (pleasing, useful) and He affirmed and sustained it.

²⁶ Then God said, “Let Us (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) make man in Our image, according to Our likeness [not physical, but a spiritual personality and moral likeness]; and let them have complete authority over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the cattle, and over the entire earth, and over everything that creeps and crawls on the earth.”^{(D) 27} So God created man in His own image, in the image and likeness of God He created him; male and female He created them.^{(E) 28} And God blessed them [granting them certain authority] and said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth, and subjugate it [putting it under your power]; and rule over (dominate) the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and every living thing that moves upon the earth.” ²⁹ So God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of the entire earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you; ³⁰ and to all the animals on the earth and to every bird of the air and to everything that moves on the ground—to everything in which there is the breath of life—I have given every green plant for food”; and it was so [because He commanded it]. ³¹ God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good and He validated it completely. And there was evening and there was morning, a sixth day.

The Creation of Man and Woman

2 So the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts (inhabitants). ² And by the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested (ceased) on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.^{(F) 3} So God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it [as His own, that is, set it apart as holy from other days], because in it He rested from all His work which He had created and done.^(G)

⁴ This is the history of [the origin of] the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day [that is, days of creation] that the ^[l]Lord God made the earth and the heavens— ⁵ no shrub or plant of the field was yet in the earth, and no herb of the field had yet sprouted, for the Lord God had not caused it to rain on the earth, and there was no man to ^[m]cultivate the ground, ⁶ but a ^[n]mist (fog, dew, vapor) used to rise from the land and water the entire surface of the ground— ⁷ then the Lord God ^[o]formed [that is, created the body of] man from the ^[p]dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being [an individual complete in body and spirit].^{(H) 8} And the Lord God ^[q]planted a garden (oasis) in the east, in Eden (delight, land of happiness); and He put the man whom He had formed (created) there. ⁹ And [in that garden] the Lord God caused to grow from the ground every tree that is desirable and pleasing to the sight and good (suitable, pleasant) for food; the tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the [experiential] knowledge (recognition) of [the difference between] good and evil.^(I)

¹⁰ Now a river flowed out of Eden to water the garden; and from there it divided and became four [branching] rivers. ¹¹ The first [river] is named Pishon; it flows around the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold. ¹² The gold of that land is good; bdellium (a fragrant, valuable resin) and the ^[r]onyx stone are found there. ¹³ The name of the second river is Gihon; it flows around the entire land of Cush [in Mesopotamia]. ¹⁴ The third river is named Hiddekel (Tigris); it flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.

¹⁵ So the Lord God took the man [He had made] and settled him in the Garden of Eden to cultivate and keep it. ¹⁶ And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may freely (unconditionally) eat [the fruit] from every tree of the garden; ¹⁷ but [only] from the tree of the knowledge (recognition) of good and evil you shall not eat, otherwise on the day that you eat from it, you shall most certainly ^[s]die [because of your disobedience].”

¹⁸ Now the Lord God said, “It is not good (beneficial) for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper [one who balances him—a counterpart who is] ^[t]suitable and complementary for him.” ¹⁹ So the Lord God formed out of the ground every animal of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name. ²⁰ And the man gave names to all the livestock, and to the birds of the air, and to every animal of the field; but for Adam there was not found a helper [that was] suitable (a companion) for him. ²¹ So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam; and while he slept, He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. ²² And the rib which the Lord God had taken from the man He made (fashioned, formed) into a woman, and He brought her and presented her to the man. ²³ Then Adam said,

²⁴ For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and shall be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.^{(J) 25} And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed or embarrassed.

The Fall of Man

3 Now the serpent was more crafty (subtle, skilled in deceit) than any living creature of the field which the Lord God had made. And ^[u]the serpent (Satan) said to the woman, “Can it really be that God has said, ‘You shall not eat from ^[v]any tree of the garden’?”^{(K) 2} And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees of the garden, ³ except the fruit from the tree which is in the middle of the garden. God said, ‘You shall not eat from it nor touch it, otherwise you will die.’” ⁴ But the serpent said to the woman, “You certainly will not die!^{(L) 5} For God knows that on the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened [that is, you will have greater awareness], and you will be like God, knowing [the difference between] good and evil.” ⁶ And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was delightful to look at, and a tree to be desired in order to make one wise and insightful, she took some of its fruit and ate it; and she also gave some to her husband ^[w]with her, and he ate. ⁷ Then the eyes of the two of them were opened [that is, their awareness increased], and they knew that they were naked; and they fastened fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.

⁸ And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool [afternoon breeze] of the day, so the man and his wife hid and kept themselves hidden from the ^[x]presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. ⁹ But the Lord God called to Adam, and said to him, “Where are you?” ¹⁰ He said, “I heard the sound of You [walking] in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.” ¹¹ God said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten [fruit] from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” ¹² And the man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me—she gave me [fruit] from the tree, and I ate it.” ¹³ Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” And the woman said, “The serpent beguiled and deceived me, and I ate [from the forbidden tree].”^{(M) 14} The Lord God said to the serpent,

¹⁷ Then to Adam the Lord God said, “Because you have listened [attentively] to the voice of your wife, and have eaten [fruit] from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’;

²⁰ The man named his wife Eve (life spring, life giver), because she was the mother of all the living. ²¹ The Lord God made tunics of [animal] skins for Adam and his wife and clothed them.

²² And the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us (Father, Son, Holy Spirit), knowing [how to distinguish between] good and evil; and now, he might stretch out his hand, and take from the tree of life as well, and eat [its fruit], and live [in this fallen, sinful condition] forever”— ²³ therefore the Lord God sent Adam away from the Garden of Eden, to till and cultivate the ground from which he was taken. ²⁴ So God drove the man out; and at the east of the Garden of Eden He [permanently] stationed the ^[z]cherubim and the sword with the flashing blade which turned round and round [in every direction] to protect and guard the way (entrance, access) to the tree of life.^(O)

Cain and Abel

4 Now the man ^[aa]Adam knew Eve as his wife, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain, and she said, “I have obtained a man (baby boy, son) with the help of the Lord.” ² And [later] she gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel kept the flocks [of sheep and goats], but Cain cultivated the ground. ³ And in the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground. ⁴ But Abel brought [an offering of] the [finest] firstborn of his flock and the ^[ab]fat portions. And the Lord had respect (regard) for Abel and for his offering;^{(P) 5} but for Cain and his offering He had no respect. So Cain became extremely angry (indignant), and ^[ac]he looked annoyed and hostile. ⁶ And the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you so angry? And why do you look annoyed? ⁷ If you do well [believing Me and doing what is acceptable and pleasing to Me], will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well [but ignore My instruction], sin crouches at your door; its desire is for you [to overpower you], but you must master it.” ⁸ Cain talked with Abel his brother [about what God had said]. And when they were [alone, working] in the field, Cain ^[ad]attacked Abel his brother and killed him.^(Q)

⁹ Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” And he [lied and] said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” ¹⁰ The Lord said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s [innocent] blood is crying out to Me from the ground [for justice].^{(R) 11} And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s [shed] blood from your hand.^{(S) 12} When you cultivate the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength [it will resist producing good crops] for you; you shall be a fugitive and a vagabond [roaming aimlessly] on the earth [in perpetual exile without a home, a degraded outcast].” ¹³ Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is greater than I can bear. ¹⁴ Behold, You have driven me out this day from the face of the land; and from Your face (presence) I will be hidden, and I will be a fugitive and an [aimless] vagabond on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.” ¹⁵ And the Lord said to him, “^[ae]Therefore, whoever kills Cain, a sevenfold vengeance [that is, punishment seven times worse] shall be taken on him [by Me].” And the Lord set a [protective] ^[af]mark (sign) on Cain, so that no one who found (met) him would kill him.^(T)

¹⁶ So Cain went away from the [manifested] presence of the Lord, and lived in the land of Nod [wandering in exile], east of Eden.

¹⁷ Cain knew his ^[ag]wife [one of Adam’s descendants] and she conceived and gave birth to Enoch; and Cain built a city and named it Enoch, after the name of his son. ¹⁸ Now to Enoch was born Irad, and Irad became the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael became the father of Methushael, and Methushael became the father of Lamech. ¹⁹ And Lamech took for himself two wives; the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other, Zillah. ²⁰ Adah gave birth to Jabal; he became the father of those [nomadic herdsmen] who live in tents and have cattle and raise livestock. ²¹ His brother’s name was Jubal; he became the father of all those [musicians] who play the lyre and flute. ²² Zillah gave birth to Tubal-cain, the smith (craftsman) and teacher of every artisan in instruments of bronze and iron. The sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.

²³ Lamech said to his wives,

²⁵ Adam knew [Eve as] his wife again; and she gave birth to a son, and named him Seth, for [she said], “God has granted another child for me in place of Abel, because Cain killed him.” ²⁶ To Seth, also, a son was born, whom he named Enosh (mortal man, mankind). At that [same] time men began to call on the name of the Lord [in worship through prayer, praise, and thanksgiving].^(U)

Descendants of Adam

5 This is the book (the written record, the history) of the generations of [the descendants of] Adam. When God created man, He made him in the likeness of God [not physical, but a spiritual personality and moral likeness]. ² He created them male and female, and blessed them and named them ^[ai]Mankind at the time they were created.

³ When Adam had lived a hundred and thirty years, he ^[aj]became the father of a son in his own likeness, according to his image, and named him Seth. ⁴ After he became the father of Seth, Adam lived eight hundred years and had other sons and daughters. ⁵ So Adam lived nine hundred and thirty years in all, and he died.

⁶ When Seth was a hundred and five years old, he became the father of Enosh. ⁷ Seth lived eight hundred and seven years after the birth of Enosh, and he had other sons and daughters. ⁸ So Seth lived nine hundred and twelve years, and he died.

⁹ When Enosh was ninety years old, he became the father of Kenan. ¹⁰ Enosh lived eight hundred and fifteen years after the birth of Kenan and had other sons and daughters. ¹¹ So Enosh lived nine hundred and five years, and he died.

¹² When Kenan was seventy years old, he became the father of Mahalalel. ¹³ Kenan lived eight hundred and forty years after the birth of Mahalalel and had other sons and daughters. ¹⁴ So Kenan lived nine hundred and ten years, and he died.

¹⁵ When Mahalalel was sixty-five years old, he became the father of Jared. ¹⁶ Mahalalel lived eight hundred and thirty years after the birth of Jared and had other sons and daughters. ¹⁷ So Mahalalel lived eight hundred and ninety-five years, and he died.

¹⁸ When Jared was a hundred and sixty-two years old, he became the father of Enoch. ¹⁹ Jared lived eight hundred years after the birth of Enoch and had other sons and daughters. ²⁰ So Jared lived nine hundred and sixty-two years, and he died.

²¹ When Enoch was sixty-five years old, he became the father of Methuselah. ²² Enoch walked [in habitual fellowship] with God three hundred years after the birth of Methuselah and had other sons and daughters. ²³ So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. ²⁴ And [in reverent fear and obedience] Enoch walked with God; and he was not [found among men], because God took him [away to be home with Him].^(V)

²⁵ When Methuselah was a hundred and eighty-seven years old, he became the father of Lamech. ²⁶ Methuselah lived seven hundred and eighty-two years after the birth of Lamech and had other sons and daughters. ²⁷ So Methuselah lived nine hundred and sixty-nine years, and he died.

²⁸ When Lamech was a hundred and eighty-two years old, he became the father of a son. ²⁹ He named him Noah, saying, “This one shall bring us rest and comfort from our work and from the [dreadful] toil of our hands because of the ground which the Lord cursed.” ³⁰ Lamech lived five hundred and ninety-five years after the birth of Noah and had other sons and daughters. ³¹ So all the days of Lamech were seven hundred and seventy-seven years, and he died.

³² After Noah was five hundred years old, he became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth.