In the Beginning

Re-Translated from the Original by Tony Lewis

Time was, the gods made the Planet Earth. At first, the world was shapeless and empty and darkness covered the sea, but the breath of the gods blew over the surface of the water. Then the gods called forth the light, and the light appeared. The light pleased the gods and they made it separate from the darkness. The gods named the light “the day” and the darkness “the night.” Evening and morning joined them together, making the first day. Then the gods built the sky to separate the rainwater above from the seawater below and named it “the sky.” Evening and morning came again, making the second day.

Then the gods told the seawater to recede so they could see dry land, and it did so. They named the dry land “the earth” and the waters they named “the sea,” and the gods were pleased. Then the gods told the earth to sprout grass and other plants and to sow their seeds, and for fruit trees to grow across the land and make fruit, each according to its kind. It did so, and the gods were pleased. Evening and morning came again, making the third day. Then the gods called forth bright lights in the sky to divide day and night, and to mark time, and to illuminate the earth. The gods made two lights, the brighter light to rule the day and the dimmer light to rule the night and the stars. The gods set the lights in the sky and were pleased. Evening and morning came again, making the fourth day.

Then the gods called forth swarms of living creatures to swim in the seas and fly through the air. The gods created the great dragons and all other living creatures, every species that swims in the sea and every species that flies in the air, and they were pleased. The gods blessed them and told them to increase and multiply and to become numerous on the earth. Evening and morning came again, making the fifth day. Then the gods called forth other living creatures to walk upon the ground, every kind of beast and every kind of insect, every animal on the earth. The gods made them, and were pleased.

Then the gods said, “Let us make human beings, similar to ourselves, to rule over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and every animal that walks the earth.” And so the gods created human beings, similar to themselves, making them male and female. The gods blessed them and told them to increase and multiply and to become numerous on the earth, to master their domain, and to rule the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and every animal that walks the earth. The gods told them, “Look, we have given you all the plants that sow their seeds and all the trees that bear fruit to be your food. Every animal on the earth and in the sky has green plants to eat.” Then the gods looked at everything they had done and were very pleased. Evening and morning came again, making the sixth day. The Planet Earth was completed, the whole project was finished.

On the seventh day, the gods’ work was done, and so they stopped. They blessed the seventh day and declared it to be a day of rest from all the work they had done.