In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth, which was empty, dark, and lifeless. The Spirit of God moved over the waters, and God said, “Let there be light,” and light appeared. He saw the light was good, divided it from darkness, calling the light “day” and the darkness “night,” marking the first day.

On the second day, God separated the waters above from those below, creating the sky. On the third day, He gathered the waters below into seas and lakes, causing dry land to appear. He then commanded the land to produce vegetation—grass, plants, and trees—each bearing seeds for life to continue.

On the fourth day, God made the sun, moon, and stars to govern day and night, seasons, days, and years. The sun shone during the day, and the moon and stars lit the night. He declared this good.

On the fifth day, God brought forth living creatures in the waters—fish and sea animals—and birds to fill the skies. He blessed them to multiply and fill the seas and the heavens.

On the sixth day, He created land animals—big and small—and then made humans in His image to rule over all creatures. He blessed them and told them to multiply and cultivate the earth, providing food and plants for them. God saw everything he had made and declared it very good.

On the seventh day, God rested, blessing and making it special. This is how God created the heavens, the earth, and life in that first week.