Genesis 1 in Hebrew: “In the beginning”

בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים אֵת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֵת הָאָרֶץ׃

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

וְהָאָרֶץ הָיְתָה תֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ וְחֹשֶׁךְ עַל־ פְּנֵי תְהוֹם וְרוּחַ אֱלֹהִים מְרַחֶפֶת עַל־ פְּנֵי הַמָּיִם׃

The earth was formless and empty. Darkness was on the surface of the deep and God’s Spirit was hovering over the surface of the waters.

וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים יְהִי אוֹר וַיְהִי־ אוֹר׃

God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים אֶת־ הָאוֹר כִּי־ טוֹב וַיַּבְדֵּל אֱלֹהִים בֵּין הָאוֹר וּבֵין הַחֹשֶׁךְ׃

God saw the light, and saw that it was good. God divided the light from the darkness.

וַיִּקְרָא אֱלֹהִים לָאוֹר יוֹם וְלַחֹשֶׁךְ קָרָא לָיְלָה וַיְהִי־ עֶרֶב וַיְהִי־ בֹקֶר יוֹם אֶחָד׃

God called the light “day”, and the darkness he called “night”. There was evening and there was morning, the first day.

וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים יְהִי רָקִיעַ בְּתוֹךְ הַמָּיִם וִיהִי מַבְדִּיל בֵּין מַיִם לָמָיִם׃

God said, “Let there be an expanse in the middle of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.”

וַיַּעַשׂ אֱלֹהִים אֶת־ הָרָקִיעַ וַיַּבְדֵּל בֵּין הַמַּיִם אֲשֶׁר מִתַּחַת לָרָקִיעַ וּבֵין הַמַּיִם אֲשֶׁר מֵעַל לָרָקִיעַ וַיְהִי־ כֵן׃

God made the expanse, and divided the waters which were under the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse; and it was so.

וַיִּקְרָא אֱלֹהִים לָרָקִיעַ שָׁמָיִם וַיְהִי־ עֶרֶב וַיְהִי־ בֹקֶר יוֹם שֵׁנִי׃

God called the expanse “sky”. There was evening and there was morning, a second day.

וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים יִקָּווּ הַמַּיִם מִתַּחַת הַשָּׁמַיִם אֶל־ מָקוֹם אֶחָד וְתֵרָאֶה הַיַּבָּשָׁה וַיְהִי־ כֵן׃

God said, “Let the waters under the sky be gathered together to one place, and let the dry land appear;” and it was so.

וַיִּקְרָא אֱלֹהִים לַיַּבָּשָׁה אֶרֶץ וּלְמִקְוֵה הַמַּיִם קָרָא יַמִּים וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים כִּי־ טוֹב׃

God called the dry land “earth”, and the gathering together of the waters he called “seas”. God saw that it was good.

וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים תַּדְשֵׁא הָאָרֶץ דֶּשֶׁא עֵשֶׂב מַזְרִיעַ זֶרַע עֵץ פְּרִי עֹשֶׂה פְּרִי לְמִינוֹ אֲשֶׁר זַרְעוֹ־ בוֹ עַל־ הָאָרֶץ וַיְהִי־ כֵן׃

God said, “Let the earth yield grass, herbs yielding seeds, and fruit trees bearing fruit after their kind, with their seeds in it, on the earth;” and it was so.

וַתּוֹצֵא הָאָרֶץ דֶּשֶׁא עֵשֶׂב מַזְרִיעַ זֶרַע לְמִינֵהוּ וְעֵץ עֹשֶׂה־ פְּרִי אֲשֶׁר זַרְעוֹ־ בוֹ לְמִינֵהוּ וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים כִּי־ טוֹב׃

The earth yielded grass, herbs yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit, with their seeds in it, after their kind; and God saw that it was good.

וַיְהִי־ עֶרֶב וַיְהִי־ בֹקֶר יוֹם שְׁלִישִׁי׃

There was evening and there was morning, a third day.

וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים יְהִי מְאֹרֹת בִּרְקִיעַ הַשָּׁמַיִם לְהַבְדִּיל בֵּין הַיּוֹם וּבֵין הַלָּיְלָה וְהָיוּ לְאֹתֹת וּלְמוֹעֲדִים וּלְיָמִים וְשָׁנִים׃

God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs to mark seasons, days, and years;

וְהָיוּ לִמְאוֹרֹת בִּרְקִיעַ הַשָּׁמַיִם לְהָאִיר עַל־ הָאָרֶץ וַיְהִי־ כֵן׃

and let them be for lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth;” and it was so.

וַיַּעַשׂ אֱלֹהִים אֶת־ שְׁנֵי הַמְּאֹרֹת הַגְּדֹלִים אֶת־ הַמָּאוֹר הַגָּדֹל לְמֶמְשֶׁלֶת הַיּוֹם וְאֶת־ הַמָּאוֹר הַקָּטֹן לְמֶמְשֶׁלֶת הַלַּיְלָה וְאֵת הַכּוֹכָבִים׃

God made the two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He also made the stars.

וַיִּתֵּן אֹתָם אֱלֹהִים בִּרְקִיעַ הַשָּׁמָיִם לְהָאִיר עַל־ הָאָרֶץ׃

God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light to the earth,

וְלִמְשֹׁל בַּיּוֹם וּבַלַּיְלָה וּלֲהַבְדִּיל בֵּין הָאוֹר וּבֵין הַחֹשֶׁךְ וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים כִּי־ טוֹב׃

and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. God saw that it was good.

וַיְהִי־ עֶרֶב וַיְהִי־ בֹקֶר יוֹם רְבִיעִי׃

There was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.

וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים יִשְׁרְצוּ הַמַּיִם שֶׁרֶץ נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה וְעוֹף יְעוֹפֵף עַל־ הָאָרֶץ עַל־ פְּנֵי רְקִיעַ הַשָּׁמָיִם׃

God said, “Let the waters abound with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the sky.”

וַיִּבְרָא אֱלֹהִים אֶת־ הַתַּנִּינִם הַגְּדֹלִים וְאֵת כָּל־ נֶפֶשׁ הַחַיָּה הָרֹמֶשֶׂת אֲשֶׁר שָׁרְצוּ הַמַּיִם לְמִינֵהֶם וְאֵת כָּל־ עוֹף כָּנָף לְמִינֵהוּ וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים כִּי־ טוֹב׃

God created the large sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed, after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind. God saw that it was good.

וַיְבָרֶךְ אֹתָם אֱלֹהִים לֵאמֹר פְּרוּ וּרְבוּ וּמִלְאוּ אֶת־ הַמַּיִם בַּיַּמִּים וְהָעוֹף יִרֶב בָּאָרֶץ׃

God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.”

וַיְהִי־ עֶרֶב וַיְהִי־ בֹקֶר יוֹם חֲמִישִׁי׃

There was evening and there was morning, a fifth day.

וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים תּוֹצֵא הָאָרֶץ נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה לְמִינָהּ בְּהֵמָה וָרֶמֶשׂ וְחַיְתוֹ־ אֶרֶץ לְמִינָהּ וַיְהִי־ כֵן׃

God said, “Let the earth produce living creatures after their kind, livestock, creeping things, and animals of the earth after their kind;” and it was so.

וַיַּעַשׂ אֱלֹהִים אֶת־ חַיַּת הָאָרֶץ לְמִינָהּ וְאֶת־ הַבְּהֵמָה לְמִינָהּ וְאֵת כָּל־ רֶמֶשׂ הָאֲדָמָה לְמִינֵהוּ וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים כִּי־ טוֹב׃

God made the animals of the earth after their kind, and the livestock after their kind, and everything that creeps on the ground after its kind. God saw that it was good.

וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים נַעֲשֶׂה אָדָם בְּצַלְמֵנוּ כִּדְמוּתֵנוּ וְיִרְדּוּ בִדְגַת הַיָּם וּבְעוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם וּבַבְּהֵמָה וּבְכָל־ הָאָרֶץ וּבְכָל־ הָרֶמֶשׂ הָרֹמֵשׂ עַל־ הָאָרֶץ׃

God said, “Let’s make man in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the sky, and over the livestock, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

וַיִּבְרָא אֱלֹהִים אֶת־ הָאָדָם בְּצַלְמוֹ בְּצֶלֶם אֱלֹהִים בָּרָא אֹתוֹ זָכָר וּנְקֵבָה בָּרָא אֹתָם׃

God created man in his own image. In God’s image he created him; male and female he created them.

וַיְבָרֶךְ אֹתָם אֱלֹהִים וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם אֱלֹהִים פְּרוּ וּרְבוּ וּמִלְאוּ אֶת־ הָאָרֶץ וְכִבְשֻׁהָ וּרְדוּ בִּדְגַת הַיָּם וּבְעוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם וּבְכָל־ חַיָּה הָרֹמֶשֶׂת עַל־ הָאָרֶץ׃

God blessed them. God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים הִנֵּה נָתַתִּי לָכֶם אֶת־ כָּל־ עֵשֶׂב זֹרֵעַ זֶרַע אֲשֶׁר עַל־ פְּנֵי כָל־ הָאָרֶץ וְאֶת־ כָּל־ הָעֵץ אֲשֶׁר־ בּוֹ פְרִי־ עֵץ זֹרֵעַ זָרַע לָכֶם יִהְיֶה לְאָכְלָה׃

God said, “Behold, I have given you every herb yielding seed, which is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree, which bears fruit yielding seed. It will be your food.

וּלְכָל־ חַיַּת הָאָרֶץ וּלְכָל־ עוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם וּלְכֹל רוֹמֵשׂ עַל־ הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר־ בּוֹ נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה אֶת־ כָּל־ יֶרֶק עֵשֶׂב לְאָכְלָה וַיְהִי־ כֵן׃

To every animal of the earth, and to every bird of the sky, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food;” and it was so.

וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים אֶת־ כָּל־ אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה וְהִנֵּה־ טוֹב מְאֹד וַיְהִי־ עֶרֶב וַיְהִי־ בֹקֶר יוֹם הַשִּׁשִּׁי׃

God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. There was evening and there was morning, a sixth day.

וַיְכֻלּוּ הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ וְכָל־ צְבָאָם׃

The heavens, the earth, and all their vast array were finished.

וַיְכַל אֱלֹהִים בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי מְלַאכְתּוֹ אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה וַיִּשְׁבֹּת בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי מִכָּל־ מְלַאכְתּוֹ אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה׃

On the seventh day God finished his work which he had done; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had done.

וַיְבָרֶךְ אֱלֹהִים אֶת־ יוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי וַיְקַדֵּשׁ אֹתוֹ כִּי בוֹ שָׁבַת מִכָּל־ מְלַאכְתּוֹ אֲשֶׁר־ בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים לַעֲשׂוֹת׃

God blessed the seventh day, and made it holy, because he rested in it from all his work of creation which he had done.