The Creation (John 1:1–5; Hebrews 11:1–3)
2 UDB When he began to create the earth, it was shapeless and completely desolate. Darkness covered the surface of the deep water. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the water. BSB BSB: Now the earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.
The First Day 3 UDB God said, "I command there to be light," and there was light. BSB BSB: And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
4 UDB God was pleased with the light. Then he made the light shine in some places at certain times, while in other places there was still darkness. BSB BSB: And God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness.
5 UDB He named the light "day," and he named the darkness "night." This was an evening and morning, the first day. BSB BSB: God called the light “day,” and the darkness He called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.
The Second Day 6 UDB Then God said, "I command that there be an empty space like a huge dome to separate the water into two parts." BSB BSB: And God said, “Let there be an expanse between the waters, to separate the waters from the waters.”
7 UDB And that is what happened. God made the empty space like a huge dome and it separated the water that is above it from the water on the earth that is below it. BSB BSB: So God made the expanse and separated the waters beneath it from the waters above. And it was so.
8 UDB God named the space like a huge dome "sky." This was an evening and morning, the second day. BSB BSB: God called the expanse “sky.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day.
The Third Day 9 UDB Then God said, "I command the water that is below the sky to come together, and dry ground to appear and rise above it." And that is what happened. BSB BSB: And God said, “Let the waters under the sky be gathered into one place, so that the dry land may appear.” And it was so.
10 UDB God gave to the ground the name "earth," and he gave to the water that came together the name "oceans." God was pleased with the earth and the oceans. BSB BSB: God called the dry land “earth,” and the gathering of waters He called “seas.” And God saw that it was good.
11 UDB Then God said, "I command the earth to produce many kinds of plants that reproduce themselves—plants that will produce seeds and trees that will produce fruit with their seed in it." And that is what happened. BSB BSB: Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth vegetation: seed-bearing plants and fruit trees, each bearing fruit with seed according to its kind.” And it was so.
12 UDB Then plants grew on the earth. Each kind of plant began to produce its own kind of seed, and each kind of tree produced fruit with its seed in it. God was pleased with the plants and trees. BSB BSB: The earth produced vegetation: seed-bearing plants according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.
13 UDB This was an evening and morning, the third day. BSB BSB: And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.
The Fourth Day 15 UDB I also want these lights in the sky to shine down on the earth." And that is what happened. BSB BSB: And let them serve as lights in the expanse of the sky to shine upon the earth.” And it was so.
16 UDB God made two of them to be very big lights. The biggest one, the sun, he made to govern the day and the smaller one, the moon, he made to govern the night. He also made the stars. BSB BSB: God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night. And He made the stars as well.
17 UDB God set all of them in the sky to shine on the earth, BSB BSB: God set these lights in the expanse of the sky to shine upon the earth,
18 UDB to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light of the daytime from the darkness of the nighttime. God was pleased with the lights. BSB BSB: to preside over the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good.
19 UDB This was an evening and morning, the fourth day. BSB BSB: And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day.
The Fifth Day 21 UDB So God created the very large creatures that live in the sea, and he created all the other living things that are found, in very great numbers, in the waters. He also created every kind of bird that has wings. All these creatures would be able to produce their own offspring. God looked at all that he had made and he was pleased with them. BSB BSB: So God created the great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters teemed according to their kinds, and every winged bird after its kind. And God saw that it was good.
22 UDB So God blessed them. He said, "Produce offspring and become very numerous. I want the creatures in the water to live throughout all the bodies of water, and the birds also to become very numerous." BSB BSB: Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters of the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.”
23 UDB This was an evening and morning, the fifth day. BSB BSB: And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day.
The Sixth Day 25 UDB God made all kinds of wild animals and domestic animals and all kinds of creatures that crawl on the ground. They could all produce more animals of their same kind. God was pleased with them. BSB BSB: God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that crawls upon the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
28 UDB God blessed them, saying, "Produce many children, who should live all over the earth and rule over it. I want you to rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over all the creatures that move across the surface of the ground." BSB BSB: God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and every creature that crawls upon the earth.”
30 UDB I have given all the green plants to be food for all the wild animals, for the birds, and for all the creatures that move across the surface of the ground; that is, for everything that has life-giving breath in it." And that is what happened. BSB BSB: And to every beast of the earth and every bird of the air and every creature that crawls upon the earth—everything that has the breath of life in it—I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so.