The Creation of Man and Woman
1 So the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts (inhabitants).
2 And by the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested (ceased) on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.
3 So God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it [as His own, that is, set it apart as holy from other days], because in it He rested from all His work which He had created and done.
4 This is the history of [the origin of] the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day [that is, days of creation] that theLordGod made the earth and the heavens–
5 no shruborplant of the field was yet in the earth, and no herb of the field had yet sprouted, for the LordGod had not caused it to rain on the earth, and there was no man tocultivate the ground,
6 but amist (fog, dew, vapor) used to rise from the land and water the entire surface of the ground–
7 then the LordGodformed [that is, created the body of] man from thedust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being [an individual complete in body and spirit].
8 And the LordGodplanted a garden (oasis) in the east, in Eden (delight, land of happiness); and He put the man whom He had formed (created) there.
9 And [in that garden] the LordGod caused to grow from the ground every tree that is desirableandpleasing to the sight and good (suitable, pleasant) for food; the tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the [experiential] knowledge (recognition) of [the difference between] good and evil.
10 Now a river flowed out of Eden to water the garden; and from there it divided and became four [branching] rivers.
11 The first [river] is named Pishon; it flows around the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold.
12 The gold of that land is good; bdellium (a fragrant, valuable resin) and theonyx stone are found there.
13 The name of the second river is Gihon; it flows around the entire land of Cush [in Mesopotamia].
14 The third river is named Hiddekel (Tigris); it flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.
15 So the LordGod took the man [He had made] and settled him in the Garden of Eden to cultivate and keep it.
16 And the LordGod commanded the man, saying, “You may freely (unconditionally) eat [the fruit] from every tree of the garden;
17 but [only] from the tree of the knowledge (recognition) of good and evil you shall not eat, otherwise on the day that you eat from it, you shall most certainlydie [because of your disobedience].”
18 Now the LordGod said, “It is not good (beneficial) for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper [one who balances him–a counterpart who is]suitableandcomplementary for him.”
19 So the LordGod formed out of the ground every animal of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name.
20 And the man gave names to all the livestock, and to the birds of the air, and to every animal of the field; but for Adam there was not found a helper [that was] suitable (a companion) for him.
21 So the LordGod caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam; and while he slept, He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place.
22 And the rib which the LordGod had taken from the man He made (fashioned, formed) into a woman, and He brought herandpresented her to the man.
23 Then Adam said,
“This is now bone of my bones,
And flesh of my flesh;
She shall be called Woman,
Because she was taken out of Man.”
24 For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and shall be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.
25 And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamedorembarrassed.