Genesis 2 The Message

1 Heaven and Earth were finished, down to the last detail. 2 By the seventh day God had finished his work. On the seventh day he rested from all his work. 3 God blessed the seventh day. He made it a Holy Day Because on that day he rested from his work, all the creating God had done. 4 This is the story of how it all started, of Heaven and Earth when they were created. Adam and Eve 5 At the time God made Earth and Heaven, before any grasses or shrubs had sprouted from the ground—God hadn’t yet sent rain on Earth, nor was there anyone around to work the ground 6 (the whole Earth was watered by underground springs)— 6 You’ll also remember that I told you the Anarchist is being held back until just the right time. 7 God formed Man out of dirt from the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life. The Man came alive—a living soul! 7 That doesn’t mean that the spirit of anarchy is not now at work. It is, secretly and underground. 8 Then God planted a garden in Eden, in the east. He put the Man he had just made in it. 8 But the time will come when the Anarchist will no longer be held back, but will be let loose. But don’t worry. The Master Jesus will be right on his heels and blow him away. The Master appears and—puff!—the Anarchist is out of there. 9 God made all kinds of trees grow from the ground, trees beautiful to look at and good to eat. The Tree-of-Life was in the middle of the garden, also the Tree-of-Knowledge-of-Good-and-Evil. 9 The Anarchist’s coming is all Satan’s work. All his power and signs and miracles are fake, 10 A river flows out of Eden to water the garden and from there divides into four rivers. 10 evil sleight of hand that plays to the gallery of those who hate the truth that could save them. 11 The first is named Pishon; it flows through Havilah where there is gold. 12 The gold of this land is good. The land is also known for a sweet-scented resin and the onyx stone. 13 The second river is named Gihon; it flows through the land of Cush. 14 The third river is named Hiddekel and flows east of Assyria. The fourth river is the Euphrates. 15 God took the Man and set him down in the Garden of Eden to work the ground and keep it in order. 16 God commanded the Man, “You can eat from any tree in the garden, 17 except from the Tree-of-Knowledge-of-Good-and-Evil. Don’t eat from it. The moment you eat from that tree, you’re dead.” 18 God said, “It’s not good for the Man to be alone; I’ll make him a helper, a companion.” 19 So God formed from the dirt of the ground all the animals of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the Man to see what he would name them. Whatever the Man called each living creature, that was its name. 20 The Man named the cattle, named the birds of the air, named the wild animals; but he didn’t find a suitable companion. 21 God put the Man into a deep sleep. As he slept he removed one of his ribs and replaced it with flesh. 22 God then used the rib that he had taken from the Man to make Woman and presented her to the Man. 23 The Man said, “Finally! Bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh! Name her Woman for she was made from Man.” 24 Therefore a man leaves his father and mother and embraces his wife. They become one flesh. 25 The two of them, the Man and his Wife, were naked, but they felt no shame.

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Genesis 2 MSG