Genesis 2
2
1The heavens and the earth and all who live in them were completed. 2On the sixth#2.2 LXX, Sam, Syr; MT seventh day God completed all the work that he had done, and on the seventh day God rested from all the work that he had done. 3God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all the work of creation.#2.3 Or from all his work, which God created to do 4This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created.
World’s creation in the garden
On the day the LORD God made earth and sky— 5before any wild plants appeared on the earth, and before any field crops grew, because the LORD God hadn’t yet sent rain on the earth and there was still no human being#2.5 Or man (Heb adam) to farm the fertile land, 6though a stream rose from the earth and watered all of the fertile land— 7the LORD God formed the human#2.7 Heb adam from the topsoil of the fertile land#2.7 Heb adamah and blew life’s breath into his nostrils. The human came to life. 8The LORD God planted a garden in Eden in the east and put there the human he had formed. 9In the fertile land, the LORD God grew every beautiful tree with edible fruit, and also he grew the tree of life in the middle of the garden and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
10A river flows from Eden to water the garden, and from there it divides into four headwaters. 11The name of the first river is the Pishon. It flows around the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold. 12That land’s gold is pure, and the land also has sweet-smelling resins and gemstones.#2.12 Heb uncertain 13The name of the second river is the Gihon. It flows around the entire land of Cush. 14The name of the third river is the Tigris, flowing east of Assyria; and the name of the fourth river is the Euphrates.
15The LORD God took the human and settled him in the garden of Eden to farm it and to take care of it. 16The LORD God commanded the human, “Eat your fill from all of the garden’s trees; 17but don’t eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, because on the day you eat from it, you will die!” 18Then the LORD God said, “It’s not good that the human is alone. I will make him a helper that is perfect for him.” 19So the LORD God formed from the fertile land all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky and brought them to the human to see what he would name them. The human gave each living being its name. 20The human named all the livestock, all the birds in the sky, and all the wild animals. But a helper perfect for him was nowhere to be found.
21So the LORD God put the human into a deep and heavy sleep, and took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh over it. 22With the rib taken from the human, the LORD God fashioned a woman and brought her to the human being. 23The human#2.23 Or man (Heb adam) said,
“This one finally is bone from my bones
and flesh from my flesh.
She will be called a woman#2.23 Or wife (Heb ishshah)
because from a man#2.23 Or husband (Heb ish) she was taken.”
24This is the reason that a man leaves his father and mother and embraces his wife, and they become one flesh. 25The two of them were naked, the man and his wife, but they weren’t embarrassed.
2011 Common English Bible. All rights reserved.
Genesis 2
2
1So the heavens and the earth and everything else were created.
The seventh day
2By the seventh day God had finished his work, and so he rested.#Ex 20.11.#He 4.4,10. 3God blessed the seventh day and made it special because on that day he rested from his work.
4That's how God created the heavens and the earth.
The Garden of Eden
When the LORD God made the heavens and the earth, 5no grass or plants were growing anywhere. God had not yet sent any rain, and there was no one to work the land. 6But streams#2.6 streams: Or “mist”. came up from the ground and watered the earth.
7The LORD God took a handful of soil and made a man.#2.7 man: In Hebrew “man” comes from the same word as “soil”. God breathed life into the man, and the man started breathing.#1 Co 15.45. 8The LORD made a garden in a place called Eden, which was in the east, and he put the man there.
9The LORD God placed all kinds of beautiful trees and fruit trees in the garden. Two other trees were in the middle of the garden. One of the trees gave life—the other gave the power to know the difference between right and wrong.#Rev 2.7; 22.2,14.
10From Eden a river flowed out to water the garden, then it divided into four rivers. 11The first one is the River Pishon that flows through the land of Havilah, 12where pure gold, rare perfumes, and precious stones are found. 13The second is the River Gihon that winds through Ethiopia.#2.13 Ethiopia: The Hebrew text has “Cush”, which was a region south of Egypt that included parts of the present countries of Ethiopia and Sudan. 14The River Tigris that flows east of Assyria is the third, and the fourth is the River Euphrates.
15The LORD God put the man in the Garden of Eden to take care of it and to look after it. 16But the LORD told him, “You may eat fruit from any tree in the garden, 17except the one that has the power to let you know the difference between right and wrong. If you eat any fruit from that tree, you will die before the day is over!”
18The LORD God said, “It isn't good for the man to live alone. I need to make a suitable partner for him.” 19-20So the LORD took some soil and made animals and birds. He brought them to the man to see what names he would give each of them. Then the man named the tame animals and the birds and the wild animals. That's how they got their names.
None of these was the right kind of partner for the man. 21So the LORD God made him fall into a deep sleep, and he took out one of the man's ribs. Then after closing the man's side, 22the LORD made a woman out of the rib.
The LORD God brought her to the man, 23and the man exclaimed,
“Here is someone like me!
She is part of my body,
my own flesh and bones.
She came from me, a man.
So I will name her Woman!”#2.23 a man…woman: In Hebrew the words “man” and “woman” are similar.
24That's why a man will leave his own father and mother. He marries a woman, and the two of them become like one person.#Mt 19.5; Mk 10.7,8; 1 Co 6.16; Eph 5.31.
25Although the man and his wife were both naked, they were not ashamed.
© British and Foreign Bible Society 2012