Weekly Bible Reading
Parashat Bereshit | Genesis 1:1-6:8
Creation in Six Days
1In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
2Now the earth was chaos and waste, darkness was on the surface of the deep, and the Ruach Elohim was hovering upon the surface of the water.
3Then God said, “Let there be light!” and there was light.
4God saw that the light was good. So God distinguished the light from the darkness.
5God called the light “day,” and the darkness He called “night.” So there was evening and there was morning—one day.
6Then God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the water! Let it be for separating water from water.”
7So God made the expanse and it separated the water that was below the expanse from the water that was over the expanse. And it happened so.
8God called the expanse “sky.” So there was evening and there was morning—a second day.
9Then God said, “Let the water below the sky be gathered to one place. Let the dry ground appear.” And it happened so.
10God called the dry ground “land,” and the collection of the water He called “seas.” And God saw that it was good.
11Then God said, “Let the land sprout grass, green plants yielding seed, fruit trees making fruit, each according to its species with seed in it, upon the land.” And it happened so.
12The land brought forth grass, green plants yielding seed, each according to its species, and trees making fruit with the seed in it, each according to its species. And God saw that it was good.
13So there was evening and there was morning—a third day.
14Then God said, “Let lights in the expanse of the sky be for separating the day from the night. They will be for signs and for seasons and for days and years.
15They will be for lights in the expanse of the sky to shine upon the land.” And it happened so.
16Then God made the two great lights—the greater light for dominion over the day, and the lesser light as well as the stars for dominion over the night.
17God set them in the expanse of the sky to shine on the land
18and to have dominion over the day and over the night and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good.
19So there was evening and there was morning—a fourth day.
20Then God said, “Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures! Let flying creatures fly above the land across the expanse of the sky.”
21Then God created the large sea creatures and every living creature that crawls, with which the water swarms, according to their species, as well as every winged flying creature, according to their species. And God saw that it was good.
22Then God blessed them by saying, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the water in the seas. Let the flying creatures multiply on the land.”
23So there was evening and there was morning—a fifth day.
24Then God said, “Let the land bring forth living creatures according to their species—livestock, crawling creatures and wild animals, according to their species.” And it happened so.
25God made the wild animals according to their species, the livestock according to their species, and everything that crawls on the ground, each according to its species. And God saw that it was good.
26Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness! Let them rule over the fish of the sea, over the flying creatures of the sky, over the livestock, over the whole earth, and over every crawling creature that crawls on the land.”
27God created humankind in His image, in the image of God He created him, male and female He created them.
28God blessed them and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, fill the land, and conquer it. Rule over the fish of the sea, the flying creatures of the sky, and over every animal that crawls on the land.”
29Then God said, “I have just given you every green plant yielding seed that is on the surface of the whole land, and every tree, which has the fruit of a tree yielding seed. They are to be food for you.
30Also for every wild animal, every flying creature of the sky and every creature that crawls on the land which has life, every green plant is to be food.” And it happened so.
31So God saw everything that He made, and behold it was very good. So there was evening and there was morning—the sixth day.
Chapter 2
Shabbat For Rest
1So the heavens and the earth were completed along with their entire array.
2God completed—on the seventh day—His work that He made, and He ceased—on the seventh day—from all His work that He made.
3Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, for on it He ceased from all His work that God created for the purpose of preparing.
Humanity in Gan-Eden
4These are the genealogical records of the heavens and the earth when they were created, at the time when Adonai Elohim made land and sky.
5Now no shrub of the field was in the land yet, and no green plants of the field had sprouted yet. For Adonai Elohim had not caused it to rain upon the land, and there was no one to work the ground.
6But a mist came up from the land and watered the whole surface of the ground.
7Then Adonai Elohim formed the man out of the dust from the ground and He breathed into his nostrils a breath of life—so the man became a living being.
8Then Adonai Elohim planted a garden in Eden in the east, and there He put the man whom He had formed.
9Then Adonai Elohim caused to sprout from the ground every tree that was desirable to look at and good for food. Now the Tree of Life was in the middle of the garden, and also the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.
10A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden. From there it divided and became four riverheads.
11The name of the first is Pishon, the one that winds around the whole land of the Havilah, where there is gold.
12The gold of that land is good—bdellium and lapis lazuli stones are also there.
13The name of the second river is Gihon—it winds around the whole land of Cush.
14The name of the third river is Tigris—it runs east of Assyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates.
15Then Adonai Elohim took the man and gave him rest in the Garden of Eden in order to cultivate and watch over it.
16Then Adonai Elohim commanded the man saying, “From all the trees of the garden you are most welcome to eat.
17But of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil you must not eat. For when you eat from it, you most assuredly will die!
18Then Adonai Elohim said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. Let Me make a well-matched helper for him.”
19Adonai Elohim had formed from the ground every animal of the field and every flying creature of the sky, so He brought them to the man to see what he would call them. Whatever the man called them—each living creature—that was its name.
20So the man gave names to all of the livestock, and to the flying creatures of the sky, and to all the animals of the field; but for the man He did not find a well-matched helper for him.
21Adonai Elohim caused a deep sleep to fall on the man and he slept; and He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh in its place.
22Adonai Elohim built the rib, which He had taken from the man, into a woman. Then He brought her to the man.
23Then the man said, “This one, at last, is bone of my bones and flesh from my flesh. This one is called woman, for from man was taken this one.”
24This is why a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife; and they become one flesh.
From Innocence to Shame
25Now both of them were naked, the man and his wife, and they were not ashamed.
Chapter 3
1But the serpent was shrewder than any animal of the field that Adonai Elohim made. So it said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from all the trees of the garden’?”
2The woman said to the serpent, “Of the fruit of the trees, we may eat.
3But of the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God said, ‘You must not eat of it and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”
4The serpent said to the woman, “You most assuredly won’t die!
5For God knows that when you eat of it, your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
6Now the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a thing of lust for the eyes, and that the tree was desirable for imparting wisdom. So she took of its fruit and she ate. She also gave to her husband who was with her and he ate.
7Then the eyes of both of them were opened and they knew that they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made for themselves loin-coverings.
8And they heard the sound of Adonai Elohim going to and fro in the garden in the wind of the day. So the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of Adonai Elohim in the midst of the Tree of the garden.
9Then Adonai Elohim called to the man and He said to him, “Where are you?”
10Then he said, “Your sound—I heard it in the garden and I was afraid. Because I am naked, I hid myself.”
11Then He said, “Who told you that you are naked? Have you eaten from the Tree from which I commanded you not to eat?”
12Then the man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me—she gave me of the Tree, and I ate.”
13Adonai Elohim said to the woman, “What did you do?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me and I ate.”
14Adonai Elohim said to the serpent, “Because you did this, Cursed are you above all the livestock and above every animal of the field. On your belly will you go, and dust will you eat all the days of your life.
15I will put animosity between you and the woman— between your seed and her seed. He will crush your head, and you will crush his heel.
16To the woman He said, “I will greatly increase your pain from conception to labor. In pain will you give birth to children. Your desire will be toward your husband, yet he must rule over you.”
17Then to the man He said, “Because you listened to your wife’s voice and ate of the tree which I commanded you, saying, ‘You must not eat of it’: Cursed is the ground because of you— with pain will you eat of it all the days of your life.
18Thorns and thistles will sprout for you. You will eat the plants of the field,
19By the sweat of your brow will you eat food, until you return to the ground, since from it were you taken. For you are dust, and to dust will you return.”
20Now Adam named his wife Eve because she was the mother of all the living.
21Adonai Elohim made Adam and his wife tunics of skin and He clothed them.
22Then Adonai Elohim said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil. So now, in case he stretches out his hand and takes also from the Tree of Life and eats and lives forever,”
23Adonai Elohim sent him away from the Garden of Eden, to work the ground from which he had been taken.
24And He expelled the man; and at the east of the Garden of Eden He had cheruvim dwell along, with the whirling sword of flame, to guard the way to the Tree of Life.
Chapter 4
Cain and Abel’s Blood
1Now the man had relations with Eve his wife and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, “I produced a man with Adonai.”
2Then she gave birth again, to his brother Abel. Abel became a shepherd of flocks while Cain became a worker of the ground.
3So it happened after some time that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to Adonai,
4while Abel—he also brought of the firstborn of his flock and their fat portions. Now Adonai looked favorably upon Abel and his offering,
5but upon Cain and his offering He did not look favorably. Cain became very angry, and his countenance fell.
6Then Adonai said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen?
7If you do well, it will lift. But if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the doorway. Its desire is for you, but you must master it.”
8Cain spoke to Abel his brother. While they were in the field, Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.
9Then Adonai said to Cain, “Where is Abel, your brother?” “I don’t know,” he said. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”
10Then He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying out to Me from the ground.
11So now, cursed are you from the ground which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.
12As often as you work the ground, it will not yield its crops to you again. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.”
13Cain said to Adonai, “My iniquity is too great to bear!
14Since You expelled me today from the face of the ground and I must be hidden from Your presence, then I will be a restless wanderer on the earth—anyone who finds me will kill me!”
15But Adonai said to him, “In that case, anyone who kills Cain is to be avenged seven times over.” So Adonai put a mark on Cain, so that anyone who found him would not strike him down.
16Then Cain left Adonai’s presence and dwelled in the Land of Wandering, east of Eden.
17Cain was intimate with his wife and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. And he was building a city, and he named the city after the name of his son, Enoch.
18And to Enoch was born Irad. Irad fathered Mehujael, and Mehujael fathered Methushael, and Methushael fathered Lamech.
19Now Lamech took for himself two wives. The name of the first one was Adah, and the name of the second one was Zillah.
20Adah gave birth to Jabal—he was the pioneer of tent dwellers with livestock.
21His brother’s name was Jubal—he was the pioneer of all who skillfully handle stringed instruments and wind instruments.
22Now Zillah also gave birth to Tubal-Cain, the forger of every kind of bronze and iron tools; Tubal-Cain’s sister was Naamah.
23Lamech said to his wives, “Adah and Zillah: Hear my voice! Lamech’s wives: Listen to my speech! For I have killed a man for wounding me, and a boy for bruising me.
24If Cain is to be avenged seven times, then Lamech—77 times!”
25Adam was intimate with his wife again, and she gave birth to a son and she named him Seth, “For God has appointed me another seed in place of Abel—since Cain killed him.”
26To Seth, also was born a son. He named him Enosh. Then people began to call on Adonai’s Name.
Chapter 5
Book of Genealogies
1This is the Book of the Genealogies of Adam: When God created Adam, in the likeness of God He made him.
2Male and female He created them, and He blessed them and called their name “Adam” when He created them.
3Adam lived 130 years, then fathered a son in his likeness, after his image, and named him Seth.
4Then the days of Adam after he fathered Seth were 800 years, and He fathered other sons and daughters.
5So all Adam’s days that he lived were 930 years, and then he died.
6Seth lived 105 years, then fathered Enosh.
7Seth lived 807 years after he fathered Enosh, and he fathered sons and daughters.
8So all Seth’s days were 912 years, and then he died.
9Enosh lived 90 years, then fathered Kenan.
10Enosh lived 815 years after he fathered Kenan, and he fathered sons and daughters.
11So all of Enosh’s days were 905 years, and then he died.
12Kenan lived 70 years, then fathered Mahalalel.
13Kenan lived 840 years after he fathered Mahalalel, he fathered sons and daughters.
14So all of Kenan’s days were 910 years, and then he died.
15Mahalalel lived 65 years, then fathered Jared.
16Mahalalel lived 830 years after he fathered Jared, and he fathered sons and daughters.
17So all of Mahalalel’s days were 895 years, and then he died.
18Jared lived 162 years, then fathered Enoch.
19Jared lived 800 years after he fathered Enoch, and he fathered sons and daughters.
20So all of Jared’s days were 962 years, and then he died.
21Enoch lived 65 years, then fathered Methuselah.
22Now Enoch walked with God continually for 300 years after he fathered Methuselah, and he fathered sons and daughters.
23So all of Enoch’s days were 365 years.
24And Enoch continually walked with God—then he was not there, because God took him.
25Methuselah lived 187 years and fathered Lamech.
26And Methuselah lived 782 years after he fathered Lamech, and he fathered other sons and daughters.
27So all of Methuselah’s days were 969 years, and then he died.
28Lamech lived 182 years and he fathered a son.
29And he named him Noah saying, “This one will comfort us from our work and from the pain of our hands because of the ground which Adonai cursed.”
30Lamech lived 595 years after he fathered Noah, and he fathered sons and daughters.
31So all of Lamech’s days were 777 years, and then he died.
32And Noah was 500 years old when he fathered Shem, Ham and Japheth.
Chapter 6
Evil Inclination of All Humanity
1Now when humankind began to multiply on the face of the ground and daughters were born to them,
2then the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were good and they took for themselves wives, any they chose.
3Then Adonai said, “My Spirit will not remain with humankind forever, since they are flesh. So their days will be 120 years.
4The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, whenever the sons of God came to the daughters of men, and gave birth to them. Those were the mighty men of old, men of renown.
5Then Adonai saw that the wickedness of humankind was great on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of their heart was only evil all the time.
6So Adonai regretted that He made humankind on the earth, and His heart was deeply pained.
7So Adonai said, “I will wipe out humankind, whom I have created, from the face of the ground, from humankind to livestock, crawling things and the flying creatures of the sky, because I regret that I made them.”
8But Noah found favor in Adonai’s eyes.
