STORY OF CREATION

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day” and the darkness “night.” This was the first day.

On the second day, God created the expanse, separating the waters above from the waters below. He called the expanse “sky.”

On the third day, God created dry land and called it “earth.” He also created all kinds of vegetation and trees that bear fruit, each according to its kind.

On the fourth day, God created the sun, moon, and stars to separate the day from the night and to mark seasons and years.

On the fifth day, God created all kinds of sea creatures and birds, each according to its kind.

On the sixth day, God created all kinds of land animals, each according to its kind. Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.” So God created human beings in his own image.

God created them male and female, and he blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. I have given you every seed-bearing plant throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for your food. And I have given every green plant as food for all the wild animals, the birds in the sky, and the small animals that scurry along the ground— everything that has life.” This was the sixth day.

On the seventh day, God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation. This is the account of the creation of the heavens and the earth