| NIV |
The Message |
Amplified |
| The Beginning |
Heaven and Earth |
Chapter 1 |
| 1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. |
1 First this: God created the Heavens and Earth—all you see, all you don't see. |
1 IN THE beginning God (prepared, formed, fashioned, and) created the heavens and the earth. |
| 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. |
2 Earth was a soup of nothingness, a bottomless emptiness, an inky blackness. God's Spirit brooded like a bird above the watery abyss. |
2 The earth was without form and an empty waste, and darkness was upon the face of the very great deep. The Spirit of God was moving (hovering, brooding) over the face of the waters. |
| 3 And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. |
3 God spoke: "Light!" And light appeared. |
3 And God said, Let there be light; and there was light. |
| 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. |
4 God saw that light was good and separated light from dark. |
4 And God saw that the light was good (suitable, pleasant) and He approved it; and God separated the light from the darkness. |
| 5 God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night." And there was evening, and there was morning--the first day. |
5 God named the light Day, he named the dark Night. It was evening, it was morning— Day One. |
5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day. |
| 6 And God said, "Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water." |
6 God spoke: "Sky! In the middle of the waters; separate water from water!" |
6 And God said, Let there be a firmament [the expanse of the sky] in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters [below] from the waters [above]. |
| 7 So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it. And it was so. |
7 God made sky. He separated the water under sky from the water above sky. And there it was: |
7 And God made the firmament [the expanse] and separated the waters which were under the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse. And it was so. |
| 8 God called the expanse "sky." And there was evening, and there was morning--the second day. |
8 he named sky the Heavens; It was evening, it was morning— Day Two. |
8 And God called the firmament Heavens. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day. |
| 9 And God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear." And it was so. |
9 God spoke: "Separate! Water-beneath-Heaven, gather into one place; Land, appear!" And there it was. |
9 And God said, Let the waters under the heavens be collected into one place [of standing], and let the dry land appear. And it was so. |
| 10 God called the dry ground "land," and the gathered waters he called "seas." And God saw that it was good. |
10 God named the land Earth. He named the pooled water Ocean. God saw that it was good. |
10 God called the dry land Earth, and the accumulated waters He called Seas. And God saw that this was good (fitting, admirable) and He approved it. |
| 11 Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds." And it was so. |
11 God spoke: "Earth, green up! Grow all varieties of seed-bearing plants, Every sort of fruit-bearing tree." And there it was. |
11 And God said, Let the earth put forth [tender] vegetation: plants yielding seed and fruit trees yielding fruit whose seed is in itself, each according to its kind, upon the earth. And it was so. |
| 12 The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. |
12 Earth produced green seed-bearing plants, all varieties, And fruit-bearing trees of all sorts. God saw that it was good. |
12 The earth brought forth vegetation: plants yielding seed according to their own kinds and trees bearing fruit in which was their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good (suitable, admirable) and He approved it. |
| 13 And there was evening, and there was morning--the third day. |
13 It was evening, it was morning— Day Three. |
13 And there was evening and there was morning, a third day. |
| 14 And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, |
14 God spoke: "Lights! Come out! Shine in Heaven's sky! Separate Day from Night. Mark seasons and days and years, |
14 And God said, Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be signs and tokens [of God’s provident care], and [to mark] seasons, days, and years, |
| 15 and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth." And it was so. |
15 Lights in Heaven's sky to give light to Earth." And there it was. |
15 And let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light upon the earth. And it was so. |
| 16 God made two great lights--the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. |
16 God made two big lights, the larger to take charge of Day, The smaller to be in charge of Night; and he made the stars. |
16 And God made the two great lights—the greater light (the sun) to rule the day and the lesser light (the moon) to rule the night. He also made the stars. |
| 17 God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth, |
17 God placed them in the heavenly sky to light up Earth |
17 And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth, |
| 18 to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. |
18 And oversee Day and Night, to separate light and dark. God saw that it was good. |
18 To rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good (fitting, pleasant) and He approved it. |
| 19 And there was evening, and there was morning--the fourth day. |
19 It was evening, it was morning— Day Four. |
19 And there was evening and there was morning, a fourth day. |
| 20 And God said, "Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky." |
20 God spoke: "Swarm, Ocean, with fish and all sea life! Birds, fly through the sky over Earth!" |
20 And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly and swarm with living creatures, and let birds fly over the earth in the open expanse of the heavens. |
| 21 So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. |
21 God created the huge whales, all the swarm of life in the waters, And every kind and species of flying birds. God saw that it was good. |
21 God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, which the waters brought forth abundantly, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good (suitable, admirable) and He approved it. |
| 22 God blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth." |
22 God blessed them: "Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Ocean! Birds, reproduce on Earth!" |
22 And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let the fowl multiply in the earth. |
| 23 And there was evening, and there was morning--the fifth day. |
23 It was evening, it was morning— Day Five. |
23 And there was evening and there was morning, a fifth day. |
| 24 And God said, "Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind." And it was so. |
24 God spoke: "Earth, generate life! Every sort and kind: cattle and reptiles and wild animals—all kinds." And there it was: |
24 And God said, Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creeping things, and [wild] beasts of the earth according to their kinds. And it was so. |
| 25 God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. |
25 wild animals of every kind, Cattle of all kinds, every sort of reptile and bug. God saw that it was good. |
25 And God made the [wild] beasts of the earth according to their kinds, and domestic animals according to their kinds, and everything that creeps upon the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good (fitting, pleasant) and He approved it. |
| 26 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." |
26 God spoke: "Let us make human beings in our image, make them reflecting our nature So they can be responsible for the fish in the sea, the birds in the air, the cattle, And, yes, Earth itself, and every animal that moves on the face of Earth." |
26 God said, Let Us [Father, Son, and Holy Spirit] make mankind in Our image, after Our likeness, and let them have complete authority over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the [tame] beasts, and over all of the earth, and over everything that creeps upon the earth. |
| 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. |
27 God created human beings; he created them godlike, Reflecting God's nature. He created them male and female. |
27 So God created man in His own image, in the image and likeness of God He created him; male and female He created them. |
| 28 God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground." |
28 God blessed them: "Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Earth! Take charge! Be responsible for fish in the sea and birds in the air, for every living thing that moves on the face of Earth." |
28 And God blessed them and said to them, Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it [using all its vast resources in the service of God and man]; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and over every living creature that moves upon the earth. |
| 29 Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. |
29 Then God said, "I've given you every sort of seed-bearing plant on Earth And every kind of fruit-bearing tree, given them to you for food. |
29 And God said, See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the land and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. |
| 30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground--everything that has the breath of life in it--I give every green plant for food." And it was so. |
30 To all animals and all birds, everything that moves and breathes, I give whatever grows out of the ground for food." And there it was. |
30 And to all the animals on the earth and to every bird of the air and to everything that creeps on the ground—to everything in which there is the breath of life—I have given every green plant for food. And it was so. |
| 31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning--the sixth day. |
31 God looked over everything he had made; it was so good, so very good! It was evening, it was morning— Day Six. |
31 And God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good (suitable, pleasant) and He approved it completely. And there was evening and there was morning, a sixth day. |