הָיָה

The 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.

God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

God called the light “day”, and the darkness he called “night”. There was evening and there was morning, the first day.

God said, “Let there be an expanse in the middle of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.”

God made the expanse, and divided the waters which were under the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse; and it was so.

God called the expanse “sky”. There was evening and there was morning, a second day.

God said, “Let the waters under the sky be gathered together to one place, and let the dry land appear;” and it was so.

God 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.

There was evening and there was morning, a third day.

God 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;

and let them be for lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth;” and it was so.

There was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.

There was evening and there was morning, a fifth day.

God 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.

God 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.

To 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.

God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. There was evening and there was morning, a sixth day.

No plant of the field was yet in the earth, and no herb of the field had yet sprung up; for Yahweh God had not caused it to rain on the earth. There was not a man to till the ground,

Yahweh God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

A river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from there it was parted, and became the source of four rivers.

Yahweh God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make him a helper comparable to him.”

Therefore a man will leave his father and his mother, and will join with his wife, and they will be one flesh.

The man and his wife were both naked, and they were not ashamed.

Now the serpent was more subtle than any animal of the field which Yahweh God had made. He said to the woman, “Has God really said, ‘You shall not eat of any tree of the garden’?”

for God knows that in the day you eat it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

The man called his wife Eve because she would be the mother of all the living.

Yahweh God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand, and also take of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever—”

Again she gave birth, to Cain’s brother Abel. Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

As time passed, Cain brought an offering to Yahweh from the fruit of the ground.

Cain said to Abel, his brother, “Let’s go into the field.” While they were in the field, Cain rose up against Abel, his brother, and killed him.

From now on, when you till the ground, it won’t yield its strength to you. You will be a fugitive and a wanderer in the earth.”

Behold, you have driven me out today from the surface of the ground. I will be hidden from your face, and I will be a fugitive and a wanderer in the earth. Whoever finds me will kill me.”

Cain knew his wife. She conceived, and gave birth to Enoch. He built a city, and named the city after the name of his son, Enoch.

Adah gave birth to Jabal, who was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock.

His brother’s name was Jubal, who was the father of all who handle the harp and pipe.

The days of Adam after he became the father of Seth were eight hundred years, and he became the father of other sons and daughters.

All the days that Adam lived were nine hundred thirty years, then he died.

All of the days of Seth were nine hundred twelve years, then he died.

All of the days of Enosh were nine hundred five years, then he died.

and all of the days of Kenan were nine hundred ten years, then he died.

All of the days of Mahalalel were eight hundred ninety-five years, then he died.

All of the days of Jared were nine hundred sixty-two years, then he died.

All the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty-five years.

All the days of Methuselah were nine hundred sixty-nine years, then he died.

All the days of Lamech were seven hundred seventy-seven years, then he died.

Noah was five hundred years old, then Noah became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

When men began to multiply on the surface of the ground, and daughters were born to them,

Yahweh said, “My Spirit will not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; so his days will be one hundred twenty years.”

The Nephilim were in the earth in those days, and also after that, when God’s sons came in to men’s daughters and had children with them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.

This is the history of the generations of Noah: Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time. Noah walked with God.