- And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation.
- Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
- I have placed my rainbow in the clouds. It is the sign of my covenant with you and with all the earth.
- So God created human beings in his own image.
In the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them. - And the Lord God made clothing from animal skins for Adam and his wife.
- For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are.
- Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.”
- I have given them to you for food, just as I have given you grain and vegetables. But you must never eat any meat that still has the lifeblood in it.
- You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.
- At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves.
- In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.
- Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.”
- Then God said, “Look! I have given you every seed-bearing plant throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for your food.”
- Yes, I am confirming my covenant with you. Never again will floodwaters kill all living creatures; never again will a flood destroy the earth.
- And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.”
- Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.”
- This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
- But ‘God made them male and female’ from the beginning of creation. ‘This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.’ Since they are no longer two but one, let no one split apart what God has joined together.
- He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.
- For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.
- I will cause your descendants to become as numerous as the stars of the sky, and I will give them all these lands. And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed. I will do this because Abraham listened to me and obeyed all my requirements, commands, decrees, and instructions.
- Then the Lord God said, “Look, the human beings have become like us, knowing both good and evil. What if they reach out, take fruit from the tree of life, and eat it? Then they will live forever!” So the Lord God banished them from the Garden of Eden, and he sent Adam out to cultivate the ground from which he had been made.
- And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
- Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib, and he brought her to the man.
“At last!” the man exclaimed.
“This one is bone from my bone,
and flesh from my flesh!
She will be called ‘woman,’
because she was taken from ‘man.’”
This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one. - Father, I want these whom you have given me to be with me where I am. Then they can see all the glory you gave me because you loved me even before the world began!
Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.