In the beginning, there was only darkness—an endless void of silence. Then, God spoke, His voice echoing across the abyss. "Let there be light," He commanded, and light burst forth, chasing away the darkness. God separated the light from the darkness, naming the light Day and the darkness Night. Evening came, and then morning: the first day (Genesis 1:1-5).
On the second day, God stretched out His hand and created the expanse of the heavens. He divided the waters above from the waters below, forming the sky to shelter the earth (Genesis 1:6-8).
On the third day, the waters gathered into one place, revealing dry land. God called the dry land Earth and the gathered waters Seas. Then, He spoke again, and vegetation sprang forth—plants yielding seeds and trees bearing fruit, each according to its kind (Genesis 1:9-13).
On the fourth day, God adorned the heavens with lights. He created the greater light to rule the day, the lesser light to rule the night, and the stars to sparkle in the vast expanse. These lights would mark the seasons, days, and years, shining as a testament to His glory (Genesis 1:14-19).
On the fifth day, God turned His attention to the waters and the skies. He filled the seas with swarms of living creatures, from tiny fish to mighty whales, and the skies with birds of every kind. He blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth" (Genesis 1:20-23).
On the sixth day, God spoke once more, and the earth brought forth creatures—livestock, creeping things, and beasts of every kind. Then, as the pinnacle of His creation, God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness." He created humanity, male and female, in His own image and gave them dominion over all creation. He blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and every living thing that moves on the earth" (Genesis 1:24-28).
God provided every seed-bearing plant and every tree with fruit for food, not only for mankind but also for all the creatures of the earth. He looked upon everything He had made, and it was very good. Evening came, and then morning: the sixth day (Genesis 1:29-31).
Thus, the heavens and the earth were completed in their vast array.
The Sabbath and Humanity's First Home
On the seventh day, God rested from all His work. He blessed the seventh day and made it holy because it was the day He ceased from His labor (Genesis 2:1-3).
The story of creation turned to focus on the earth, where no shrubs or plants had yet grown, for there was no rain, and man had not yet tilled the ground. A mist arose from the earth, watering its surface. Then, God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being (Genesis 2:4-7).
God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there He placed the man He had formed. The garden was lush, with every tree that was pleasant to the sight and good for food. In its midst stood the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, dividing into four rivers: Pishon, Gihon, Tigris, and Euphrates (Genesis 2:8-14).
God took the man and placed him in the garden to work it and keep it. He commanded, "You may freely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it, you shall surely die" (Genesis 2:15-17).
Seeing that it was not good for man to be alone, God said, "I will make him a helper fit for him." He brought every beast of the field and bird of the air to the man to see what he would call them, and whatever name the man gave each creature became its name. Yet, no suitable helper was found among them (Genesis 2:18-20).
So, God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep. Taking one of his ribs, He closed up the flesh and fashioned the rib into a woman. He brought her to the man, who said, "This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman because she was taken out of Man" (Genesis 2:21-23).
Thus, a man shall leave his father and mother and be united with his wife, and they shall become one flesh. The man and his wife were both naked, and they were not ashamed (Genesis 2:24-25).