1 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.

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* water Or “a mist.” came up from the earth and spread over the ground. 7 Then the LORD God took dust from the ground and made a man.† man The Hebrew word means “man,” “people,” or the name “Adam.” It is like the word meaning “earth” or “red clay.” 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,‡ East This usually means the area between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers as far east as the Persian Gulf. 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.§ Havilah The land along the west coast of the Arabian peninsula and possibly, the part of Africa south of Ethiopia. 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.* Cush Usually this means Ethiopia, but here, it probably refers to the area north and east of the Tigris River. 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!”

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,

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.