God Makes the World

In the beginning, there was nothing but darkness and deep water. Then God spoke. "Let there be light," He said — and there was light! God saw that the light was good. That was the very first day.

Day after day, God kept making. He made the sky. He gathered the waters into seas so dry land could appear. He made grass, and plants with seeds, and trees full of fruit. And God saw that it was good.

God made the sun to shine by day and the moon to shine by night, and He made the stars too. He filled the seas with fish and great whales, and the sky with birds. He made every kind of animal — big ones, small ones, and creeping ones. It was all good.

Then God made people. He formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into him the breath of life. The man's name was Adam. God planted a garden in a place called Eden, full of trees good for food, and He gave Adam the garden to care for. God brought the animals to Adam, and Adam gave every one of them its name.

But God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone." So while Adam was in a deep sleep, God took one of his ribs and made a woman, and brought her to him. Adam was glad. Now there were two to care for the garden together.

God looked at everything He had made, and it was very good. On the seventh day God rested from all His work. He blessed the seventh day and made it a special day of rest.