Genesis 2
2
The Seventh Day—Rest
1So the earth, the sky, and everything in them were finished. 2God finished the work he was doing, so on the seventh day he rested from his work. 3God blessed the seventh day and made it a holy day. He made it special because on that day he rested from all the work he did while creating the world.
The First Man and the Garden of Eden
4This is the story about the creation of the sky and the earth. This is what happened when the Lord God made the earth and the sky. 5This was before there were plants on the earth. Nothing was growing in the fields because the Lord God had not yet made it rain on the earth, and there was no one to care for the plants.
6So water#2:6 water Or “a mist.” came up from the earth and spread over the ground. 7Then the Lord God took dust from the ground and made a man.#2:7 man The Hebrew word means “man,” “people,” or the name “Adam.” It is like the word meaning “earth” or “red clay.” He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nose, and the man became a living thing. 8Then the Lord God planted a garden in the East,#2:8 East This usually means the area between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers as far east as the Persian Gulf. in a place named Eden. He put the man he made in that garden. 9Then the Lord God caused all the beautiful trees that were good for food to grow in the garden. In the middle of the garden, he put the tree of life and the tree that gives knowledge about good and evil.
10A river flowed from Eden and watered the garden. The river then separated and became four smaller rivers. 11The name of the first river was Pishon. This river flowed around the entire country of Havilah.#2:11 Havilah The land along the west coast of the Arabian peninsula and possibly, the part of Africa south of Ethiopia. 12(There is gold in that country, and that gold is pure. A kind of expensive perfume and onyx are also found there.) 13The name of the second river was Gihon. This river flowed around the whole land of Cush.#2:13 Cush Usually this means Ethiopia, but here, it probably refers to the area north and east of the Tigris River. 14The name of the third river was Tigris. This river flowed east of Assyria. The fourth river was the Euphrates.
15The Lord God put the man in the Garden of Eden to work the soil and take care of the garden. 16The Lord God gave him this command: “You may eat from any tree in the garden. 17But you must not eat from the tree that gives knowledge about good and evil. If you eat fruit from that tree, on that day you will certainly die!”
A Companion for Adam
18Then the Lord God said, “I see that it is not good for the man to be alone. I will make the companion he needs, one just right for him.”
19The Lord God used dust from the ground and made every animal in the fields and every bird in the air. He brought all these animals to the man, and the man gave them all a name. 20The man gave names to all the tame animals, to all the birds in the air, and to all the wild animals. He saw many animals and birds, but he could not find a companion that was right for him. 21So the Lord God caused the man to sleep very deeply. While he was asleep, God took one of the ribs from the man’s body. Then he closed the man’s skin where the rib had been. 22The Lord God used the rib from the man to make a woman. Then he brought the woman to the man. 23And the man said,
“Finally! One like me,
with bones from my bones
and a body from my body.
She was taken out of a man,
so I will call her ‘woman.’”
24That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife. In this way two people become one.
25The man and his wife were naked, but they were not ashamed.
© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
Genesis 2
2
1So the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the furniture of them.
2And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made: and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had done.
3And he blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.
4These are the generations of the heaven and the earth, when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the heaven and the earth:
5And every plant of the field before it sprung up in the earth, and every herb of the ground before it grew: for the Lord God had not rained upon the earth; and there was not a man to till the earth.
6But a spring rose out the earth, watering all the surface of the earth.
7And the Lord God formed man of the slime of the earth, and breathed into his face the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
8And the Lord God had planted a paradise of pleasure from the beginning: wherein he placed man whom he had formed.
9And the Lord God brought forth of the ground all manner of trees, fair to behold, and pleasant to eat of: the tree of life also in the midst of paradise: and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
10And a river went of the place of pleasure to water paradise, which from thence is divided into four heads.
11The name of the one is Phison: that is it which compasseth all the land of Hevilath, where gold groweth.
12And the gold of that land is very good: there is found bdellium, and the onyx stone.
13And the name of the second river is Gehon: the same is it that compasseth all the land of Ethiopia.
14And the name of the third river is Tigris: the same passeth along by the Assyrians. And the fourth river is Euphrates.
15And the Lord God took man, and put him into the paradise of pleasure, to dress it, and keep it.
16And he commanded him, saying: Of every tree of paradise thou shalt eat:
17But of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat. For in what day soever thou shalt eat of it, thou shalt die the death.
18And the Lord God said: It is not good for man to be alone; let us make him a help like unto himself.
19And the Lord God having formed out of the ground all the beasts of the earth, and all the fowls of the air, brought them to Adam to see what he would call them: for whatsoever Adam called any living creature the same is its name.
20And Adam called all the beasts by their names, and all the fowls of the air, and all the cattle of the field: but for Adam there was not found a helper like himself.
21Then the Lord God cast a deep sleep upon Adam: and when he was fast asleep, he took one of his ribs, and filled up flesh for it.
22And the Lord God built the rib which he took from Adam into a woman: and brought her to Adam.
23And Adam said: This now is bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman, because she was taken out of man.
24Wherefore a man shall leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they shall be two in one flesh.
25And they were both naked, to wit, Adam and his wife: and were not ashamed.
An historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.