The Bible — World English Bible
Genesis 1
In brief
Genesis 1 opens the Bible with the story of creation: God speaks and the world takes shape, from light to living creatures. Each step is judged good, until the creation of mankind, male and female, in the image of God, to whom he entrusts the earth. The text affirms that God is the unique creator and that life has meaning. Christians read this chapter in different ways, especially on the duration of the days, but agree on the essential: everything comes from God.
The chapter in 4 parts
1In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
2The earth was formless and empty. Darkness was on the surface of the deep and God’s Spirit was hovering over the surface of the waters.
3God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
4God saw the light, and saw that it was good. God divided the light from the darkness.
5God called the light “day”, and the darkness he called “night”. There was evening and there was morning, the first day.
6God said, “Let there be an expanse in the middle of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.”
7God made the expanse, and divided the waters which were under the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse; and it was so.
8God called the expanse “sky”. There was evening and there was morning, a second day.
9God said, “Let the waters under the sky be gathered together to one place, and let the dry land appear;” and it was so.
10God called the dry land “earth”, and the gathering together of the waters he called “seas”. God saw that it was good.
11God said, “Let the earth yield grass, herbs yielding seeds, and fruit trees bearing fruit after their kind, with their seeds in it, on the earth;” and it was so.
12The earth yielded grass, herbs yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit, with their seeds in it, after their kind; and God saw that it was good.
13There was evening and there was morning, a third day.
14God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs to mark seasons, days, and years;
15and let them be for lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth;” and it was so.
16God made the two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He also made the stars.
17God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light to the earth,
18and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. God saw that it was good.
19There was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.
20God said, “Let the waters abound with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the sky.”
21God created the large sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed, after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind. God saw that it was good.
22God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.”
23There was evening and there was morning, a fifth day.
24God said, “Let the earth produce living creatures after their kind, livestock, creeping things, and animals of the earth after their kind;” and it was so.
25God made the animals of the earth after their kind, and the livestock after their kind, and everything that creeps on the ground after its kind. God saw that it was good.
26God said, “Let’s make man in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the sky, and over the livestock, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
27God created man in his own image. In God’s image he created him; male and female he created them.
28God blessed them. God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
29God said, “Behold, I have given you every herb yielding seed, which is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree, which bears fruit yielding seed. It will be your food.
30To every animal of the earth, and to every bird of the sky, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food;” and it was so.
31God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. There was evening and there was morning, a sixth day.
Key verses
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
The Bible begins with an affirmation: God is the origin of all. The verse does not seek to prove God; it presents him as the one who preceded the universe.
God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
God creates by his word alone: he speaks and the thing is. Light is the first work of creation. The New Testament will return to this, presenting Jesus as God's Word and as the light of the world, especially at the beginning of John's Gospel.
God said, “Let’s make man in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the sky, and over the livestock, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” God created man in his own image. In God’s image he created him; male and female he created them.
God creates mankind in his own image, male and female. This image is not a physical resemblance but a distinction: responsibility, moral sense, relationship with God. Men and women equally bear this image and this calling.
God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. There was evening and there was morning, a sixth day.
God saw all he had made and saw that it was very good. This does not mean evil does not exist, but it says that creation itself and the human body are not evil; evil comes elsewhere, as the rest of Genesis shows.
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Frequently asked questions about Genesis 1
What does it mean to be created in God's image in Genesis 1:27?
The text says that God created mankind in his image, male and female. This image is not physical resemblance but a function: the capacity to know God, to make choices and bear responsibility. Both men and women are said to be in God's image. This dignity cannot be erased, even when sin damages it.
Does Genesis 1 speak of twenty-four hour days?
The Hebrew word yom can mean day, daylight or an indefinite period. Christians interpret Genesis 1 in different ways: some read six twenty-four hour days, others see each day as an age. The text does not settle this question, and believers of different views agree on the essential: God is the creator.
What is the main message of Genesis 1?
The chapter affirms that a unique God created all that exists by his word, and that his work is good. Mankind, created in his image, receives a vocation. The text thus gives life meaning: the world is neither chance nor the work of rival forces; it comes from God.
What does 'God said, Let there be light' mean?
In verse 3, God creates by his word alone: he speaks and the thing is. Light is the first work of creation. The New Testament will return to this, presenting Jesus as God's Word and as the light of the world, especially in the beginning of John's Gospel.
Articles quoting Genesis 1
World English Bible translation — public domain.