Now the earth was formless and empty. Darkness was on the surface of the deep. God's Spirit was hovering over the surface of the waters.

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

God called the dry land "earth," and the gathering together of the waters he called "seas." God saw that it was good.

God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of sky to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years;

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

God set them in the expanse of sky to give light to the earth,

God said, "Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of sky."

God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind, livestock, creeping things, and animals of the earth after their kind;" and it was so.

God made the animals of the earth after their kind, and the livestock after their kind, and everything that creeps on the ground after its kind. God saw that it was good.

God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the sky, and over the livestock, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."

God blessed them. God said to them, "Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the earth."

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.

This is the history of the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that Yahweh God made the earth and the heavens.

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,

but a mist went up from the earth, and watered the whole surface of 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.

Out of the ground Yahweh God made every tree to grow that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the middle of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

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

The name of the first is Pishon: this is the one which flows through the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold;

and the gold of that land is good. There is aromatic resin and the onyx stone.

The name of the second river is Gihon: the same river that flows through the whole land of Cush.

The name of the third river is Hiddekel: this is the one which flows in front of Assyria. The fourth river is the Euphrates.

Yahweh God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.

Yahweh God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat;

but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat of it; for in the day that you eat of it you will surely die."

Out of the ground Yahweh God formed every animal of the field, and every bird of the sky, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. Whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name.

The man gave names to all livestock, and to the birds of the sky, and to every animal of the field; but for man there was not found a helper suitable for him.

Yahweh God caused a deep sleep to fall on the man, and he slept; and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place.

The man said, "This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh. She will be called 'woman,' because she was taken out of Man."

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

They were both naked, the man and his wife, and 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?'"

The woman said to the serpent, "Of the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat,

but of the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat of it, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.'"

When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit, and ate; and she gave some to her husband with her, and he ate.

The eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked. They sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

They heard the voice of Yahweh God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of Yahweh God among the trees of the garden.

The man said, "The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate."

Yahweh God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, you are cursed above all livestock, and above every animal of the field. On your belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life.

To Adam he said, "Because you have listened to your wife's voice, and have eaten of the tree, of which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat of it,' cursed is the ground for your sake. In toil you will eat of it all the days of your life.

Thorns also and thistles will it bring forth to you; and you will eat the herb of the field.

By the sweat of your face will you eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For you are dust, and to dust you shall return."

The man called his wife Eve, because she was the mother of all living.

Yahweh God made coats of skins for Adam and for his wife, and clothed them.

Yahweh God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil. Now, lest he put forth his hand, and also take of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever..."

Therefore Yahweh God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he was taken.

So he drove out the man; and he placed Cherubs at the east of the garden of Eden, and the flame of a sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.

The man knew Eve his wife. She conceived, and gave birth to Cain, and said, "I have gotten a man with Yahweh's help."

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, it happened that Cain brought an offering to Yahweh from the fruit of the ground.

Abel also brought some of the firstborn of his flock and of its fat. Yahweh respected Abel and his offering,

Yahweh said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why has the expression of your face fallen?

If you do well, will it not be lifted up? If you don't do well, sin crouches at the door. Its desire is for you, but you are to rule over it."

Yahweh said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood cries to me from the ground.

Now you are cursed because of the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand.

Behold, you have driven me out this day 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. It will happen that whoever finds me will kill me."

Cain went out from Yahweh's presence, and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

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

To Enoch was born Irad. Irad became the father of Mehujael. Mehujael became the father of Methushael. Methushael became the father of Lamech.

Lamech took two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah.

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.

Zillah also gave birth to Tubal Cain, the forger of every cutting instrument of brass and iron. Tubal Cain's sister was Naamah.

Lamech said to his wives, "Adah and Zillah, hear my voice. You wives of Lamech, listen to my speech, for I have slain a man for wounding me, a young man for bruising me.

If Cain will be avenged seven times, truly Lamech seventy-seven times."

Adam knew his wife again. She gave birth to a son, and named him Seth, "for God has appointed me another child instead of Abel, for Cain killed him."

This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, he made him in God's likeness.

Adam lived one hundred thirty years, and became the father of a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth.

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

Seth lived one hundred five years, and became the father of Enosh.

Seth lived after he became the father of Enosh eight hundred seven years, and became the father of sons and daughters.

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

Enosh lived ninety years, and became the father of Kenan.

Enosh lived after he became the father of Kenan, eight hundred fifteen years, and became the father of sons and daughters.

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

Kenan lived seventy years, and became the father of Mahalalel.

Kenan lived after he became the father of Mahalalel eight hundred forty years, and became the father of sons and daughters

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

Mahalalel lived sixty-five years, and became the father of Jared.

Mahalalel lived after he became the father of Jared eight hundred thirty years, and became the father of sons and daughters.

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

Jared lived one hundred sixty-two years, and became the father of Enoch.

Jared lived after he became the father of Enoch eight hundred years, and became the father of sons and daughters.

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

Enoch lived sixty-five years, and became the father of Methuselah.

Enoch walked with God after he became the father of Methuselah three hundred years, and became the father of sons and daughters.

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

Methuselah lived one hundred eighty-seven years, and became the father of Lamech.

Methuselah lived after he became the father of Lamech seven hundred eighty-two years, and became the father of sons and daughters.

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

Lamech lived one hundred eighty-two years, and became the father of a son,

and he named him Noah, saying, "This same will comfort us in our work and in the toil of our hands, because of the ground which Yahweh has cursed."

Lamech lived after he became the father of Noah five hundred ninety-five years, and became the father of sons and daughters.

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

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

It happened, when men began to multiply on the surface of the ground, and daughters were born to them,

that God's sons saw that men's daughters were beautiful, and they took for themselves wives of all that they chose.

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

Yahweh saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.