1 In that way God made the world and the sky and everything on the earth and in the sky and in the sea. And then he finished his work. 2 He worked for six days from when he started until he finished it all, and then he stopped working.

3 Then he said, “This seventh day I am resting. So this day is different. It will be separate from the other days, because I have rested from my work today. This is my holy day.” 4 That is how God made the world.

At first when Yahweh God made the world, 5 there were no plants on the land and no seeds had started to grow. And he hadn't yet made the rain fall on the ground. And there were no people to grow trees and plants. 6 But water kept coming up out of the ground and it watered the land.

7 Then Yahweh God took some soil and made a man from it. He blew his breath into the man's nose so that he could live. And the man came alive.

8 Then Yahweh God planted trees and other plants in a place called Eden, in the east. And there he put the man he had made. 9 It was a beautiful place because Yahweh God had planted all kinds of trees that were lovely to look at, and that provided good fruit. In the middle of all those fruit trees and other plants Yahweh God planted one tree that gives life and one tree that gives knowledge about what is good and what is bad.

10 A river flowed in Eden and watered the ground. It flowed on further and divided into four. 11 One of the rivers is called Pishon, the one that flows through the land called Havilah. 12 In that place there is beautiful gold under the ground and other precious stones and also sweet-smelling perfume.

13 Another river called Gihon flows through the land of Cush. 14 Another river called Tigris flows to the east through the land of Assyria and further on. And another river is called Euphrates. They are the four rivers.

15 Yahweh God put the man there in Eden so that he could grow food and look after the place. 16 He said to him, “You can eat the fruit from any of the trees, 17 except one. This tree gives knowledge about what is good and what is bad and you mustn't eat its fruit. If you do eat it you will die the same day.”

18 Then Yahweh God said, “It is not good for this man to live alone. So I will make a helper to be with him.”

19 So Yahweh God took some soil and made animals and birds out of it. He brought the animals and birds to the man so that he could name them all. 20 So the man named the animals and the birds, but none of them was a good helper for him.

21 Then Yahweh God made the man go to sleep. He went fast asleep and while he was sleeping Yahweh God took a rib from him and closed up his flesh. 22 He made a woman out of the rib and he brought her to him.

23 The man said, “Ah! Here is someone like me! My bone is in her, and also my flesh. Yahweh God has made this person from a man today, so her name is ‘Woman.’ ” 24 So because of that a man will leave his father and his mother to live with his wife, and then they will become one.

25 The man and the woman were both naked, but they weren't ashamed.