Day 1, Lights
1It all started when God created [1] the universe—everything on earth and in the sky. 2Earth was shapeless and empty. Darkness cloaked the deep water. God’s Spirit [2] cruised through the darkness, above the water.3God said, “Lights.” Lights came on. 4God liked the light. He gave it a place, separate from darkness. 5God called the light’s place “Day.” He put darkness in its place, too. He called it “Night.” Nighttime passed. Morning came. The first day was over.
Day 2, Living space
6God said, “Open up some room. Put it in a dry place, sandwiched between water on the ground and water above.” 7God made a huge space. That’s what happened. Then he parted the water. He put some on the ground, below the space. He put the rest above the space. 8God called the huge room “Sky.” Nighttime passed. Morning came. The second day was over.Day 3, Gardens
9God said, “Water under the sky, flow into one place to make room for dry ground.” That’s what happened. 10God called the dry ground “Land.” He called the wet place “Ocean.” God liked what he saw. 11God said, “Land, grow a garden. Grow plants that make their own seeds. Grow trees that produce fruit, which make their own seeds, too.” That’s what happened. 12The land grew a garden. All the plants made their own seeds. Trees produced fruit that made its own seeds. Each kind of tree had its own unique seeds. God liked what he saw. 13Nighttime passed. Morning came. The third day was over.Day 4, Lights for the sky
14God said, “Lights for the sky. Hang 'em high. They'll mark time, separating day from night. They’ll mark not only the days, but the seasons and the years, too. 15These sky lights will light the room below.” That’s what happened. 16God made two bright sky lights. The biggest and brightest lit the day. [3] The smaller one lit the night. [4] God made the stars, too. 17God put these lights in the sky to brighten the earth 18and to separate light from darkness, and day from night. God liked what he saw. 19Nighttime passed. Morning came. The fourth day was over.Day 5, Fish & birds
20God said, “Life, fill the waters below and the sky above. Fish and other water-loving creatures, start swimming. Birds, fly above the ground in the big room I made.” 21God created the sea creatures. Big, monster-sized ones, too. All kinds. Everything that lives and moves in the water. He did the same for every bird that flies. God liked what he saw. 22God showed his approval with a blessing: “Make lots of baby swimmers and fliers. Fish and all swimmers at sea, fill the water with your babies. Birds, fill the sky.” 23Nighttime passed. Morning came. The fifth day was over.Day 6, Animals and humans
24God said, “Land, produce animals. All kinds. Everything that moves on the ground including tame livestock and wild, untamable animals.” Sure enough, that’s what happened. 25God made the animals. All kinds. Mild. Wild. Everything that lives and moves along the ground. God liked what he saw.26God said, “Let’s make humans. [5] They’ll resemble us. [6] They’ll be in charge of the planet: the fish in the water, the birds in the sky, and the animals on the ground. Sky high to ocean deep, they’ll make the call about what happens on the earth. 27God created a man who resembled him. A woman, too. Man and woman. They both resembled God.
28God showed his approval with a blessing: “Have lots of children. Fill this world with your children and your children’s children. Take charge of the planet. Manage the fish, the birds, and every life form around you. They are your responsibility.” 29God said, “Take a good look at all the plants that produce seeds and all the trees that fill with fruit. They are your food. 30They are food for the animals, too. For the creatures large and small, high and low—from birds that soar to creepy, crawly critters scurrying through the dirt. If it’s a green plant, it’s animal food.” And that’s the way it was. 31God saw what he made and liked what he saw. He liked it very much. Nighttime passed. Morning came. The sixth day was over.
