Genesis 1, side by side
Our retelling next to the Bible text it comes from. Each row lines up one scene with the verses it retells.
Scene 1: In the BeginningVerses 1 to 5
"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (1:1).
At first the earth had no shape and nothing in it. Darkness covered deep water. God's Spirit moved over the water.
Then God spoke. "Let there be light," and there was light (1:3).
God saw that the light was good. He separated the light from the darkness. He called the light "day" and the darkness "night." That was the first day.
1In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2Now 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. 3And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4And God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness. 5God called the light “day,” and the darkness He called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.
Scene 2: Sky, Sea, and LandVerses 6 to 13
On the second day, God made the sky. It separated the water above from the water below.
On the third day, God gathered the water into seas. Dry land appeared. God called it "earth."
Then God told the earth to grow plants and fruit trees, each with its own seeds. And it did. God saw that it was good.
6And God said, “Let there be an expanse between the waters, to separate the waters from the waters.” 7So God made the expanse and separated the waters beneath it from the waters above. And it was so. 8God called the expanse “sky.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day. 9And God said, “Let the waters under the sky be gathered into one place, so that the dry land may appear.” And it was so. 10God called the dry land “earth,” and the gathering of waters He called “seas.” And God saw that it was good. 11Then 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. 12The 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. 13And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.
Scene 3: Lights and Living ThingsVerses 14 to 25
On the fourth day, God put lights in the sky. The sun ruled the day. The moon ruled the night. He made the stars too. They marked days, seasons, and years.
On the fifth day, God filled the seas with living creatures and the sky with birds. He blessed them and told them to have young and fill the world.
On the sixth day, God made land animals: wild animals, farm animals, and small crawling creatures. God saw that it was good.
14And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to distinguish between the day and the night, and let them be signs to mark the seasons and days and years. 15And let them serve as lights in the expanse of the sky to shine upon the earth.” And it was so. 16God 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. 17God set these lights in the expanse of the sky to shine upon the earth, 18to preside over the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day. 20And God said, “Let the waters teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the sky.” 21So God created the great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters teemed according to their kinds, and every bird of flight after its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters of the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” 23And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day. 24And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, land crawlers, and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so. 25God 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.
Scene 4: People in God's ImageVerses 26 to 31
Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness" (1:26). Here "man" means human beings.
"So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them" (1:27).
To be made in God's image means people reflect God in a way nothing else in creation does. It is true of every person.
God blessed the people. He told them to have children and fill the earth. He put them in charge of the fish, the birds, and every animal. He gave them plants and fruit for food.
"And God looked upon all that He had made, and indeed, it was very good" (1:31). That was the sixth day.
Six times God called things good. After he made people, God looked at everything together and called it "very good."
26Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness, to rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, and over all the earth itself and every creature that crawls upon it.” 27So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28God 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.” 29Then God said, “Behold, I have given you every seed-bearing plant on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit contains seed. They will be yours for food. 30And 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. 31And God looked upon all that He had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.
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