Read Scripture ad-free with Bible Gateway Plus—trusted Study Bibles and commentaries beside every verse. Try it FREE for 7 days.
Log In/Sign Up

#
Genesis 1
New King James Version

### The History of Creation(A)

1 In the (B)beginning (C)God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was (D)without form, and void; and darkness [a]was on the face of the deep. (E)And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

3 (F)Then God said, (G)“Let there be (H)light”; and there was light. 4 And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the (I)darkness He called Night. [b]So the evening and the morning were the first day.

6 Then God said, (J)“Let there be a [c]firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.” 7 Thus God made the firmament, (K)and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were (L)above the firmament; and it was so. 8 And God called the firmament Heaven. So the evening and the morning were the second day.

9 Then God said, (M)“Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and (N)let the dry land appear”; and it was so. 10 And God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters He called Seas. And God saw that it was good.

11 Then God said, “Let the earth (O)bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the (P)fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth”; and it was so. 12 And the earth brought forth grass, the herb that yields seed according to its kind, and the tree that yields fruit, whose seed is in itself according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 13 So the evening and the morning were the third day.

14 Then God said, “Let there be (Q)lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and (R)seasons, and for days and years; 15 and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth”; and it was so. 16 Then God made two great [d]lights: the (S)greater light to rule the day, and the (T)lesser light to rule the night. He made (U)the stars also. 17 God set them in the firmament of the (V)heavens to give light on the earth, 18 and to (W)rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 So the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

20 Then God said, “Let the waters abound with an abundance of living [e]creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the face of the [f]firmament of the heavens.” 21 So (X)God created great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters abounded, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 And God blessed them, saying, (Y)“Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” 23 So the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

24 Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind”; and it was so. 25 And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle according to its kind, and everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

26 Then God said, (Z)“Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; (AA)let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over [g]all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man (AB)in His own image; in the image of God He created him; (AC)male and female He created them. 28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, (AD)“Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and (AE)subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that [h]moves on the earth.”

29 And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; (AF)to you it shall be for food. 30 Also, to (AG)every beast of the earth, to every (AH)bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is [i]life, I have given every green herb for food”; and it was so. 31 Then (AI)God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

#### Footnotes

1. Genesis 1:2 Words in italic type have been added for clarity. They are not found in the original Hebrew or Aramaic.
2. Genesis 1:5 Lit. And evening was, and morning was, a day, one.
3. Genesis 1:6 expanse
4. Genesis 1:16 luminaries
5. Genesis 1:20 souls
6. Genesis 1:20 expanse
7. Genesis 1:26 Syr. all the wild animals of
8. Genesis 1:28 moves about on
9. Genesis 1:30 a living soul

#### Cross references

1. Genesis 1:1 : Gen. 2:4–9; Job 38:4–11; John 1:1–5
2. Genesis 1:1 : Ps. 102:25; Is. 40:21; [John 1:1–3; Heb. 1:10]
3. Genesis 1:1 : Gen. 2:4; [Ps. 8:3; 89:11; 90:2]; Is. 44:24; Acts 17:24; Rom. 1:20; [Heb. 1:2; 11:3]; Rev. 4:11
4. Genesis 1:2 : Jer. 4:23
5. Genesis 1:2 : [Gen. 6:3]; Job 26:13; Ps. 33:6; 104:30; Is. 40:13, 14
6. Genesis 1:3 : Ps. 33:6, 9
7. Genesis 1:3 : 2 Cor. 4:6
8. Genesis 1:3 : [Heb. 11:3]
9. Genesis 1:5 : Job 37:18; Ps. 19:2; 33:6; 74:16; 104:20; 136:5; Jer. 10:12
10. Genesis 1:6 : Job 37:18; Jer. 10:12; 2 Pet. 3:5
11. Genesis 1:7 : Job 38:8–11; Prov. 8:27–29
12. Genesis 1:7 : Ps. 148:4
13. Genesis 1:9 : Job 26:10; Ps. 104:6–9; Prov. 8:29; Jer. 5:22; 2 Pet. 3:5
14. Genesis 1:9 : Ps. 24:1, 2; 33:7; 95:5
15. Genesis 1:11 : Ps. 65:9–13; 104:14; Heb. 6:7
16. Genesis 1:11 : 2 Sam. 16:1; Luke 6:44
17. Genesis 1:14 : Deut. 4:19; Ps. 74:16; 136:5–9
18. Genesis 1:14 : Ps. 104:19
19. Genesis 1:16 : Ps. 136:8
20. Genesis 1:16 : Deut. 17:3; Ps. 8:3
21. Genesis 1:16 : Deut. 4:19; Job 38:7; Is. 40:26
22. Genesis 1:17 : Gen. 15:5; Jer. 33:20, 25
23. Genesis 1:18 : Jer. 31:35
24. Genesis 1:21 : Ps. 104:25–28
25. Genesis 1:22 : Gen. 8:17
26. Genesis 1:26 : Gen. 9:6; Ps. 100:3; Eccl. 7:29; [Eph. 4:24]; James 3:9
27. Genesis 1:26 : Gen. 9:2; Ps. 8:6–8
28. Genesis 1:27 : Gen. 5:2; 1 Cor. 11:7
29. Genesis 1:27 : Matt. 19:4; [Mark 10:6–8]
30. Genesis 1:28 : Gen. 9:1, 7; Lev. 26:9
31. Genesis 1:28 : 1 Cor. 9:27
32. Genesis 1:29 : Gen. 9:3; Ps. 104:14, 15
33. Genesis 1:30 : Ps. 145:15
34. Genesis 1:30 : Job 38:41
35. Genesis 1:31 : [Ps. 104:24; 1 Tim. 4:4]

New King James Version (NKJV)

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

#### Bible Gateway Recommends

NKJV, Woman's Study Bible, Red Letter, Full-Color: Receiving God's Truth for Balance, Hope, and Transformation
Retail: $49.99
Our Price: $34.99
Save: $15.00 (30%)
Buy Now
NKJV, The Story: The Bible as One Continuing Story of God and His People
Retail: $19.98
Our Price: $13.99
Save: $5.99 (30%)
Buy Now
NKJV, The Prayer Bible, Red Letter, Comfort Print
Retail: $59.99
Our Price: $35.99
Save: $24.00 (40%)
Buy Now
NKJV Study Bible, Full-Color, Comfort Print: The Complete Resource for Studying God’s Word
Retail: $59.99
Our Price: $41.99
Save: $18.00 (30%)
Buy Now
NKJV, Chronological Study Bible, Comfort Print: Holy Bible, New King James Version
Retail: $49.99
Our Price: $34.99
Save: $15.00 (30%)
Buy Now
NKJV, Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, 2nd Edition, Comfort Print: Growing in Knowledge and Understanding of God Through His Word
Retail: $59.99
Our Price: $41.99
Save: $18.00 (30%)
Buy Now
View more titles