Deuteronomy Chapter 11

2 (And the children of Israel journeyed from Beeroth Bene-jaakan to Moserah. There Aaron died, and there he was buried; and Eleazar his son ministered in the priest’s office in his stead.

3 From thence they journeyed unto Gudgodah; and from Gudgodah to Jotbathah, a land of brooks of water.

4 At that time Jehovah set apart the tribe of Levi, to bear the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, to stand before Jehovah to minister unto him, and to bless in his name, unto this day.

5 Wherefore Levi hath no portion nor inheritance with his brethren; Jehovah is his inheritance, according as Jehovah thy God spake unto him.)

6 And I stayed in the mount, as at the first time, forty days and forty nights: and Jehovah hearkened unto me that time also; Jehovah would not destroy thee.

7 And Jehovah said unto me, Arise, take thy journey before the people; and they shall go in and possess the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give unto them.

8 And now, Israel, what doth Jehovah thy God require of thee, but to fear Jehovah thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve Jehovah thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul,

9 to keep the commandments of Jehovah, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?

10 Behold, unto Jehovah thy God belongeth heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth, with all that is therein.

11 Only Jehovah had a delight in thy fathers to love them, and he chose their seed after them, even you above all peoples, as at this day.

12 Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked.

13 For Jehovah your God, he is God of gods, and Lord of lords, the great God, the mighty, and the terrible, who regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward.

14 He doth execute justice for the fatherless and widow, and loveth the sojourner, in giving him food and raiment.

15 Love ye therefore the sojourner; for ye were sojourners in the land of Egypt.

16 Thou shalt fear Jehovah thy God; him shalt thou serve; and to him shalt thou cleave, and by his name shalt thou swear.

17 He is thy praise, and he is thy God, that hath done for thee these great and terrible things, which thine eyes have seen.

18 Thy fathers went down into Egypt with threescore and ten persons; and now Jehovah thy God hath made thee as the stars of heaven for multitude.

19 Therefore thou shalt love Jehovah thy God, and keep his charge, and his statutes, and his ordinances, and his commandments, alway.

20 And know ye this day: for

21 I speak not with your children that have not known, and that have not seen the chastisement of Jehovah your God, his greatness, his mighty hand, and his outstretched arm,

22 and his signs, and his works, which he did in the midst of Egypt unto Pharaoh the king of Egypt, and unto all his land;

23 and what he did unto the army of Egypt, unto their horses, and to their chariots; how he made the water of the Red Sea to overflow them as they pursued after you, and how Jehovah hath destroyed them unto this day;

24 and what he did unto you in the wilderness, until ye came unto this place;

25 and what he did unto Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, the son of Reuben; how the earth opened its mouth, and swallowed them up, and their households, and their tents, and every living thing that followed them, in the midst of all Israel:

26 but your eyes have seen all the great work of Jehovah which he did.

27 Therefore shall ye keep all the commandment which I command thee this day, that ye may be strong, and go in and possess the land, whither ye go over to possess it;

28 and that ye may prolong your days in the land, which Jehovah sware unto your fathers to give unto them and to their seed, a land flowing with milk and honey.

29 For the land, whither thou goest in to possess it, is not as the land of Egypt, from whence ye came out, where thou sowedst thy seed, and wateredst it with thy foot, as a garden of herbs;

30 but the land, whither ye go over to possess it, is a land of hills and valleys,

31 and drinketh water of the rain of heaven,

32 a land which Jehovah thy God careth for: the eyes of Jehovah thy God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year.

darby (darby) - eBible.org Darby 1890 plaintext

1 Thou shalt love then Jehovah thyGod, and keep his charge, and his statutes, and his ordinances, and his commandments continually.

2 And know ye this day...; for [I speak] not with your children who have not known, and who have not seen the chastisement of Jehovah yourGod, his greatness, his powerful hand, and his stretched-out arm,

3 and his signs and his acts which he did in the midst of Egypt unto Pharaoh the king of Egypt, and unto all his land;

4 and what he did unto the army of Egypt, unto their horses, and unto their chariots, over which he made the water of the Red sea flow as they pursued after you, and Jehovah destroyed them unto this day;

5 — and what he did unto you in the wilderness, until ye came to this place;

6 and what he did unto Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, the son of Reuben, — how the earth opened its mouth, and swallowed them up, with their households, and their tents, and all the living substance that belonged to them, in the midst of all Israel.

7 For your eyes have seen all the great work of Jehovah which he hath done.

8 Keep then all the commandment which I command you this day, that ye may be strong, and enter in and possess the land, whither ye pass over to possess it;

9 and that ye may prolong your days in the land which Jehovah swore unto your fathers to give unto them and unto their seed, a land flowing with milk and honey.

10 For the land, whither thou enterest in to possess it, is not as the land of Egypt, from whence ye came out, where thou sowedst thy seed, and wateredst it with thy foot, as a garden of herbs;

11 but the land, whereunto ye are passing over to possess it, is a land of mountains and valleys, which drinketh water of the rain of heaven,

12 a land which Jehovah thyGod careth for; the eyes of Jehovah thyGod are constantly upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year.

13 And it shall come to pass, if ye hearken diligently unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love Jehovah yourGod, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul,

14 that I will give rain to your land in its season, the early rain and the latter rain; and thou shalt gather in thy corn, and thy new wine, and thine oil;

15 and I will give grass in thy field for thy cattle; and thou shalt eat and be full.

16 Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside and serve othergods, and bow down to them,

17 and Jehovah's wrath kindle against you, and he shut up the heavens, that there be no rain, and that the ground yield not its produce, and ye perish quickly from off the good land which Jehovah is giving you.

18 And ye shall lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, and they shall be for frontlets between your eyes.

19 And ye shall teach them unto your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thy house, and when thou goest on the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up;

20 and write them upon the posts of thy house, and upon thy gates;

21 that your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, in the land which Jehovah swore unto your fathers to give them, as the days of the heavens [which are] above the earth.

22 For if ye diligently keep all this commandment which I command you [this day] to do it, to love Jehovah yourGod, to walk in all his ways, and to cleave unto him,

23 then will Jehovah dispossess all these nations from before you, and ye shall take possession of nations greater and mightier than yourselves.

24 Every place whereon the sole of your foot shall tread shall be yours; from the wilderness and Lebanon, from the river, the river Euphrates, even unto the hinder sea shall your border be.

25 No man shall be able to stand before you: the fear of you and the dread of you will Jehovah yourGod lay upon all the land that ye shall tread upon, as he hath said unto you.

26 See, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse:

27 a blessing, if ye obey the commandments of Jehovah yourGod, which I command you this day;

28 and a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of Jehovah yourGod, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after othergods which ye have not known.

29 And it shall come to pass, when Jehovah thyGod hath brought thee into the land whither thou enterest in to possess it, that thou shalt put the blessing upon mount Gerizim, and the curse upon mount Ebal.

30 Are they not on the other side of the Jordan, beyond the way toward the going down of the sun, in the land of the Canaanites that dwell on the plain opposite to Gilgal, beside the oaks of Moreh?

31 For ye pass over the Jordan to enter in to possess the land which Jehovah yourGod giveth you, and ye shall take possession of it, and dwell therein.

32 And ye shall take heed to do all the statutes and ordinances which I set before you this day.

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

1 Therefore thou shalt love the Lord thy God, and shalt observe his appointments, and his ordinances, and his commandments, and his judgments, always.

2 And ye shall know this day; for [I speak] not to your children, who know not and have not seen the discipline of the Lord thy God, and his wonderful works, and his strong hand, and his high arm,

3 and his miracles, and his wonders, which he wrought in the midst of Egypt on Pharao king of Egypt, and all his land;

4 and what he did to the host of the Egyptians, and to their chariots, and their cavalry, and their host; how he made the water of the Red Sea to overwhelm the face of them as they pursued after you, and the Lord destroyed them until this day;

5 and all the things which he did to you in the wilderness until ye came into this place;

6 and all things that he did to Dathan and Abiron the sons of Eliab the son of Ruben, whom the earth opening her mouth swallowed up, and their houses, and their tents, and all their substance that was with them, in the midst of all Israel:

7 for your eyes have seen all the mighty works of the Lord, which he wrought among you to-day.

8 And ye shall keep all his commandments, as many as I command thee to-day, that ye may live, and be multiplied, and that ye may go in and inherit the land, into which ye go across Jordan to inherit it:

9 that ye may live long upon the land, which the Lord sware to your fathers to give to them, and to their seed after them, a land flowing with milk and honey.

10 For the land into which thou goest to inherit it, is not as the land of Egypt, whence ye came out, whensoever they sow the seed, and water it with their feet, as a garden of herbs:

11 but the land into which thou goest to inherit it, is a land of mountains and plains; it shall drink water of the rain of heaven.

12 A land which the Lord thy God surveys continually, the eyes of the Lord thy God are upon it from the beginning of the year to the end of the year.

13 Now if ye will indeed hearken to all the commands which I charge thee this day, to love the Lord thy God, and to serve him with all thy heart, and with all thy soul,

14 then he shall give to thy land the early and latter rain in its season, and thou shalt bring in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil.

15 And he shall give food in thy fields to thy cattle; and when thou hast eaten and art full,

16 take heed to thyself that thy heart be not puffed up, and ye transgress, and serve other gods, and worship them:

17 and the Lord be angry with you, and restrain the heaven; and there shall not be rain, and the earth shall not yield its fruit, and ye shall perish quickly from off the good land, which the Lord has given you.

18 And ye shall store these words in your heart and in your soul, and ye shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and it shall be fixed before your eyes.

19 And ye shall teach them to your children, so as to speak about them when thou sittest in the house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou sleepest, and when thou risest up.

20 And ye shall write them on the lintels of your houses, and on your gates;

21 that your days may be long, and the days of your children, upon the land which the Lord sware to your fathers to give to them, as the days of heaven upon the earth.

22 And it shall come to pass that if ye will indeed hearken to all these commands, which I charge thee to observe this day, to love the Lord our God, and to walk in all his ways, and to cleave close to him;

23 then the Lord shall cast out all these nations before you, and ye shall inherit great nations and stronger than yourselves.

24 Every place whereon the sole of your foot shall tread shall be yours; from the wilderness and Antilibanus, and from the great river, the river Euphrates, even as far as the west sea shall be your coasts.

25 No one shall stand before you; and the Lord your God will put the fear of you and the dread of you on the face of all the land, on which ye shall tread, as he told you.

26 Behold, I set before you this day the blessing and the curse;

27 the blessing, if ye hearken to the commands of the Lord your God, all that I command you this day;

28 and the curse, if ye do not hearken to the commands of the Lord our God, as many as I command you this day, and ye wander from the way which I have commanded you, having gone to serve other gods, which ye know not.

29 And it shall come to pass when the Lord thy God shall have brought thee into the land into which thou goest over to inherit it, then thou shalt put blessing on mount Garizin, and the curse upon mount Gæbal.

30 Lo! are not these beyond Jordan, behind, westward in the land of Chanaan, which lies westward near Golgol, by the high oak?

31 For ye are passing over Jordan, to go in and inherit the land, which the Lord our God gives you to inherit always, and ye shall dwell in it.

32 And ye shall take heed to do all his ordinances, and these judgments, as many as I set before you to-day.

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

1 Ama itaque Dominum Deum tuum, et observa præcepta eius et ceremonias, iudicia atque mandata omni tempore.

2 Cognoscite hodie quæ ignorant filii vestri, qui non viderunt disciplinam Domini Dei vestri, magnalia eius et robustam manum, extentumque brachium,

3 signa et opera quæ fecit in medio Ægypti Pharaoni regi, et universæ terræ eius,

4 omnique exercitui Ægyptiorum, et equis ac curribus: quo modo operuerint eos aquæ maris rubri, cum vos persequerentur, et deleverit eos Dominus usque in præsentem diem:

5 vobisque quæ fecerit in solitudine donec veniretis ad hunc locum:

6 et Dathan atque Abiron filiis Eliab, qui fuit filius Ruben: quos aperto ore suo terra absorbuit cum domibus et tabernaculis, et universa substantia eorum, quam habebant in medio Israel.

7 Oculi vestri viderunt opera Domini magna quæ fecit,

8 ut custodiatis universa mandata illius, quæ ego hodie præcipio vobis, et possitis introire, et possidere Terram, ad quam ingredimini,

9 multoque in ea vivatis tempore: quam sub iuramento pollicitus est Dominus patribus vestris, et semini eorum, lacte et melle manantem.

10 Terra enim, ad quam ingrederis possidendam, non est sicut Terra Ægypti, de qua existi, ubi iacto semine in hortorum morem aquæ ducuntur irriguæ:

11 sed montuosa est et campestris, de cælo expectans pluvias.

12 quam Dominus Deus tuus semper invisit, et oculi illius in ea sunt a principio anni usque ad finem eius.

13 Si ergo obedieritis mandatis meis, quæ ego hodie præcipio vobis, ut diligatis Dominum Deum vestrum, et serviatis ei in toto corde vestro, et in tota anima vestra:

14 dabit pluviam terræ vestræ temporaneam et serotinam, ut colligatis frumentum, et vinum, et oleum,

15 fœnumque ex agris ad pascenda iumenta, et ut ipsi comedatis ac saturemini.

16 Cavete ne forte decipiatur cor vestrum, et recedatis a Domino, serviatisque diis alienis, et adoretis eos:

17 iratusque Dominus claudat cælum, et pluviæ non descendant, nec terra det germen suum, pereatisque velociter de Terra optima, quam Dominus daturus est vobis.

18 Ponite hæc verba mea in cordibus et in animis vestris, et suspendite ea pro signo in manibus, et inter oculos vestros collocate.

19 Docete filios vestros ut illa meditentur, quando sederis in domo tua, et ambulaveris in via, et accubueris atque surrexeris.

20 Scribes ea super postes et ianuas domus tuæ:

21 ut multiplicentur dies tui, et filiorum tuorum in Terra, quam iuravit Dominus patribus tuis, ut daret eis quamdiu cælum imminet terræ.

22 Si enim custodieritis mandata quæ ego præcipio vobis, et feceritis ea, ut diligatis Dominum Deum vestrum, et ambuletis in omnibus viis eius, adhærentes ei,

23 disperdet Dominus omnes gentes istas ante faciem vestram, et possidebitis eas, quæ maiores et fortiores vobis sunt.

24 Omnis locus, quem calcaverit pes vester, vester erit. A deserto, et a Libano, a flumine magno Euphrate usque ad mare occidentale erunt termini vestri.

25 Nullus stabit contra vos: terrorem vestrum et formidinem dabit Dominus Deus vester super omnem terram quam calcaturi estis, sicut locutus est vobis.

26 En propono in conspectu vestro hodie benedictionem et maledictionem:

27 benedictionem, si obedieritis mandatis Domini Dei vestri, quæ ego hodie præcipio vobis:

28 maledictionem, si non obedieritis mandatis Domini Dei vestri, sed recesseritis de via, quam ego nunc ostendo vobis, et ambulaveritis post deos alienos, quos ignoratis.

29 Cum vero introduxerit te Dominus Deus tuus in Terram, ad quam pergis habitandam, pones benedictionem super montem Garizim, maledictionem super montem Hebal:

30 qui sunt trans Iordanem post viam, quæ vergit ad solis occubitum in Terra Chananæi, qui habitat in campestribus contra Galgalam, quæ est iuxta vallem tendentem et intrantem procul.

31 Vos enim transibitis Iordanem, ut possideatis Terram, quam Dominus Deus vester daturus est vobis, ut habeatis et possideatis illam.

32 Videte ergo ut impleatis ceremonias atque iudicia, quæ ego hodie ponam in conspectu vestro.

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

1 Therefore you shall love the LORD your God, and keep his instructions, his statutes, his ordinances, and his commandments, always.

2 Know this day—for I don’t speak with your children who have not known, and who have not seen the chastisement of the LORD your God, his greatness, his mighty hand, his outstretched arm,

3 his signs, and his works, which he did in the middle of Egypt to Pharaoh the king of Egypt, and to all his land;

4 and what he did to the army of Egypt, to their horses, and to their chariots; how he made the water of the Red Sea to overflow them as they pursued you, and how the LORD has destroyed them to this day;

5 and what he did to you in the wilderness until you came to this place;

6 and what he did to Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, the son of Reuben—how the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households, their tents, and every living thing that followed them, in the middle of all Israel;

7 but your eyes have seen all of the LORD’s great work which he did.

8 Therefore you shall keep the entire commandment which I command you today, that you may be strong, and go in and possess the land that you go over to possess;

9 and that you may prolong your days in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers to give to them and to their offspring, a land flowing with milk and honey.

10 For the land, where you go in to possess isn’t like the land of Egypt that you came out of, where you sowed your seed and watered it with your foot, as a garden of herbs;

11 but the land that you go over to possess is a land of hills and valleys which drinks water from the rain of the sky,

12 a land which the LORD your God cares for. The LORD your God’s eyes are always on it, from the beginning of the year even to the end of the year.

13 It shall happen, if you shall listen diligently to my commandments which I command you today, to love the LORD your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul,

14 that I will give the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the latter rain, that you may gather in your grain, your new wine, and your oil.

15 I will give grass in your fields for your livestock, and you shall eat and be full.

16 Be careful, lest your heart be deceived, and you turn away to serve other gods and worship them;

17 and the LORD’s anger be kindled against you, and he shut up the sky so that there is no rain, and the land doesn’t yield its fruit; and you perish quickly from off the good land which the LORD gives you.

18 Therefore you shall lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul. You shall bind them for a sign on your hand, and they shall be for frontlets between your eyes.

19 You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.

20 You shall write them on the door posts of your house and on your gates;

21 that your days and your children’s days may be multiplied in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers to give them, as the days of the heavens above the earth.

22 For if you shall diligently keep all these commandments which I command you—to do them, to love the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, and to cling to him—

23 then the LORD will drive out all these nations from before you, and you shall dispossess nations greater and mightier than yourselves.

24 Every place on which the sole of your foot treads shall be yours: from the wilderness and Lebanon, from the river, the river Euphrates, even to the western sea shall be your border.

25 No man will be able to stand before you. The LORD your God will lay the fear of you and the dread of you on all the land that you tread on, as he has spoken to you.

26 Behold, I set before you today a blessing and a curse:

27 the blessing, if you listen to the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you today;

28 and the curse, if you do not listen to the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn away out of the way which I command you today, to go after other gods which you have not known.

29 It shall happen, when the LORD your God brings you into the land that you go to possess, that you shall set the blessing on Mount Gerizim, and the curse on Mount Ebal.

30 Aren’t they beyond the Jordan, behind the way of the going down of the sun, in the land of the Canaanites who dwell in the Arabah near Gilgal, beside the oaks of Moreh?

31 For you are to pass over the Jordan to go in to possess the land which the LORD your God gives you, and you shall possess it and dwell in it.

32 You shall observe to do all the statutes and the ordinances which I set before you today.

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

1 `And thou hast loved Jehovah thy God, and kept His charge, and His statutes, and His judgments, and His commands, all the days;

2 and ye have known to-day--for it is not your sons who have not known, and who have not seen the chastisement of Jehovah your God, His greatness, His strong hand, and His stretched-out arm,

3 and His signs, and His doings, which He hath done in the midst of Egypt, to Pharaoh king of Egypt, and to all his land;

4 and that which He hath done to the force of Egypt, to its horses, and to its chariot, when He hath caused the waters of the Red Sea to flow against their faces in their pursuing after them, and Jehovah destroyeth them, unto this day;

5 and that which He hath done to you in the wilderness, till your coming in unto this place;

6 and that which He hath done to Dathan, and to Abiram, sons of Eliab, sons of Reuben, when the earth hath opened her mouth and swalloweth them, and their houses, and their tents, and all that liveth, which is at their feet, in the midst of all Israel:

7 `--But <FI>it is<Fi> your eyes which are seeing all the great work of Jehovah, which He hath done;

8 and ye have kept all the command which I am commanding thee to-day, so that ye are strong, and have gone in, and possessed the land whither ye are passing over to possess it,

9 and so that ye prolong days on the ground which Jehovah hath sworn to your fathers to give to them and to their seed--a land flowing with milk and honey.

10 `For the land whither thou art going in to possess it, is not as the land of Egypt whence ye have come out, where thou sowest thy seed, and hast watered with thy foot, as a garden of the green herb;

11 but the land whither ye are passing over to possess it, <FI>is<Fi> a land of hills and valleys; of the rain of the heavens it drinketh water;

12 a land which Jehovah thy God is searching; continually <FI>are<Fi> the eyes of Jehovah thy God upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the latter end of the year.

13 `And it hath been--if thou hearken diligently unto My commands which I am commanding you to-day, to love Jehovah your God, and to serve Him with all your heart, and with all your soul--

14 that I have given the rain of your land in its season--sprinkling and gathered--and thou hast gathered thy corn, and thy new wine, and thine oil,

15 and I have given herbs in thy field for thy cattle, and thou hast eaten, and been satisfied.

16 `Take heed to yourselves, lest your heart be enticed, and ye have turned aside, and served other gods, and bowed yourselves to them,

17 and the anger of Jehovah hath burned against you, and He hath restrained the heavens, and there is no rain, and the ground doth not give her increase, and ye have perished hastily from off the good land which Jehovah is giving to you.

18 `And ye have placed these my words on your heart, and on your soul, and have bound them for a sign on your hand, and they have been for frontlets between your eyes;

19 and ye have taught them to your sons, by speaking of them in thy sitting in thy house, and in thy going in the way, and in thy lying down, and in thy rising up,

20 and hast written them on the side-posts of thy house, and on thy gates,

21 so that your days are multiplied, and the days of your sons, on the ground which Jehovah hath sworn to your fathers to give to them, as the days of the heavens on the earth.

22 `For, if ye diligently keep all this command which I am commanding you--to do it, to love Jehovah your God, to walk in all His ways, and to cleave to Him,

23 then hath Jehovah dispossessed all these nations from before you, and ye have possessed nations, greater and mightier than you;

24 every place on which the sole of your foot treadeth is yours; from the wilderness, and Lebanon, from the river, the river Phrat, even unto the farther sea is your border;

25 no man doth station himself in your presence; your dread and your fear doth Jehovah your God put on the face of all the land on which ye tread, as He hath spoken to you.

26 `See, I am setting before you to-day a blessing and a reviling:

27 the blessing, when ye hearken unto the commands of Jehovah your God, which I am commanding you to-day;

28 and the reviling, if ye do not hearken unto the commands of Jehovah your God, and have turned aside out of the way which I am commanding you to-day, to go after other gods which ye have not known.

29 `And it hath been, when Jehovah thy God doth bring thee in unto the land whither thou art going in to possess it, that thou hast given the blessing on mount Gerizim, and the reviling on mount Ebal;

30 are they not beyond the Jordan, behind the way of the going in of the sun, in the land of the Canaanite, who is dwelling in the plain over-against Gilgal, near the oaks of Moreh?

31 for ye are passing over the Jordan to go in to possess the land which Jehovah your God is giving to you; and ye have possessed it, and dwelt in it,

32 and observed to do all the statutes and the judgments which I am setting before you to day.

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).