GENESIS 1
God Creates the World
About This Chapter
Genesis begins at the very beginning, before the world as we know it existed. It introduces God as the Creator of everything and establishes the foundation for the story that unfolds throughout the Bible.
As you read, pay attention to how God brings order to creation. Everything He makes has a place and purpose, and throughout the chapter, He repeatedly declares His creation good.
Humanity holds a special place in this account. Men and women are created in God's image and given responsibility over the world He has made. This relationship between God, humanity, and creation becomes an important foundation for understanding what happens next.
1In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
2The earth had no shape and was empty. Darkness covered the deep waters, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.
3Then God said, "Let there be light," and light appeared. 4God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 5God called the light "day" and the darkness "night." Evening passed and morning came. That was the first day.
6Then God said, "Let there be a wide space between the waters, to divide the waters into two parts." 7So God made the wide space and divided the waters below it from the waters above it. And that is what happened. 8God called the space "sky." Evening passed and morning came. That was the second day.
9Then God said, "Let the waters under the sky come together in one place, so dry ground can appear." And that is what happened. 10God called the dry ground "land" and the gathered waters "seas." And God saw that it was good.
11Then God said, "Let the land grow plants: plants that make seeds, and trees that grow fruit with seeds inside, each kind making more of its own kind." And that is what happened. 12The land grew plants that made seeds, each of its own kind, and trees that grew fruit with seeds inside, each of its own kind. And God saw that it was good. 13Evening passed and morning came. That was the third day.
14Then God said, "Let there be lights in the sky to separate day from night. Let them be signs to mark the seasons, the days, and the years. 15Let them shine in the sky and give light to the earth." And that is what happened. 16God made two great lights: the larger one to rule the day and the smaller one to rule the night. He also made the stars. 17God placed them in the sky to give light to the earth, 18to rule the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19Evening passed and morning came. That was the fourth day.
20Then God said, "Let the waters swarm with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the open sky." 21So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing that moves and swarms in the water, each of its own kind, and every bird with wings, each of its own kind. And God saw that it was good. 22God blessed them and said, "Have many young and fill the waters of the seas. Let the birds grow in number on the earth." 23Evening passed and morning came. That was the fifth day.
24Then God said, "Let the land bring out living creatures, each of its own kind: farm animals, creatures that crawl along the ground, and wild animals." And that is what happened. 25God made the wild animals, the farm animals, and all the creatures that crawl on the ground, each of its own kind. And God saw that it was good.
God Creates People
26Then God said, "Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will rule over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the farm animals, all the wild animals, and every creature that crawls on the ground."
27So God created human beings in his own image.
In the image of God he created them.
Male and female he created them.
28God blessed them and said to them, "Have many children. Fill the earth and take charge of it. Rule over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and every living thing that moves on the ground."
What This Means: Being created in God’s image gives every human being a special dignity and responsibility. Every person has worth, regardless of wealth, power, or social standing. Humanity is also entrusted with exercising authority over God’s creation.
29Then God said, "Look, I am giving you every plant that makes seeds and every tree that grows fruit with seeds, all over the earth. They will be your food. 30And to every animal on the earth, every bird in the sky, and every creature that crawls on the ground, everything that has the breath of life in it, I give every green plant for food." And that is what happened.
31God looked over everything he had made, and it was very good. Evening passed and morning came. That was the sixth day.