Genesis 1

1 # Jn 1.1. In the beginning God created#1.1 Or When God began to create the heavens and the earth. 2The earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the Spirit#1.2 Or wind of God was moving over the face of the waters.

3And God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. 4And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. 5God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day.

6And God said, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” 7And God made the firmament and separated the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament. And it was so. 8And God called the firmament Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day.

9And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. 10God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. 11And God said, “Let the earth put forth vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, upon the earth.” And it was so. 12The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 13And there was evening and there was morning, a third day.

14And God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to separate the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years, 15and let them be lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. 16And God made the two great lights, the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night; he made the stars also. 17And God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light upon the earth, 18to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19And there was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.

20And God said, “Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the firmament of the heavens.” 21So God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” 23And there was evening and there was morning, a fifth day.

24And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds: cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so. 25And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the cattle according to their kinds, and everything that creeps upon the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

26 # Gen 5.1; Mt 19.4; Mk 10.6; Col 3.10; Jas 3.9. Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.” 27So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28And God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.” 29And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. 30And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. 31And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, a sixth day.

Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America

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Genesis 1

The Creation

1In the beginning # Ps 90:2; 102:12; Is 40:21; Jn 1:1-3; Eph 3:21 God created the heavens and the earth. # Or created the universe # Neh 9:6; Is 40:12-14; 43:7; Jr 10:12-16; Am 4:13; Rm 1:25; 1Co 11:9; Col 1:16; Rv 4:11

2Now the earth was # Or When God began to create the sky and the earth, 2 the earth was formless and empty, # Jr 4:23 darkness covered the surface of the watery depths, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. # Jb 26:13; 33:4; Ps 33:6; 104:30 3Then God said, “Let there be light,” # 2Co 4:6 and there was light. 4God saw that the light was good, and God separated the light from the darkness. 5God called the light “day,” and He called the darkness “night.” Evening came and then morning: the first day.

6Then God said, “Let there be an expanse # The Hb word for expanse is from a root meaning “to spread out, stamp, beat firmly,” which suggests something like a dome; Jb 37:16-18; Is 40:22. between the waters, separating water from water.” # Is 44:24; Jr 10:12 7So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above the expanse. # Ps 148:4 And it was so. 8God called the expanse “sky.” # Or “heavens” Evening came and then morning: the second day.

9Then God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered into one place, # Jb 38:8-11; Ps 33:7; 136:6; Jr 5:22; 2Pt 3:5 and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. 10God called the dry land “earth,” and He called the gathering of the water “seas.” And God saw that it was good. 11Then 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.” # Ps 65:9-13; 104:14 And it was so. 12The 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. 13Evening came and then morning: the third day.

14Then God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night. They will serve as signs # Jr 10:2 for festivals # Or for the appointed times and for days and years. # Ps 104:19 15They will be lights in the expanse of the sky to provide light on the earth.” And it was so. 16God made the two great lights — the greater light to have dominion over the day and the lesser light to have dominion over the night — as well as the stars. # Dt 4:19; Ps 136:7-9; Is 40:26 17God placed them in the expanse of the sky to provide light on the earth, 18to dominate the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. # Jr 31:35 And God saw that it was good. 19Evening came and then morning: the fourth day.

20Then God said, “Let the water swarm with # Lit with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky.” 21So God created the large sea-creatures # Or created sea monsters and every living creature that moves and swarms in the water, # Ps 104:25-28 according to their kinds. He also created every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22So God blessed them, “Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the waters of the seas, and let the birds multiply on the earth.” # Gn 8:17; 9:1 23Evening came and then morning: the fifth day.

24Then 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. 25So God made the wildlife of the earth according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and creatures that crawl on the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.

26Then God said, “Let Us # Gn 3:22; 11:7 make man in Our image, according to Our likeness. # Gn 5:1,3; 9:6; Rm 8:29; 1Co 11:7; 15:49; 2Co 3:18; 4:4; Eph 4:24; Col 1:15; Jms 3:9 They will rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, all the earth, # Syr reads sky, and over every animal of the land and the creatures that crawl # Lit scurry on the earth.” # Gn 9:2; Ps 8:6-8; Jms 3:7

27So God created man in His own image;

He created him in the image of God;

He created them male and female. # Gn 5:2; Mt 19:4; Mk 10:6

28God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, # Gn 9:1,7 and subdue it. Rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and every creature that crawls # Lit and all scurrying animals that scurry on the earth.” 29God 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 food will be for you, # Gn 9:3; Ps 104:14-15; 136:25; 145:15-16 30for 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 every green plant for food.” # Ps 147:9 And it was so. 31God saw all that He had made, and it was very good. # 1Tm 4:4 Evening came and then morning: the sixth day.

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