God Creates the Universe
Genesis 1:1-2:3
In the beginning, when God made the earth, it did not have any shape.
Then God's Spirit moved over the dark waters. God said, "Let there be light," and light came. God saw that the light was good. God called the light day and called the darkness night. The first evening and the first morning were the first day.
Then God made a separation between the earth and the sky. God called the sky heaven. That evening and that morning were the second day.
The earth was covered with water. God said, "Let dry land appear." So the water washed onto some parts of the planet, and the land came up in between. God called the water seas, or oceans. Then God said, "Let things grow on the land. Let there be plants with seeds, and fruit trees." Plants and trees grew out of the land. God saw that the land and the growing things were good. That evening and that morning were the third day.
Then God said, "Let there be a sun and moon to separate night and day." So the sun and moon were made, the sun for the daytime and the moon for the nighttime. God made the stars, too. God saw that the sun and moon and stars were good. That evening and that morning were the fourth day.
After making the land and sea, God said," Let all kinds of living thing come from the oceans, and let birds fly across the sky."
So God made great sea monsters and all the other kinds of fish and animals that live in the water. God made many kinds of birds to fly in the sky.
God saw that these were good, so God said to the sea animals and birds and fish, "Grow and have many children, so that the oceans will be full of life and there will be many, many birds." That evening and that morning were the fifth day.
Then God said, "Let animals live on the land, too." So God made all kinds of animals to live on the land. God saw that they were good.
When the animals and fishes and birds were made, God said, "I will make people. I will make them in my image." Their job will be to take care of the fishes and the animals and the birds."
So made made men and women and said, "Grow, and have children to live all over the earth. You are in charge of the animals in the sea and on the land and in the sky."
God told the people, "You may have any plant with seeds in it or any fruit from the tree for food. And I have given the animals and birds green plants to eat."
God saw everything that had been made, and God knew that it was very good. And that evening and morning were the sixth day.
That is how the heavens and the earth and all the creatures and people that live in them were made. And on the seventh day God rested because the work was done. he made a seventh day for rest and blessed it and made it holy.
