Numbers Chapter 5

1 These are they that were numbered of the families of the sons of Merari, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the commandment of Jehovah by Moses.

2 All those that were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron and the princes of Israel numbered, by their families, and by their fathers’ houses,

3 from thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old, every one that entered in to do the work of service, and the work of bearing burdens in the tent of meeting,

4 even those that were numbered of them, were eight thousand and five hundred and fourscore.

5 According to the commandment of Jehovah they were numbered by Moses, every one according to his service, and according to his burden: thus were they numbered of him, as Jehovah commanded Moses.

6 And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,

7 Command the children of Israel, that they put out of the camp every leper, and every one that hath an issue, and whosoever is unclean by the dead:

8 both male and female shall ye put out, without the camp shall ye put them; that they defile not their camp, in the midst whereof I dwell.

9 And the children of Israel did so, and put them out without the camp; as Jehovah spake unto Moses, so did the children of Israel.

10 And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,

11 Speak unto the children of Israel, When a man or woman shall commit any sin that men commit, so as to trespass against Jehovah, and that soul shall be guilty;

12 then he shall confess his sin which he hath done: and he shall make restitution for his guilt in full, and add unto it the fifth part thereof, and give it unto him in respect of whom he hath been guilty.

13 But if the man have no kinsman to whom restitution may be made for the guilt, the restitution for guilt which is made unto Jehovah shall be the priest’s; besides the ram of the atonement, whereby atonement shall be made for him.

14 And every heave-offering of all the holy things of the children of Israel, which they present unto the priest, shall be his.

15 And every man’s hallowed things shall be his: whatsoever any man giveth the priest, it shall be his.

16 And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,

17 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man’s wife go aside, and commit a trespass against him,

18 and a man lie with her carnally, and it be hid from the eyes of her husband, and be kept close, and she be defiled, and there be no witness against her, and she be not taken in the act;

19 and the spirit of jealousy come upon him, and he be jealous of his wife, and she be defiled: or if the spirit of jealousy come upon him, and he be jealous of his wife, and she be not defiled:

20 then shall the man bring his wife unto the priest, and shall bring her oblation for her, the tenth part of an ephah of barley meal; he shall pour no oil upon it, nor put frankincense thereon; for it is a meal-offering of jealousy, a meal-offering of memorial, bringing iniquity to remembrance.

21 And the priest shall bring her near, and set her before Jehovah:

22 and the priest shall take holy water in an earthen vessel; and of the dust that is on the floor of the tabernacle the priest shall take, and put it into the water.

23 And the priest shall set the woman before Jehovah, and let the hair of the woman’s head go loose, and put the meal-offering of memorial in her hands, which is the meal-offering of jealousy: and the priest shall have in his hand the water of bitterness that causeth the curse.

24 And the priest shall cause her to swear, and shall say unto the woman, If no man have lain with thee, and if thou have not gone aside to uncleanness, being under thy husband, be thou free from this water of bitterness that causeth the curse.

25 But if thou have gone aside, being under thy husband, and if thou be defiled, and some man have lain with thee besides thy husband:

26 then the priest shall cause the woman to swear with the oath of cursing, and the priest shall say unto the woman, Jehovah make thee a curse and an oath among thy people, when Jehovah doth make thy thigh to fall away, and thy body to swell;

27 and this water that causeth the curse shall go into thy bowels, and make thy body to swell, and thy thigh to fall away. And the woman shall say, Amen, Amen.

28 And the priest shall write these curses in a book, and he shall blot them out into the water of bitterness:

29 and he shall make the woman drink the water of bitterness that causeth the curse; and the water that causeth the curse shall enter into her

30 and become bitter.

31 And the priest shall take the meal-offering of jealousy out of the woman’s hand, and shall wave the meal-offering before Jehovah, and bring it unto the altar:

darby (darby) - eBible.org Darby 1890 plaintext

1 And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,

2 Command the children of Israel, that they put out of the camp every leper, and every one that hath an issue, and whosoever is defiled by a dead person:

3 both male and female shall ye put out; outside the camp shall ye put them, that they defile not their camps, in the midst whereof I dwell.

4 And the children of Israel did so, and put them outside the camp: as Jehovah had said to Moses, so did the children of Israel.

5 And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,

6 Speak unto the children of Israel, When a man or woman shall commit any of all the sins of man to work unfaithfulness against Jehovah, and that soul is guilty,

7 then they shall confess their sin which they have done; and he shall recompense his trespass according to the principal thereof, and shall add unto it the fifth part thereof, and give it unto him against whom he hath trespassed.

8 And if the man have no kinsman to recompense the trespass unto, the trespass which is recompensed to Jehovah shall be the priest's, besides the ram of the atonement, wherewith an atonement is made for him.

9 And every heave-offering of all the holy things of the children of Israel, which they present unto the priest, shall be his.

10 And every man's hallowed things shall be his: whatever any man giveth the priest shall be his.

11 And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,

12 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man's wife go astray, and commit unfaithfulness against him,

13 and a man lie with her carnally, and it be hid from the eyes of her husband, and she be defiled in secret, and there be no witness against her, and she have not been caught;

14 and the spirit of jealousy come upon him, and he be jealous of his wife, and she have been defiled, — or if the spirit of jealousy come upon him, and he be jealous of his wife, and she have not been defiled,

15 — then shall the man bring his wife unto the priest, and he shall bring her offering for her, a tenth part of an ephah of barley-meal; he shall pour no oil upon it, nor put frankincense thereon; for it is an oblation of jealousy, a memorial oblation, bringing iniquity to remembrance.

16 And the priest shall bring her near, and set her before Jehovah.

17 And the priest shall take holy water in an earthen vessel; and the priest shall take of the dust that is on the floor of the tabernacle, and put it into the water.

18 And the priest shall set the woman before Jehovah, and uncover the woman's head, and put the memorial oblation in her hands, which is the jealousy offering; and in the hand of the priest shall be the bitter water that bringeth the curse.

19 And the priest shall adjure her, and say unto the woman, If no man have lain with thee, and if thou hast not gone astray in uncleanness, in being with another instead of thy husband, be free from this bitter water that bringeth the curse.

20 But if thou hast gone astray to another instead of thy husband, and hast been defiled, and a man other than thy husband have lain with thee,

21 — then the priest shall adjure the woman with the oath of cursing, and the priest shall say unto the woman: Jehovah make thee a curse and an oath among thy people, when Jehovah doth make thy thigh to shrink, and thy belly to swell;

22 and this water that bringeth the curse shall enter into thy bowels, to make the belly to swell, and the thigh to shrink. And the woman shall say, Amen, amen.

23 And the priest shall write these curses in a book, and shall blot them out with the bitter water,

24 and he shall cause the woman to drink the bitter water that bringeth the curse, that the water that bringeth the curse may enter into her for bitterness.

25 And the priest shall take out of the woman's hand the oblation of jealousy, and shall wave the oblation before Jehovah, and shall present it at the altar.

26 And the priest shall take a handful of the oblation as a memorial thereof, and burn it upon the altar; and afterwards he shall make the woman drink the water.

27 And when he hath made her to drink the water, then it shall come to pass, if she have been defiled, and have committed unfaithfulness against her husband, that the water that bringeth the curse shall enter into her, for bitterness, and her belly shall swell, and her thigh shall shrink; and the woman shall become a curse among her people.

28 But if the woman have not been defiled, and be clean, then she shall be clear, and shall conceive seed.

29 This is the law of jealousies, when a wife goeth astray to another instead of her husband and is defiled,

30 or when the spirit of jealousy cometh upon a man, and he is jealous as regards his wife; then shall he set the woman before Jehovah, and the priest shall do to her according to all this law.

31 Then shall the man be free from iniquity, but that woman shall bear her iniquity.

lxxbrent (lxxbrent) - Septuagint (Brenton 1851) eBible USFM

1 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

2 Charge the children of Israel, and let them send forth out of the camp every leper, and every one who has an issue of the reins, and every one who is unclean from a dead body.

3 Whether male or female, send them forth out of the camp; and they shall not defile their camps in which I dwell among them.

4 And the children of Israel did so, and sent them out of the camp: as the Lord said to Moses, so did the children of Israel.

5 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

6 Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Every man or woman who shall commit any sin that is common to man, or if that soul shall in anywise have neglected the commandment and transgressed;

7 [that person] shall confess the sin which he has committed, and shall make satisfaction for his trespass: he [shall pay] the principal, and shall add to it the fifth part, and shall make restoration to him against whom he has trespassed.

8 But if a man have no near kinsman, so as to make satisfaction for his trespass to him, the trespass-offering paid to the Lord shall be for the priest, besides the ram of atonement, by which he shall make atonement with it for him.

9 And every first-fruits in all the sanctified things among the children of Israel, whatsoever they shall offer to the Lord, shall be for the priest himself.

10 And the hallowed things of every man shall be his; and whatever man shall give [any thing] to the priest, the gift shall be his.

11 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

12 Speak to the children of Israel, and thou shalt say to them, Whosesoever wife shall transgress against him, and slight and despise him,

13 and [supposing] any one shall lie with her carnally, and the thing shall be hid from the eyes of her husband, and she should conceal it and be herself defiled, and there be no witness with her, and she should not be taken;

14 and there should come upon him a spirit of jealousy, and he should be jealous of his wife, and she be defiled; or there should come upon him a spirit of jealousy, and he should be jealous of his wife, and she should not be defiled;

15 then shall the man bring his wife to the priest, and shall bring his gift for her, the tenth part of an ephah of barley-meal: he shall not pour oil upon it, neither shall he put frankincense upon it; for it is a sacrifice of jealousy, a sacrifice of memorial, recalling sin to remembrance.

16 And the priest shall bring her, and cause her to stand before the Lord.

17 And the priest shall take pure running water in an earthen vessel, and he shall take of the dust that is on the floor of the tabernacle of witness, and the priest having taken it shall cast it into the water.

18 And the priest shall cause the woman to stand before the Lord, and shall uncover the head of the woman, and shall put into her hands the sacrifice of memorial, the sacrifice of jealousy; and in the hand of the priest shall be the water of this conviction that brings the curse.

19 And the priest shall adjure her, and shall say to the woman, If no one has lain with thee, and if thou hast not transgressed so as to be polluted, being under the power of thy husband, be free from this water of the conviction that causes the curse.

20 But if being a married woman thou hast transgressed, or been polluted, and any one has lain with thee, beside thy husband:

21 then the priest shall adjure the woman by the oaths of this curse, and the priest shall say to the woman, The Lord bring thee into a curse and under an oath in the midst of thy people, in that the Lord should cause thy thigh to rot and thy belly to swell;

22 and this water bringing the curse shall enter into thy womb to cause thy belly to swell, and thy thigh to rot. And the woman shall say, So be it, So be it.

23 And the priest shall write these curses in a book, and shall blot them out with the water of the conviction that brings the curse.

24 And he shall cause the woman to drink the water of the conviction that brings the curse; and the water of the conviction that brings the curse shall enter into her.

25 And the priest shall take from the hand of the woman the sacrifice of jealousy, and shall present the sacrifice before the Lord, and shall bring it to the altar.

26 And the priest shall take a handful of the sacrifice as a memorial of it, and shall offer it up upon the altar; and afterwards he shall cause the woman to drink the water.

27 And it shall come to pass, if she be defiled, and have altogether escaped the notice of her husband, then the water of the conviction that brings the curse shall enter into her; and she shall swell in her belly, and her thigh shall rot, and the woman shall be for a curse in the midst of her people.

28 But if the woman have not been polluted, and be clean, then shall she be guiltless and shall conceive seed.

29 This is the law of jealousy, wherein a married woman should happen to transgress, and be defiled;

30 or in the case of a man on whomsoever the spirit of jealousy should come, and he should be jealous of his wife, and he should place his wife before the Lord, and the priest shall execute towards her all this law.

31 Then the man shall be clear from sin, and that woman shall bear her sin.

vul1914 (vul1914) - Vulgate 1914 UTF-8 (sacredbible.org)

1 Locutusque est Dominus ad Moysen, dicens:

2 Præcipe filiis Israel, ut eiiciant de castris omnem leprosum, et qui semine fluit, pollutusque est super mortuo:

3 tam masculum quam feminam eiicite de castris, ne contaminent ea cum habitaverint vobiscum.

4 Feceruntque ita filii Israel, et eiecerunt eos extra castra, sicut locutus erat Dominus Moysi.

5 Locutusque est Dominus ad Moysen, dicens:

6 Loquere ad filios Israel: Vir, sive mulier, cum fecerint ex omnibus peccatis, quæ solent hominibus accidere, et per negligentiam transgressi fuerint mandatum Domini, atque deliquerint,

7 confitebuntur peccatum suum, et reddent ipsum caput, quintamque partem desuper ei, in quem peccaverint.

8 Sin autem non fuerit qui recipiat, dabunt Domino, et erit sacerdotis, excepto ariete, qui offertur pro expiatione, ut sit placabilis hostia.

9 Omnes quoque primitiæ, quas offerunt filii Israel, ad sacerdotem pertinent:

10 et quidquid in Sanctuarium offertur a singulis, et traditur manibus sacerdotis, ipsius erit.

11 Locutusque est Dominus ad Moysen, dicens:

12 Loquere ad filios Israel, et dices ad eos: Vir, cuius uxor erraverit, maritumque contemnens

13 dormierit cum altero viro, et hoc maritus deprehendere non quiverit, sed latet adulterium, et testibus argui non potest, quia non est inventa in stupro:

14 si spiritus zelotypiæ concitaverit virum contra uxorem suam, quæ vel polluta est, vel falsa suspicione appetitur,

15 adducet eam ad sacerdotem, et offeret oblationem pro illa decimam partem sati farinæ hordeaceæ: non fundet super eam oleum, nec imponet thus: quia sacrificium zelotypiæ est, et oblatio investigans adulterium.

16 Offeret igitur eam sacerdos, et statuet coram Domino.

17 assumetque aquam sanctam in vase fictili, et pauxillum terræ de pavimento tabernaculi mittet in eam.

18 Cumque steterit mulier in conspectu Domini, discooperiet caput eius, et ponet super manus illius sacrificium recordationis, et oblationem zelotypiæ: ipse autem tenebit aquas amarissimas, in quibus cum execratione maledicta congessit.

19 adiurabitque eam, et dicet: Si non dormivit vir alienus tecum, et si non polluta es deserto mariti thoro, non te nocebunt aquæ istæ amarissimæ, in quas maledicta congessi.

20 Sin autem declinasti a viro tuo, atque polluta es, et concubuisti cum altero viro:

21 his maledictionibus subiacebis: Det te Dominus in maledictionem, exemplumque cunctorum in populo suo: putrescere faciat femur tuum, et tumens uterus tuus disrumpatur.

22 ingrediantur aquæ maledictæ in ventrem tuum, et utero tumescente putrescat femur. Et respondebit mulier, Amen, amen.

23 Scribetque sacerdos in libello ista maledicta, et delebit ea aquis amarissimis, in quas maledicta congessit,

24 et dabit ei bibere. Quas cum exhauserit,

25 tollet sacerdos de manu eius sacrificium zelotypiæ, et elevabit illud coram Domino, imponetque illud super altare: ita dumtaxat ut prius,

26 pugillum sacrificii tollat de eo, quod offertur, et incendat super altare: et sic potum det mulieri aquas amarissimas.

27 Quas cum biberit, si polluta est, et contempto viro adulterii rea, pertransibunt eam aquæ maledictionis, et inflato ventre computrescet femur: eritque mulier in maledictionem, et in exemplum omni populo.

28 Quod si polluta non fuerit, erit innoxia, et faciet liberos.

29 Ista est lex zelotypiæ. Si declinaverit mulier a viro suo, et si polluta fuerit,

30 maritusque zelotypiæ spiritu concitatus adduxerit eam in conspectu Domini, et fecerit ei sacerdos iuxta omnia quæ scripta sunt:

31 maritus absque culpa erit, et illa recipiet iniquitatem suam.

web (web) - WorldEnglish.Bible — CC0 modern update of ASV

1 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

2 “Command the children of Israel that they put out of the camp every leper, everyone who has a discharge, and whoever is unclean by a corpse.

3 You shall put both male and female outside of the camp so that they don’t defile their camp, in the midst of which I dwell.”

4 The children of Israel did so, and put them outside of the camp; as the LORD spoke to Moses, so the children of Israel did.

5 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

6 “Speak to the children of Israel: ‘When a man or woman commits any sin that men commit, so as to trespass against the LORD, and that soul is guilty,

7 then he shall confess his sin which he has done; and he shall make restitution for his guilt in full, add to it the fifth part of it, and give it to him in respect of whom he has been guilty.

8 But if the man has no kinsman to whom restitution may be made for the guilt, the restitution for guilt which is made to the LORD shall be the priest’s, in addition to the ram of the atonement, by which atonement shall be made for him.

9 Every heave offering of all the holy things of the children of Israel, which they present to the priest, shall be his.

10 Every man’s holy things shall be his; whatever any man gives the priest, it shall be his.’”

11 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

12 “Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them: ‘If any man’s wife goes astray and is unfaithful to him,

13 and a man lies with her carnally, and it is hidden from the eyes of her husband and this is kept concealed, and she is defiled, there is no witness against her, and she isn’t taken in the act;

14 and the spirit of jealousy comes on him, and he is jealous of his wife and she is defiled; or if the spirit of jealousy comes on him, and he is jealous of his wife and she isn’t defiled;

15 then the man shall bring his wife to the priest, and shall bring her offering for her: one tenth of an ephah of barley meal. He shall pour no oil on it, nor put frankincense on it, for it is a meal offering of jealousy, a meal offering of memorial, bringing iniquity to memory.

16 The priest shall bring her near, and set her before the LORD.

17 The priest shall take holy water in an earthen vessel; and the priest shall take some of the dust that is on the floor of the tabernacle and put it into the water.

18 The priest shall set the woman before the LORD, and let the hair of the woman’s head go loose, and put the meal offering of memorial in her hands, which is the meal offering of jealousy. The priest shall have in his hand the water of bitterness that brings a curse.

19 The priest shall cause her to take an oath and shall tell the woman, “If no man has lain with you, and if you haven’t gone aside to uncleanness, being under your husband’s authority, be free from this water of bitterness that brings a curse.

20 But if you have gone astray, being under your husband’s authority, and if you are defiled, and some man has lain with you besides your husband—”

21 then the priest shall cause the woman to swear with the oath of cursing, and the priest shall tell the woman, “May the LORD make you a curse and an oath among your people, when the LORD allows your thigh to fall away, and your body to swell;

22 and this water that brings a curse will go into your bowels, and make your body swell, and your thigh fall away.” The woman shall say, “Amen, Amen.”

23 “‘The priest shall write these curses in a book, and he shall wipe them into the water of bitterness.

24 He shall make the woman drink the water of bitterness that causes the curse; and the water that causes the curse shall enter into her and become bitter.

25 The priest shall take the meal offering of jealousy out of the woman’s hand, and shall wave the meal offering before the LORD, and bring it to the altar.

26 The priest shall take a handful of the meal offering, as its memorial portion, and burn it on the altar, and afterward shall make the woman drink the water.

27 When he has made her drink the water, then it shall happen, if she is defiled and has committed a trespass against her husband, that the water that causes the curse will enter into her and become bitter, and her body will swell, and her thigh will fall away; and the woman will be a curse among her people.

28 If the woman isn’t defiled, but is clean; then she shall be free, and shall conceive offspring.

29 “‘This is the law of jealousy, when a wife, being under her husband, goes astray, and is defiled,

30 or when the spirit of jealousy comes on a man, and he is jealous of his wife; then he shall set the woman before the LORD, and the priest shall execute on her all this law.

31 The man shall be free from iniquity, and that woman shall bear her iniquity.’”

ylt (ylt) - Bible.com YLT98 plain UTF-8

1 And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying,

2 `Command the sons of Israel, and they send out of the camp every leper, and every one with an issue, and every one defiled by a body;

3 from male unto female ye do send out; unto the outside of the camp ye do send them; and they defile not their camps in the midst of which I do tabernacle.'

4 And the sons of Israel do so, and they send them out unto the outside of the camp; as Jehovah hath spoken unto Moses so have the sons of Israel done.

5 And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying,

6 `Speak unto the sons of Israel, Man or woman, when they do any of the sins of man, by committing a trespass against Jehovah, and that person <FI>is<Fi> guilty,

7 and they have confessed their sin which they have done, then he hath restored his guilt in its principal, and its fifth is adding to it, and hath given <FI>it<Fi> to him in reference to whom he hath been guilty.

8 `And if the man have no redeemer to restore the guilt to, the guilt which is restored <FI>is<Fi> Jehovah's, the priest's, apart from the ram of the atonements, whereby he maketh atonement for him.

9 `And every heave-offering of all the holy things of the sons of Israel, which they bring near to the priest, becometh his;

10 and any man's hallowed things become his; that which any man giveth to the priest becometh his.'

11 And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying,

12 `Speak unto the sons of Israel, and thou hast said unto them, When any man's wife turneth aside, and hath committed against him a trespass,

13 and a man hath lain with her <FI>with<Fi> the seed of copulation, and it hath been hid from the eyes of her husband, and concealed, and she hath been defiled, and there is no witness against her, and she hath not been caught,

14 and a spirit of jealousy hath passed over him, and he hath been jealous of his wife, and she hath been defiled; --or, a spirit of jealousy hath passed over him, and he hath been jealous of his wife, and she hath not been defiled--

15 `Then hath the man brought in his wife unto the priest, and he hath brought in her offering for her, a tenth of the ephah of barley meal, he doth not pour on it oil, nor doth he put on it frankincense, for it <FI>is<Fi> a present of jealousy, a present of memorial, causing remembrance of iniquity.

16 `And the priest hath brought her near, and hath caused her to stand before Jehovah,

17 and the priest hath taken holy water in an earthen vessel, and of the dust which is on the floor of the tabernacle doth the priest take, and hath put <FI>it<Fi> into the water,

18 and the priest hath caused the woman to stand before Jehovah, and hath uncovered the woman's head, and hath given into her hands the present of the memorial, it <FI>is<Fi> a present of jealousy, and in the hand of the priest are the bitter waters which cause the curse.

19 `And the priest hath caused her to swear, and hath said unto the woman, If no man hath lain with thee, and if thou hast not turned aside <FI>to<Fi> uncleanness under thy husband, be free from these bitter waters which cause the curse;

20 and thou, if thou hast turned aside under thy husband, and if thou hast been defiled, and any man doth give his copulation to thee besides thy husband--

21 (then the priest hath caused the woman to swear with an oath of execration, and the priest hath said to the woman) --Jehovah doth give thee for an execration, and for a curse, in the midst of thy people, in Jehovah's giving thy thigh to fall, and thy belly to swell,

22 and these waters which cause the curse have gone into thy bowels, to cause the belly to swell, and the thigh to fall; and the woman hath said, Amen, Amen.

23 `And the priest hath written these execrations in a book, and hath blotted <FI>them<Fi> out with the bitter waters,

24 and hath caused the woman to drink the bitter waters which cause the curse, and the waters which cause the curse have entered into her for bitter things.

25 `And the priest hath taken out of the hand of the woman the present of jealousy, and hath waved the present before Jehovah, and hath brought it near unto the altar;

26 and the priest hath taken a handful of the present, its memorial, and hath made perfume on the altar, and afterwards doth cause the woman to drink the water:

27 yea, he hath caused her to drink the water, and it hath come to pass, if she hath been defiled, and doth commit a trespass against her husband, that the waters which cause the curse have gone into her for bitter things, and her belly hath swelled, and her thigh hath fallen, and the woman hath become an execration in the midst of her people.

28 `And if the woman hath not been defiled, and is clean, then she hath been acquitted, and hath been sown <FI>with<Fi> seed.

29 `This <FI>is<Fi> the law of jealousies, when a wife turneth aside under her husband, and hath been defiled,

30 or when a spirit of jealousy passeth over a man, and he hath been jealous of his wife, then he hath caused the woman to stand before Jehovah, and the priest hath done to her all this law,

31 and the man hath been acquitted from iniquity, and that woman doth bear her iniquity.'

Explanations by Age Level

Explain Like I'm 5

A long, long time ago, there was nothing at all - no earth, no sky, no animals, no people. It was all dark and empty. But God was there! God is so powerful that He can make anything just by speaking. So God said "Let there be light!" and BOOM! There was light everywhere! God saw that the light was beautiful and good. He called the light "day" and the darkness "night." This was the very first day when God started making our wonderful world!

Explain Like I'm 10

Before anything existed - no planets, stars, or life - God decided to create the universe. The earth started out as a dark, empty place covered with water. But God's Spirit was there, ready to bring order and beauty to everything. When God spoke and said "Let there be light," light immediately appeared because God's words have incredible power. God looked at the light and was pleased with what He had made. He organized time by separating light (day) from darkness (night), creating the first 24-hour period. This shows us that God is organized and purposeful in everything He does.

Explain Like I'm 15

Genesis 1:1-5 establishes fundamental theological truths about God and creation. The Hebrew word "bara" (created) indicates creation from nothing (ex nihilo), demonstrating God's absolute sovereignty and power. The phrase "without form and void" (tohu wa-bohu) describes a state of chaos that God transforms into order. The Spirit of God "hovering" or "brooding" over the waters suggests active, caring involvement in creation. The creation of light before the sun (created on day 4) indicates that God Himself is the ultimate source of light and energy. The establishment of day and night creates the framework of time, showing that God operates within orderly patterns while transcending them. This passage refutes both atheistic materialism and pantheism, establishing that God is both transcendent (separate from creation) and immanent (actively involved in it).