Genesis

¹ First this: God created the Heavens and Earth—all you see, all you don't see.

² Earth was a soup of nothingness, a bottomless emptiness, an inky blackness. God's Spirit brooded like a bird above the watery abyss.

³ And light appeared.

⁴ and separated light from dark.

⁵ he named the dark Night. It was evening, it was morning— Day One.

⁶ separate water from water!"

⁷ He separated the water under sky from the water above sky. And there it was:

⁸ It was evening, it was morning— Day Two.

⁹ Water-beneath-Heaven, gather into one place; Land, appear!" And there it was.

¹⁰ He named the pooled water Ocean. God saw that it was good.

¹¹ of seed-bearing plants, Every sort of fruit-bearing tree." And there it was.

¹² all varieties, And fruit-bearing trees of all sorts. God saw that it was good.

¹³ Day Three.

¹⁴ Shine in Heaven's sky! Separate Day from Night. Mark seasons and days and years,

¹⁵ And there it was.

¹⁶ to take charge of Day, The smaller to be in charge of Night; and he made the stars.

¹⁷ to light up Earth

¹⁸ to separate light and dark. God saw that it was good.

¹⁹ Day Four.

²⁰ Birds, fly through the sky over Earth!"

²¹ all the swarm of life in the waters, And every kind and species of flying birds. God saw that it was good.

²² Birds, reproduce on Earth!"

²³ Day Five.

²⁴ cattle and reptiles and wild animals—all kinds." And there it was:

²⁵ Cattle of all kinds, every sort of reptile and bug. God saw that it was good.

²⁶ reflecting our nature So they can be responsible for the fish in the sea, the birds in the air, the cattle, And, yes, Earth itself, and every animal that moves on the face of Earth."

²⁷ he created them godlike, Reflecting God's nature. He created them male and female.

²⁸ "Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Earth! Take charge! Be responsible for fish in the sea and birds in the air, for every living thing that moves on the face of Earth."

²⁹ every sort of seed-bearing plant on Earth And every kind of fruit-bearing tree, given them to you for food.

³⁰ everything that moves and breathes, I give whatever grows out of the ground for food." And there it was.

³¹ it was so good, so very good! It was evening, it was morning— Day Six.