The Beginning

          In the beginning GOD created the heavens

       and the earth.

       Now the earth was formless and empty,

       darkness was over the surface of the deep, and

       THE SPIRIT OF GOD was hovering over the

       waters.

And GOD said, "Let there be light," and there was

       light. GOD saw that the light was good, and

       HE separated the light from the darkness.

       GOD called the light "day," and the darkness

       HE called "night." And there was evening,

       and there was morning--the first day.

And GOD said, "Let there be an expanse between

       the waters to separate water from water." So

       GOD made the expanse and separated the

       water under the expanse from the water above

       it. And it was so. GOD called the expanse

       "sky." And there was evening, and there was

       morning--the second day.

And GOD said, "Let the water under the sky be

       gathered to one place, and let dry ground

       appear." And it was so. GOD called the dry

       ground "land," and the gathered waters HE

       called "seas." And GOD saw that it was good.

              Then GOD said, "Let the land produce

       vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on

       the land that bear fruit with seed in it,

       according to their various kinds." And it was

       so. The land produced vegetation: plants

       bearing seed according to their kinds and trees

       bearing fruit with seed in it according to their

       kinds. And GOD saw that it was good. And

       there was evening, and there was morning--

       the third day.

And GOD said, "Let there be lights in the expanse

       of the sky to separate the day from the night,

       and let them serve as signs to mark seasons

       and days and years, and let them be lights in

       the expanse of the sky to give light on the

       earth." And it was so. GOD made two great

       lights--the greater light to govern the day and

       the lesser light to govern the night. HE also

       made the stars. GOD set them in the expanse

       of the sky to give light on the earth, to govern

       the day and the night, and to separate light

       from darkness. And GOD saw that it was good.

       And there was evening, and there was

       morning--the fourth day.

And GOD said, "Let the water teem with living

       creatures, and let birds fly above the earth

       across the expanse of the sky." So GOD

       created the great creatures of the sea and

       every living and moving thing with which the

       water teems, according to their kinds, and

       every winged bird according to its kind. And

       GOD saw that it was good. GOD blessed them

       and said, "Be fruitful and increase in number

       and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds

       increase on the earth." And there was

       evening, and there was morning--the fifth day.

And GOD said, "Let the land produce living

       creatures according to their kinds; livestock,

       creatures that move along the ground, and

       wild animals, each according to its kind." And

       it was so. GOD made the wild animals

       according to their kinds, the livestock

       according to their kinds, and all the creatures

       that move along the ground according to their

       kinds. And GOD saw that it was good.

          Then GOD said, "Let us make man in our

       image, in our likeness, and let them rule over

       the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over

       the livestock, over all the earth, and over all

       the creatures that move along the ground."

       So GOD created man in HIS own image,

in the image of GOD HE created him;

male and female HE created them.

              GOD blessed them and said to them, "Be

       fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth

       and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea

       and the birds of the air and over every living

       creature that moves on the ground."

              Then GOD said, "I give you every seed

       bearing plant on the face of the whole earth

       and every tree that has fruit with seed in it.

       They will be yours for food. And to all the

       beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air

       and all the creatures that move on the ground

       --everything that has the breath of life in it--I

       give every green plant for food." And it was

       so.

              GOD saw all that HE had made, and it was

       very good. And there was evening, and there

       was morning--the sixth day.

          Thus the heavens and the earth were

       completed in all their vast array.

By the seventh day GOD had finished the work HE

       had been doing; so on the seventh day HE

       rested from all HIS work. And GOD blessed

       the seventh day and made it holy, because on it

       HE rested from all the work of creating that

       HE had done.

Genesis: chapter 1 & chapter 2, verses 1 - 3

Adam and Eve

       This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created.

       When THE LORD GOD made the earth and the heavens--and no shrub of the field had yet appeared on the earth and no plant of the field had yet sprung up, for THE LORD GOD had not sent rain on the earth and there was no man to work the ground, but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground--THE LORD GOD formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

       Now THE LORD GOD had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there HE put the man HE had formed. And THE LORD GOD made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground--trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

       A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters. The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold. (The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin and onyx are also there.) The name of the second river is the Gihon; it winds through the entire land of Cush. The name of the third river is the Tigris; it runs along the east side of Asshur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.

       THE LORD GOD took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And THE LORD GOD commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die."

       THE LORD GOD said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him."

       Now THE LORD GOD had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. HE brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field.

       But for Adam no suitable helper was found. So THE LORD GOD caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh. Then THE LORD GOD made a woman from the rib HE had taken out of the man, and HE brought her to the man.

       The man said,

       "This is now bone of my bones

          and flesh of my flesh;

       she shall be called 'woman,'

          for she was taken out of man."

       For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.

       The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.

Genesis: chapter 2, verses 4 - 25

The Fall of Man

   Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals THE LORD GOD had made. He said to the woman, "Did GOD really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?"

       The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but GOD did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.' "

       "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. "For GOD knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like GOD, knowing good and evil."

       When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

       Then the man and his wife heard the sound of THE LORD GOD as HE was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from THE LORD GOD among the trees of the garden. But THE LORD GOD called to the man, "Where are you?"

       He answered, "I heard YOU in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid."

       And HE said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?"

       The man said, "The woman you put here with me--she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it."

       Then THE LORD GOD said to the woman, "What is this you have done?"

       The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."

       So THE LORD GOD said to the serpent, "Because you have done this,

       "Cursed are you above all the livestock

          and all the wild animals!

       You will crawl on your belly

          and you will eat dust

          all the days of your life.

       And I will put enmity

          between you and the woman,

          and between your offspring and hers;

       he will crush your head,

          and you will strike his heel."

       To the woman HE said,

       "I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing;

          with pain you will give birth to children.

       Your desire will be for your husband,

          and he will rule over you."

       To Adam HE said, "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, 'You must not eat of it,'

       "Cursed is the ground because of you;

          through painful toil you will eat of it

          all the days of your life.

       It will produce thorns and thistles for you,

          and you will eat the plants of the field.

       By the sweat of your brow

          you will eat your food

       until you return to the ground,

          since from it you were taken;

       for dust you are

          and to dust you will return."

       Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living.

       THE LORD GOD made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. And THE LORD GOD said, "The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever." So THE LORD GOD banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. After HE drove the man out, HE placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.

Genesis: chapter 3

The Three Visitors

       THE LORD appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day. Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.

       He said, "If I have found favor in YOUR eyes, my LORD, do not pass YOUR servant by. Let a little water be brought, and then YOU may all wash YOUR feet and rest under this tree. Let me get YOU something to eat, so YOU can be refreshed and then go on YOUR way--now that YOU have come to YOUR servant."

       "Very well," they answered, "do as you say."

       So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. "Quick," he said, "get three seahs of fine flour and knead it and bake some bread."

       Then he ran to the herd and selected a choice, tender calf and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it. He then brought some curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared, and set these before them. While they ate, he stood near them under a tree.

       "Where is your wife Sarah?" they asked him.

       "There, in the tent," he said.

       Then THE LORD said, "I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son."

       Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him. Abraham and Sarah were already old and well advanced in years, and Sarah was past the age of childbearing. So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, "After I am worn out and my master is old, will I now have this pleasure?"

       Then THE LORD said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh and say, 'Will I really have a child, now that I am old?' Is anything too hard for THE LORD? I will return to you at the appointed time next year and Sarah will have a son."

       Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, "I did not laugh."

       But HE said, "Yes, you did laugh."

Genesis: chapter 18, verses 1 - 15

Abraham Pleads for Sodom

       When the men got up to leave, they looked down toward Sodom, and Abraham walked along with them to see them on their way. Then THE LORD said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him. For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of THE LORD by doing what is right and just, so that THE LORD will bring about for Abraham what HE has promised him."

       Then THE LORD said, "The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached ME. If not, I will know."

       The men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before THE LORD. Then Abraham approached HIM and said: "Will YOU sweep away the righteous with the wicked? What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will YOU really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? Far be it from YOU to do such a thing--to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from YOU! Will not THE JUDGE OF ALL THE EARTH do right?"

       THE LORD said, "If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake."

       Then Abraham spoke up again: "Now that I have been so bold as to speak to THE LORD, though I am nothing but dust and ashes, what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will YOU destroy the whole city because of five people?"

       "If I find forty-five there," HE said, "I will not destroy it."

       Once again he spoke to HIM, "What if only forty are found there?"

       HE said, "For the sake of forty, I will not do it."

       Then he said, "May THE LORD not be angry, but let me speak. What if only thirty can be found there?"

       HE answered, "I will not do it if I find thirty there."

       Abraham said, "Now that I have been so bold as to speak to THE LORD, what if only twenty can be found there?"

       HE said, "For the sake of twenty, I will not destroy it."

       Then he said, "May THE LORD not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?"

       HE answered, "For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it."

       When THE LORD had finished speaking with Abraham, HE left, and Abraham returned home.

Genesis: chapter 18, verses 16 - 33

Sodom and Gomorrah Destroyed

       The two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of the city. When he saw them, he got up to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground. "My lords," he said, "please turn aside to your servant's house. You can wash your feet and spend the night and then go on your way early in the morning."

       "No," they answered, "we will spend the night in the square."

       But he insisted so strongly that they did go with him and entered his house. He prepared a meal for them, baking bread without yeast, and they ate. Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom--both young and old--surrounded the house. They called to Lot, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them."

       Lot went outside to meet them and shut the door behind him and said, "No, my friends. Don't do this wicked thing. Look, I have two daughters who have never slept with a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do what you like with them. But don't do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection of my roof."

       "Get out of our way," they replied. And they said, "This fellow came here as an alien, and now he wants to play the judge! We'll treat you worse than them." They kept bringing pressure on Lot and moved forward to break down the door.

       But the men inside reached out and pulled Lot back into the house and shut the door. Then they struck the men who were at the door of the house, young and old, with blindness so that they could not find the door.

       The two men said to Lot, "Do you have anyone else here--sons-in-law, sons or daughters, or anyone else in the city who belongs to you? Get them out of here, because we are going to destroy this place. The outcry to THE LORD against its people is so great that HE has sent us to destroy it."

       So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were pledged to marry his daughters. He said, "Hurry and get out of this place, because THE LORD is about to destroy the city!" But his sons-in-law thought he was joking.

       With the coming of dawn, the angels urged Lot, saying, "Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away when the city is punished."

       When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for THE LORD was merciful to them. As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, "Flee for your lives! Don't look back, and don't stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!"

       But Lot said to them, "No, my lords, please! Your servant has found favor in your eyes, and you have shown great kindness to me in sparing my life. But I can't flee to the mountains; this disaster will overtake me, and I'll die. Look, here is a town near enough to run to, and it is small. Let me flee to it--it is very small, isn't it? Then my life will be spared."

       He said to him, "Very well, I will grant this request too; I will not overthrow the town you speak of. But flee there quickly, because I cannot do anything until you reach it." (That is why the town was called Zoar.)

       By the time Lot reached Zoar, the sun had risen over the land. Then THE LORD rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah--from THE LORD out of the heavens. Thus HE overthrew those cities and the entire plain, including all those living in the cities--and also the vegetation in the land. But Lot's wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.

       Early the next morning Abraham got up and returned to the place where he had stood before THE LORD. He looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah, toward all the land of the plain, and he saw dense smoke rising from the land, like smoke from a furnace.

       So when GOD destroyed the cities of the plain, HE remembered Abraham, and HE brought Lot out of the catastrophe that overthrew the cities where Lot had lived.

Genesis: chapter 19, verses 1 - 29

The Children of Abraham

       To the Jews who had believed HIM, JESUS said, "If you hold to My teaching, you are really My disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

       They answered HIM, "We are Abraham's descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?"

       JESUS replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if THE SON sets you free, you will be free indeed. I know you are Abraham's descendants. Yet you are ready to kill Me, because you have no room for My word. I am telling you what I have seen in THE FATHER'S presence, and you do what you have heard from your father."

       "Abraham is our father," they answered.

       "If you were Abraham's children," said JESUS, "then you would do the things Abraham did. As it is, you are determined to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from GOD. Abraham did not do such things. You are doing the things your own father does."

       "We are not illegitimate children," they protested. "The only Father we have is God himself."

Gospel of John: chapter 8, verses 31 - 41

The Children of the Devil

       JESUS said to them, "If GOD were your FATHER, you would love Me, for I came from GOD and now am here. I have not come on My own; but HE sent Me. Why is My language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me! Can any of you prove Me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don't you believe Me? He who belongs to GOD hears what GOD says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to GOD."

Gospel of John: chapter 8, verses 42 - 47

The Claims of JESUS About HIMSELF

       The Jews answered HIM, "Aren't we right in saying that you are a Samaritan and demon-possessed?"

       "I am not possessed by a demon," said JESUS, "but I honor My FATHER and you dishonor Me. I am not seeking glory for Myself; but there is one who seeks it, and HE is the judge. I tell you the truth, if anyone keeps My word, he will never see death."

       At this the Jews exclaimed, "Now we know that you are demon-possessed! Abraham died and so did the prophets, yet you say that if anyone keeps your word, he will never taste death. Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?"

       JESUS replied, "If I glorify Myself, My glory means nothing. My FATHER, whom you claim as your GOD, is THE ONE who glorifies Me. Though you do not know HIM, I know HIM. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know HIM and keep HIS word. Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing My day; he saw it and was glad."

       "You are not yet fifty years old," the Jews said to HIM, "and you have seen Abraham!"

       "I tell you the truth," JESUS answered, "before Abraham was born, I AM!" At this, they picked up stones to stone HIM, but JESUS hid HIMSELF, slipping away from the temple grounds.

Gospel of John: chapter 8, verses 48 - 59

THE WORD Became Flesh

In the beginning was THE WORD, and THE WORD was with GOD, and THE WORD was GOD. HE was with GOD in the beginning.

       Through HIM all things were made; without HIM nothing was made that has been made. In HIM was life, and that life was THE LIGHT OF MEN. THE LIGHT shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

       There came a man who was sent from GOD; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not THE LIGHT; he came only as a witness to THE LIGHT. THE TRUE LIGHT that gives light to every man was coming into the world.

       HE was in the world, and though the world was made through HIM, the world did not recognize HIM. HE came to that which was HIS own, but HIS own did not receive HIM. Yet to all who received HIM, to those who believed in HIS name, HE gave the right to become children of GOD--children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of GOD.

       THE WORD became flesh and made HIS dwelling among us. We have seen HIS glory, the glory of THE ONE AND ONLY, who came from THE FATHER, full of grace and truth.

       John testifies concerning HIM. He cries out, saying, "This was HE of whom I said, 'HE who comes after me has surpassed me because HE was before me.'" From the fullness of HIS grace we have all received one blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through JESUS CHRIST. No one has ever seen GOD, but GOD THE ONE AND ONLY, who is at THE FATHER'S side, has made HIM known.

Gospel of John: chapter 1, verses 1 - 18