Genesis 1
Genesis 1 is the Bible's account of creation — God speaking the heavens, earth, light, life and humanity into being over six days, and resting on the seventh. The refrain 'and God saw that it was good' establishes the goodness of the created world, and the making of humanity 'in the image of God' grounds all human dignity.
The Book of Genesis · Old Testament · chapter 1 of 50.
Where this chapter sits
Genesis opens with this ordered account before the narrative slows in chapter two to focus on one garden and one pair of humans. Told without a named speaker, the text works as an overture to the entire Torah, laying out realms, creatures, and days in sequence before a closer, ground level telling follows right after. What creation looks like when finished becomes the very setting the next chapter narrows into and eventually disrupts.
Key verses (KJV)
“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” — Genesis 1:1 (KJV)
“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him.” — Genesis 1:27 (KJV)
What to notice as you read
Track the refrain closing each day and watch it build, good, good, good, until day six earns very good. Notice the shift within each day from command, let there be, to report, God made, then to verdict, God saw. The small variations mark which days carry the most weight.
Read Genesis 1 on your iPhone
Read the full text of Genesis 1 in Quiethaven — choose your translation, read offline, and pick up where you left off. Pair it with a daily verse and a prayer timer.
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Frequently asked questions
Where does Genesis 1 come in Genesis?
It is chapter 1 of 50 in Genesis, a book of Law in the Old Testament. The other widely-read chapters of Genesis are linked further down this page.
Where can I read Genesis 1?
Read the full text of Genesis 1 — and the whole Bible, offline, in your preferred translation — free in the Quiethaven app for iPhone.