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Genesis 2

2 In that way God finished making the heavens and the earth, and everything that was in them.

2 The seventh day came. Then God stopped the work that he had been doing. He had finished his work and he rested on the seventh day.

3 God blessed the seventh day. He made it a special day, because he had finished making everything. He did not work on that day.

God makes a man and a woman

4 This is what happened when God made the heavens and the earth.

When the Lord God made the heavens and the earth, 5 there were no plants or grasses growing on the earth. [ a ] That was because the Lord God had not sent any rain on the earth. Also, there was nobody to dig the soil so that plants would grow. 6 But streams of water were coming up from the earth. The water made all the top of the ground wet.

7 Then the Lord God took some soil from the ground and he made a man. He breathed air into the nose of the man to give him life. So the man became alive.

8 The Lord God planted a garden. It was in the east, in a place called Eden. [ b ] God took the man that he had made and he put him in the garden. 9 The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow from the ground there. The trees were beautiful to look at. The fruit from the trees was good for people to eat. [ c ] In the middle of the garden were two special trees. One was the tree that gives life. The other was the tree that gives knowledge of what is good and what is evil. [ d ]

10 A river began in Eden. It went through the garden and it gave water for the ground. After that, it became four separate rivers. 11 The name of the first river is the Pishon. It goes through the whole land of Havilah. There is gold in that land. 12 The gold there is very good. Bdellium and onyx stone are also in Havilah. [ e ]

13 The name of the second river is the Gihon. It goes through the whole land of Cush. 14 The third river is called the Tigris. It goes along the east side of Assyria. The fourth river is called the Euphrates.

15 The Lord God took the man and he put him in the Garden of Eden. God wanted the man to work in the garden and to take care of it. 16 Then the Lord God told the man, ‘You may eat the fruit from any tree in the garden, as much as you like. 17 But you must not eat any fruit from the tree that gives knowledge of good and evil. If you do eat fruit from that tree, that day you will certainly die.’

18 Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to live alone. I will make a helper who is right for him.’ [ f ]

19 The Lord God took soil from the ground and he made all the animals and birds. He brought them to the man. God wanted to know what names the man would call them. Whatever the man called each living thing, that became its name. 20 So the man gave names to the farm animals, to the birds in the sky and to all the other animals.

But none of these animals was the right helper for the man. 21 So the Lord God caused the man to sleep. [ g ] While the man was sleeping, God took a rib from the man. Then he closed up the place in his body and he covered it again. [ h ] 22 The Lord God used the man's rib to make a woman. He brought the woman to the man.

23 Then the man said, ‘Finally, this is someone who is right for me. She has bones that are taken from my bones. Her body comes from my body. I will call her “woman” because God used me, a man, to make her.’

24 Because of this, when a man marries, he leaves his father and his mother. Instead, God joins the man and his wife together. The two people become as one body. [ i ]

25 The man and his wife were not wearing any clothes. But they did not feel ashamed.

Footnotes

  1. 2:5 When we write Lord like this, it is a special name for God. Sometimes people write it as ‘Yahweh’, or as ‘Jehovah’. It means ‘I am who I am’. This shows that God has always been alive and he will always be alive.
  2. 2:8 ‘in the east’ means that it was east of the land of Canaan. Canaan was the land that God gave to his people as their home much later on.
  3. 2:9 Eden was a very good place for the man to live. Everything that the man needed was there.
  4. 2:9 Fruit from the first tree would cause people to live for ever with God. Fruit from the second tree would cause people to know about good things and bad things. They would understand the difference between these.
  5. 2:12 Bdellium is something that has a nice smell. It comes from certain trees when you cut them. Onyx is a valuable stone.
  6. 2:18 The helper was someone to live with the man. She would be the right person for him and would help him.
  7. 2:21 The Lord God caused the man to sleep. The man did not just sleep because he was tired. He would sleep like that until God made him wake.
  8. 2:21 A rib is a bone in the side of someone's body. God made the woman from the rib that he took from the man.
  9. 2:24 This verse tells us about how a man and his wife should live after their marriage. They become a new family that is separate from their parents' families.

The Seventh Day—Rest

2 So the earth, the sky, and everything in them were finished. 2 God finished the work he was doing, so on the seventh day he rested from his work. 3 God blessed the seventh day and made it a holy day. He made it special because on that day he rested from all the work he did while creating the world.

The First Man and the Garden of Eden

4 This is the story about the creation of the sky and the earth. This is what happened when the Lord God made the earth and the sky. 5 This was before there were plants on the earth. Nothing was growing in the fields because the Lord God had not yet made it rain on the earth, and there was no one to care for the plants.

6 So water [ a ] came up from the earth and spread over the ground. 7 Then the Lord God took dust from the ground and made a man. [ b ] He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nose, and the man became a living thing. 8 Then the Lord God planted a garden in the East, [ c ] in a place named Eden. He put the man he made in that garden. 9 Then the Lord God caused all the beautiful trees that were good for food to grow in the garden. In the middle of the garden, he put the tree of life and the tree that gives knowledge about good and evil.

10 A river flowed from Eden and watered the garden. The river then separated and became four smaller rivers. 11 The name of the first river was Pishon. This river flowed around the entire country of Havilah. [ d ] 12 (There is gold in that country, and that gold is pure. A kind of expensive perfume and onyx are also found there.) 13 The name of the second river was Gihon. This river flowed around the whole land of Cush. [ e ] 14 The name of the third river was Tigris. This river flowed east of Assyria. The fourth river was the Euphrates.

15 The Lord God put the man in the Garden of Eden to work the soil and take care of the garden. 16 The Lord God gave him this command: “You may eat from any tree in the garden. 17 But you must not eat from the tree that gives knowledge about good and evil. If you eat fruit from that tree, on that day you will certainly die!”

A Companion for Adam

18 Then the Lord God said, “I see that it is not good for the man to be alone. I will make the companion he needs, one just right for him.”

19 The Lord God used dust from the ground and made every animal in the fields and every bird in the air. He brought all these animals to the man, and the man gave them all a name. 20 The man gave names to all the tame animals, to all the birds in the air, and to all the wild animals. He saw many animals and birds, but he could not find a companion that was right for him. 21 So the Lord God caused the man to sleep very deeply. While he was asleep, God took one of the ribs from the man’s body. Then he closed the man’s skin where the rib had been. 22 The Lord God used the rib from the man to make a woman. Then he brought the woman to the man. 23 And the man said,

“Finally! One like me,
with bones from my bones
and a body from my body.
She was taken out of a man,
so I will call her ‘woman.’”

24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife. In this way two people become one.

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

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 2:6 water Or “a mist.”
  2. Genesis 2:7 man The Hebrew word means “man,” “people,” or the name “Adam.” It is like the word meaning “earth” or “red clay.”
  3. Genesis 2:8 East This usually means the area between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers as far east as the Persian Gulf.
  4. Genesis 2:11 Havilah The land along the west coast of the Arabian peninsula and possibly, the part of Africa south of Ethiopia.
  5. Genesis 2:13 Cush Usually this means Ethiopia, but here, it probably refers to the area north and east of the Tigris River.

2 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.

2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.

3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

4 These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens,

5 And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground.

6 But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground.

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

8 And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.

9 And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

10 And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads.

11 The name of the first is Pison: that is it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold;

12 And the gold of that land is good: there is bdellium and the onyx stone.

13 And the name of the second river is Gihon: the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia.

14 And the name of the third river is Hiddekel: that is it which goeth toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates.

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

16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:

17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

18 And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.

19 And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.

20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.

21 And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;

22 And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.

23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.

24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

2 And so the heavens and the earth were completed, and all ( A ) their heavenly [ a ] lights. 2 By ( B ) the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and ( C ) He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. 3 Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because on it He rested from all His work which God had created [ b ] and made.

The Creation of Man and Woman

4 [ c ] ( D ) This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in ( E ) the day that the Lord God made earth and heaven. 5 ( F ) Now no shrub of the field was yet on the earth, and no plant of the field had yet sprouted, ( G ) for the Lord God had not sent rain upon the earth, and there was no man to [ d ] cultivate the ground. 6 But a [ e ] mist used to rise from the earth and water the whole [ f ] surface of the ground. 7 Then the Lord God formed the man of ( H ) dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the ( I ) man became a living [ g ] person. 8 The Lord God planted a ( J ) garden toward the east, in Eden; and there He placed the man whom He had formed. 9 Out of the ground the Lord God caused ( K ) every tree to grow that is pleasing to the sight and good for food; ( L ) the tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

10 Now a ( M ) river [ h ] flowed out of Eden to water the garden; and from there it divided and became four [ i ] rivers. 11 The name of the first is Pishon; it [ j ] flows around the whole land of ( N ) Havilah, where there is gold. 12 The gold of that land is good; the bdellium and the onyx stone are there as well . 13 The name of the second river is Gihon; it [ k ] flows around the whole land of Cush. 14 The name of the third river is [ l ] ( O ) Tigris; it [ m ] flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the [ n ] ( P ) Euphrates.

15 Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to cultivate it and tend it. 16 The Lord God ( Q ) commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not [ o ] eat, for on the day that you eat from it ( R ) you will certainly die.”

18 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; ( S ) I will make him a helper [ p ] suitable for him.” 19 ( T ) And out of the ground the Lord God formed every animal of the field and every bird of the sky, and ( U ) brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name. 20 The man gave names to all the livestock, and to the birds of the sky, and to every animal of the field, but for [ q ] Adam there was not found ( V ) a helper [ r ] suitable for him. 21 So the Lord God caused a ( W ) deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. 22 And the Lord God [ s ] fashioned into a woman ( X ) the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man. 23 Then the man said,

( Y ) At last this is bone of my bones,
And flesh of my flesh;
[ t ] She shall be called [ u ] ‘woman,’
Because [ v ] she was taken out of [ w ] man.”

24 ( Z ) For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh. 25 ( AA ) And the man and his wife were both naked, but they were not ashamed.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 2:1 Lit host i.e., sun, stars, etc.
  2. Genesis 2:3 Lit to make
  3. Genesis 2:4 Lit These are the generations
  4. Genesis 2:5 Lit work, serve
  5. Genesis 2:6 Or flow
  6. Genesis 2:6 Lit face of
  7. Genesis 2:7 Or soul
  8. Genesis 2:10 Lit was going out
  9. Genesis 2:10 Lit heads
  10. Genesis 2:11 Lit surrounds
  11. Genesis 2:13 Lit is the one surrounding
  12. Genesis 2:14 Heb Hiddekel
  13. Genesis 2:14 Lit is the one going
  14. Genesis 2:14 Heb Perath
  15. Genesis 2:17 Lit eat from it
  16. Genesis 2:18 Lit corresponding to
  17. Genesis 2:20 Or man
  18. Genesis 2:20 Lit corresponding to
  19. Genesis 2:22 Lit built
  20. Genesis 2:23 Lit This one
  21. Genesis 2:23 Heb ishshah
  22. Genesis 2:23 Lit This one
  23. Genesis 2:23 Heb ish

2 Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. ( A )

2 By the seventh day ( B ) God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. ( C ) 3 Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, ( D ) because on it he rested ( E ) from all the work of creating ( F ) that he had done.

Adam and Eve

4 This is the account ( G ) of the heavens and the earth when they were created, ( H ) when the Lord God made the earth and the heavens.

5 Now no shrub had yet appeared on the earth [ a ] and no plant had yet sprung up, ( I ) for the Lord God had not sent rain on the earth ( J ) and there was no one to work the ground, 6 but streams [ b ] came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground. 7 Then the Lord God formed ( K ) a man [ c ] ( L ) from the dust ( M ) of the ground ( N ) and breathed into his nostrils the breath ( O ) of life, ( P ) and the man became a living being. ( Q )

8 Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; ( R ) and there he put the man he had formed. 9 The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees ( S ) that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life ( T ) and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. ( U )

10 A river ( V ) watering the garden flowed from Eden; ( W ) from there it was separated into four headwaters. 11 The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah, ( X ) where there is gold. 12 (The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin [ d ] ( Y ) and onyx are also there.) 13 The name of the second river is the Gihon; it winds through the entire land of Cush. [ e ] 14 The name of the third river is the Tigris; ( Z ) it runs along the east side of Ashur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates. ( AA )

15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden ( AB ) to work it and take care of it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; ( AC ) 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, ( AD ) for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” ( AE )

18 The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” ( AF )

19 Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals ( AG ) and all the birds in the sky. ( AH ) He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called ( AI ) each living creature, ( AJ ) that was its name. 20 So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals.

But for Adam [ f ] no suitable helper ( AK ) was found. 21 So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; ( AL ) and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs [ g ] and then closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib [ h ] ( AM ) he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.

23 The man said,

“This is now bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh; ( AN )
she shall be called ( AO ) ‘woman,’
for she was taken out of man. ( AP )

24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united ( AQ ) to his wife, and they become one flesh. ( AR )

25 Adam and his wife were both naked, ( AS ) and they felt no shame.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 2:5 Or land ; also in verse 6
  2. Genesis 2:6 Or mist
  3. Genesis 2:7 The Hebrew for man (adam) sounds like and may be related to the Hebrew for ground (adamah) ; it is also the name Adam (see verse 20).
  4. Genesis 2:12 Or good; pearls
  5. Genesis 2:13 Possibly southeast Mesopotamia
  6. Genesis 2:20 Or the man
  7. Genesis 2:21 Or took part of the man’s side
  8. Genesis 2:22 Or part
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