In the beginning, God created everything: the heavens above and the earth below. Here’s what happened: 2 At first the earth lacked shape and was totally empty, and a dark fog draped over the deep while God’s spirit-wind hovered over the surface of the empty waters. Then there was the voice of God. God: 3 Let there be light. And light flashed into being. 4 God saw that the light was beautiful and good, and He separated the light from the darkness. 5 God named the light “day” and the darkness “night.” Evening gave way to morning. That was day one. God: 6 Let there be a vast expanse in the middle of the waters. Let the waters above part from the waters below. 7 So God parted the waters and formed this expanse, separating the waters above from the waters below. It happened just as God said. 8 And God called the vast expanse “sky.” Evening gave way to morning. That was day two. God: 9 Let the waters below the heavens be collected into one place and congregate into one vast sea, so that dry land may appear. It happened just as God said. 10 God called the dry land “earth” and the waters congregated below “seas.” And God saw that His new creation was beautiful and good. God: 11 Earth, sprout green vegetation! Grow all varieties of seed-bearing plants and all sorts of fruit-bearing trees. It happened just as God said. 12 The earth produced vegetation—seed-bearing plants of all varieties and fruit-bearing trees of all sorts. And God saw that His new creation was beautiful and good. 13 Evening gave way to morning. That was day three. God: 14-15 Lights, come out! Shine in the vast expanse of heavens’ sky dividing day from night to mark the seasons, days, and years. Lights, warm the earth with your light. It happened just as God said. 16 God fashioned the two great lights—the brighter to mark the course of day, the dimmer to mark the course of night—and the Divine needled night with the stars. 17 God set them in heavens’ sky to cast warm light on the earth, 18 to rule over the day and night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And God saw that His new creation was beautiful and good. 19 Evening gave way to morning. That was day four. |
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