Genesis 1:15-31

New International Reader's Version

¹⁵ Let them be lights in the huge space of the sky to give light on the earth.” And that’s exactly what happened. ¹⁶ God made two great lights. He made the larger light to rule over the day and the smaller light to rule over the night. He also made the stars. ¹⁷ God put the lights in the huge space of the sky to give light on the earth. ¹⁸ He put them there to rule over the day and the night. He put them there to separate light from darkness. God saw that it was good. ¹⁹ There was evening, and there was morning. It was day four.

²⁰ God said, “Let the seas be filled with living things. Let birds fly above the earth across the huge space of the sky.” ²¹ So God created the great sea creatures. He created every kind of living thing that fills the seas and moves about in them. He created every kind of bird that flies. And God saw that it was good. ²² God blessed them. He said, “Have little ones so that there will be many of you. Fill the water in the seas. Let there be more and more birds on the earth.” ²³ There was evening, and there was morning. It was day five.

²⁴ God said, “Let the land produce every kind of living creature. Let there be livestock, and creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals.” And that’s exactly what happened. ²⁵ God made every kind of wild animal. He made every kind of livestock. He made every kind of creature that moves along the ground. And God saw that it was good.

²⁶ Then God said, “Let us make human beings so that they are like us. Let them rule over the fish in the seas and the birds in the sky. Let them rule over the livestock and all the wild animals. And let them rule over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

²⁸ God blessed them. He said to them, “Have children so that there will be many of you. Fill the earth and bring it under your control. Rule over the fish in the seas and the birds in the sky. Rule over every living creature that moves along the ground.”

²⁹ Then God said, “I am giving you every plant on the face of the whole earth that produces its own seeds. I am giving you every tree that has fruit with seeds in it. All of them will be given to you for food. ³⁰ I am giving every green plant as food for all the land animals and for all the birds in the sky. I am also giving the plants to all the creatures that move along the ground. I am giving them to every living thing that breathes.” And that’s exactly what happened.

³¹ God saw everything he had made. And it was very good. There was evening, and there was morning. It was day six.