The book of Genesis (summarized)

 

Genesis tells the story of how it all began, from the beginning of time. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Everything was dark and empty, but then God created light, separating the day from the night. He then made the sky, the seas, and the earth, filling them with plants, trees, animals, and all kinds of creatures.

Next, God created the first man, Adam, and then the first woman, Eve, who was created from one of Adam's ribs. He placed them in a beautiful garden called Eden and gave them everything they needed, only asking them not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

However, Eve was tempted by a serpent and ate from the forbidden fruit, then made Adam also taste it. As a consequence, God expelled them from the garden, punishing them with hard work and pain throughout their lives.

The story continues with the generations of Adam and Eve, including their sons Cain and Abel. Cain killed Abel out of jealousy, and God punished him by marking him so that no one would kill him.

The narrative progresses to the time of Noah, a righteous man who built an ark to save his family and the animals from a great flood that God sent to cleanse the earth. After the flood, God made a covenant with Noah, promising not to destroy the earth in that way again and establishing the rainbow as a sign of that covenant.

Then, the stories of Abraham and his family are recounted, including his son Isaac and his grandson Jacob, whose twelve sons became the twelve tribes of Israel. The story culminates with Joseph, one of Jacob's sons, who ends up in Egypt and becomes an important figure in the pharaoh's court.

The book of Genesis ends with Joseph's death in Egypt and God's promise that someday his people would be freed and led to the land he had promised them.