The Creation

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

Now the earth was 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 the darkness he called “night.” There was an evening, and there was a morning: one day.

Then God said, “Let there be an expanse 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.”[b] 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 the gathering of the water he called “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 seasons[c] 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 rule over the day and the lesser light to rule 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 rule 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[d] living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky.” 21 So God created the large sea-creatures and every living creature that moves and swarms in the water,(N) according to their kinds. He also created every winged creature according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 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 all the 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[e] in[f] our image, according to our likeness.(Q) They will rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, the whole earth, and the creatures that crawl[g] 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 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 will be food 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[h] every green plant for food.”(V) And it was so. 31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good indeed.(W) Evening came and then morning: the sixth day.

So the heavens and the earth and everything in them were completed.(X) On the seventh[i] day God had completed his work that he had done, and he rested[j] on the seventh day from all his work that he had done.(Y) God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, for on it he rested(Z) from all his work of creation.(AA)

Notas al pie

  1. 1:1 Or created the universe
  2. 1:8 Or “heavens.”
  3. 1:14 Or for the appointed times
  4. 1:20 Lit with swarms of
  5. 1:26 Or human beings; Hb ’adam, also in v. 27
  6. 1:26 Or as
  7. 1:26 Or scurry
  8. 1:30 I have given added for clarity
  9. 2:2 Sam, LXX, Syr read sixth
  10. 2:2 Or ceased, also in v. 3

The Creation

In the beginning, God created the universe.[a] When the earth[b] was as yet unformed and desolate, with the surface of the ocean depths shrouded[c] in darkness, and while the Spirit of God was hovering[d] over the surface of the waters, God said, “Let there be light!” So there was light.

God saw that the light was beautiful.[e] He[f] separated the light from the darkness, calling the light “day,” and the darkness[g] “night.” The twilight and the dawn were day one.

Then God said, “Let there be a canopy[h] between bodies of water,[i] separating bodies of water[j] from bodies of water!”[k] So God made a canopy[l] that separated the water beneath the canopy[m] from the water above it.[n] And that is what happened:[o] God called the canopy[p] “sky.”[q] The twilight and the dawn were the second day.

Then God said, “Let the water beneath the sky come together into one area, and let dry ground appear!” And that is what happened:[r] 10 God called the dry ground “land,”[s] and he called the water that had come together “oceans.” And God saw how good it was.

11 Then God said, “Let vegetation sprout all over the earth, including[t] seed-bearing plants and fruit trees, each kind containing its own seed!” And that is what happened:[u] 12 Vegetation sprouted all over the earth, including seed-bearing plants and fruit trees, each kind containing its own seed. And God saw that it was good. 13 The twilight and the dawn were the third day.

14 Then God said, “Let there be lights across[v] the sky to distinguish day from night, to act as signs for seasons,[w] days, and years, 15 to serve as lights in[x] the sky, and to shine on the earth!” And that is what happened:[y] 16 God fashioned two great lights—the larger light to shine during[z] the day and the smaller light to shine during[aa] the night—as well as stars. 17 God placed them in space[ab] to shine on the earth, 18 to differentiate between[ac] day and night, and to distinguish[ad] light from darkness. And God saw how good it was. 19 The twilight and the dawn were the fourth day.

20 Then God said, “Let the oceans swarm[ae] with living creatures, and let flying creatures soar above the earth throughout[af] the sky!” 21 So God created every kind of magnificent marine creature, every kind of living marine crawler[ag] with which the waters swarmed, and every kind of flying creature.[ah] And God saw how good it was. 22 God blessed them by saying, “Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the oceans. Let the birds multiply throughout the earth!” 23 The twilight and the dawn were the fifth day.

24 Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth each kind of living creature, each kind of livestock and crawling thing, and each kind of earth’s animals!”[ai] And that is what happened:[aj] 25 God made each kind of the earth’s animals, along with every kind of livestock and crawling thing.[ak] And God saw how good it was.

26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, to be like us.[al] Let them be masters over the fish in the ocean, the birds that fly,[am] the livestock, everything that crawls on the earth, and over the earth itself!”

27 So God created mankind in his own image;
    in his own image God created them;[an]
        he created them male and female.

28 God blessed the humans by saying to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it! Be masters over the fish in the ocean, the birds that fly, and every living thing that crawls on the earth!”

29 God also told them,[ao] “Look! I have given you every seed-bearing plant that grows throughout[ap] the earth, along with every tree that grows seed-bearing fruit. They will produce your food. 30 I have given all green plants as food for every wild animal[aq] of the earth, every bird that flies, and to every living thing[ar] that crawls on the earth.” And that is what happened.[as]

31 Now God saw all that he had made, and indeed, it was very good! The twilight and the dawn were the sixth day.

The Seventh Day

With this, the universe[at] was[au] completed, including all of its vast array.[av] By the seventh day, God had completed the work he had been doing, so on the seventh day he stopped working on[aw] everything that he had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God stopped working on[ax] everything that he had been creating.

Notas al pie

  1. Genesis 1:1 Lit. the heavens and the earth; i.e. space and matter
  2. Genesis 1:2 Or When God began to create the universe, the earth
  3. Genesis 1:2 The Heb. lacks shrouded
  4. Genesis 1:2 Or brooding
  5. Genesis 1:4 Or good
  6. Genesis 1:4 Lit. God
  7. Genesis 1:5 Lit. darkness he called
  8. Genesis 1:6 Or an expanse
  9. Genesis 1:6 Lit. between waters
  10. Genesis 1:6 Lit. separating waters
  11. Genesis 1:6 Lit. from waters
  12. Genesis 1:7 Or made an expanse
  13. Genesis 1:7 Or expanse
  14. Genesis 1:7 Lit. above the canopy
  15. Genesis 1:7 Lit. And so it was
  16. Genesis 1:8 Or expanse
  17. Genesis 1:8 Or Heaven
  18. Genesis 1:9 Lit. And so it was
  19. Genesis 1:10 Or Earth
  20. Genesis 1:11 The Heb. lacks including
  21. Genesis 1:11 Lit. And so it was
  22. Genesis 1:14 Lit. lights in the expanse of
  23. Genesis 1:14 I.e. sacred seasons set by the lunar calendar later utilized for Israel’s festivals and gatherings
  24. Genesis 1:15 Lit. lights in the expanse of
  25. Genesis 1:15 Lit. And so it was
  26. Genesis 1:16 Lit. to govern
  27. Genesis 1:16 Lit. to govern
  28. Genesis 1:17 Lit. the expanse of the sky
  29. Genesis 1:18 Lit. to govern
  30. Genesis 1:18 Or separate
  31. Genesis 1:20 Lit. swarm with a swarm
  32. Genesis 1:20 Lit. earth in the expanse of
  33. Genesis 1:21 Lit. living thing that crawls
  34. Genesis 1:21 Lit. winged bird
  35. Genesis 1:24 I.e., non-domesticated animals, as opposed to domesticated livestock; and so through 2:25
  36. Genesis 1:24 Lit. And so it was
  37. Genesis 1:25 Lit. thing of the earth
  38. Genesis 1:26 Lit. image, according to our likeness
  39. Genesis 1:26 Lit. birds of the sky; and so through 2:25
  40. Genesis 1:27 Lit. him
  41. Genesis 1:29 The Heb. lacks them
  42. Genesis 1:29 Lit. plant that is on the surface of
  43. Genesis 1:30 I.e., non-domesticated animals, as opposed to domesticated livestock
  44. Genesis 1:30 Lit. soul
  45. Genesis 1:30 Lit. And so it was
  46. Genesis 2:1 Lit. the heavens and the earth; i.e. space and matter
  47. Genesis 2:1 Lit. were
  48. Genesis 2:1 Lit. of their hosts; i.e. armies of sentient beings (or stars, if referring to the night sky)
  49. Genesis 2:2 Or he rested from
  50. Genesis 2:3 Or God rested from