Jeremiah Chapter 4

9 Let us lie down in our shame, and let our confusion cover us; for we have sinned against Jehovah our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even unto this day; and we have not obeyed the voice of Jehovah our God.

10 If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith Jehovah, if thou wilt return unto me, and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of my sight; then shalt thou not be removed;

11 and thou shalt swear, As Jehovah liveth, in truth, in justice, and in righteousness; and the nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory.

12 For thus saith Jehovah to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns.

13 Circumcise yourselves to Jehovah, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem; lest my wrath go forth like fire, and burn so that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.

14 Declare ye in Judah, and publish in Jerusalem; and say, Blow ye the trumpet in the land: cry aloud and say, Assemble yourselves, and let us go into the fortified cities.

15 Set up a standard toward Zion: flee for safety, stay not; for I will bring evil from the north, and a great destruction.

16 A lion is gone up from his thicket, and a destroyer of nations; he is on his way, he is gone forth from his place, to make thy land desolate, that thy cities be laid waste, without inhabitant.

17 For this gird you with sackcloth, lament and wail; for the fierce anger of Jehovah is not turned back from us.

18 And it shall come to pass at that day, saith Jehovah, that the heart of the king shall perish, and the heart of the princes; and the priests shall be astonished, and the prophets shall wonder.

19 Then said I, Ah, Lord Jehovah! surely thou hast greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall have peace; whereas the sword reacheth unto the life.

20 At that time shall it be said to this people and to Jerusalem, A hot wind from the bare heights in the wilderness toward the daughter of my people, not to winnow, nor to cleanse;

21 a full wind from these shall come for me: now will I also utter judgments against them.

22 Behold, he shall come up as clouds, and his chariots

23 shall be as the whirlwind: his horses are swifter than eagles. Woe unto us! for we are ruined.

24 O Jerusalem, wash thy heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved. How long shall thine evil thoughts lodge within thee?

25 For a voice declareth from Dan, and publisheth evil from the hills of Ephraim.

26 Make ye mention to the nations; behold, publish against Jerusalem,

27 that watchers come from a far country, and give out their voice against the cities of Judah.

28 As keepers of a field are they against her round about, because she hath been rebellious against me, saith Jehovah.

29 Thy way and thy doings have procured these things unto thee; this is thy wickedness; for it is bitter, for it reacheth unto thy heart.

30 My anguish, my anguish! I am pained at my very heart; my heart is disquieted in me; I cannot hold my peace; because thou hast heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.

31 Destruction upon destruction is cried; for the whole land is laid waste: suddenly are my tents destroyed,

darby (darby) - eBible.org Darby 1890 plaintext

1 If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith Jehovah, return unto me; and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of my sight, then shalt thou not be a wanderer;

2 — and thou shalt in truth, in justice, and in righteousness swear, [As] Jehovah liveth! and the nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory.

3 For thus saith Jehovah to the men of Judah and Jerusalem: Break up for you a fallow ground, and sow not among thorns.

4 Circumcise yourselves for Jehovah, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem; lest my fury come forth like fire and burn, and there be none to quench it, because of the evil of your doings.

5 Declare ye in Judah, and cause it to be heard in Jerusalem, and say, ...and blow the trumpet in the land, cry aloud and say, Assemble yourselves, and let us enter into the fenced cities.

6 Set up a banner toward Zion; take to flight, stay not! For I am bringing evil from the north, and a great destruction.

7 The lion is come up from his thicket, the destroyer of the nations is on his way; he is gone forth from his place, to make thy land desolate; thy cities shall be laid waste, without inhabitant.

8 For this, gird you with sackcloth, lament and howl! for the fierce anger of Jehovah is not turned away from us.

9 And it shall come to pass in that day, saith Jehovah, that the heart of the king shall perish, and the heart of the princes; and the priests shall be astonished, and the prophets shall be amazed.

10 And I said, Alas, Lord Jehovah! surely thou hast greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall have peace; whereas the sword reacheth unto the soul.

11 At that time shall it be said to this people and to Jerusalem, A hot wind [cometh] from the heights in the wilderness, on the way of the daughter of my people, not for fanning, nor for cleansing.

12 A wind more vehement than that shall come from me: now will I also pronounce judgments against them.

13 Behold, he cometh up as clouds, and his chariots are as a whirlwind; his horses are swifter than eagles. Woe unto us! for we are destroyed.

14 Wash thy heart, Jerusalem, from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved. How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee?

15 For a voice declareth from Dan, and publisheth affliction from mount Ephraim.

16 Inform the nations; behold, make Jerusalem to hear: Besiegers come from a far country, and raise their voice against the cities of Judah.

17 As keepers of a field are they against her round about; for she hath been rebellious against me, saith Jehovah.

18 Thy way and thy doings have procured these [things] unto thee; this is thy wickedness, yea, it is bitter, yea, it reacheth unto thy heart.

19 My bowels! my bowels! I am in travail! [Oh,] the walls of my heart! My heart maketh a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace: for thou hearest, my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the clamour of war.

20 Destruction upon destruction is proclaimed; for the whole land is wasted: suddenly are my tents laid waste, my curtains, in a moment.

21 How long shall I see the standard, [and] hear the sound of the trumpet?

22 For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish children, and they have no intelligence; they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.

23 I beheld the earth, and lo, it was waste and empty; and the heavens, and they had no light.

24 I beheld the mountains, and lo, they trembled, and all the hills shook violently.

25 I beheld, and lo, man was not, and all the fowl of the heavens were fled.

26 I beheld, and lo, the fruitful land was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down, before Jehovah, before his fierce anger.

27 For thus saith Jehovah: The whole land shall be a desolation; but I will not make a full end.

28 For this shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above be black; because I have spoken it, I have purposed it, and will not repent, neither will I turn back therefrom.

29 At the noise of the horsemen and bowmen, every city fleeth; they go into the thickets, and climb up upon the rocks: every city is forsaken and no man dwelleth therein.

30 — And thou, wasted one, what wilt thou do? Though thou clothest thyself with crimson, though thou deckest thee with ornaments of gold, though thou rendest thine eyes with paint, in vain dost thou make thyself fair: [thy] lovers despise thee, they seek thy life.

31 For I hear a voice, as of a woman in travail, anguish as of her that bringeth forth her first child, the voice of the daughter of Zion: she moaneth, she spreadeth forth her hands, [saying], Woe unto me! for my soul faileth because of murderers.

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

1 If Israel will return to me, saith the Lord, he shall return: and if he will remove his abominations out of his mouth, and fear before me, and swear,

2 The Lord lives, with truth, in judgment and righteousness, then shall nations bless by him, and by him they shall praise God in Jerusalem.

3 For thus saith the Lord to the men of Juda, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Break up fresh ground for yourselves, and sow not among thorns.

4 Circumcise yourselves to your God, and circumcise your hardness of heart, ye men of Juda, and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my wrath go forth as fire, and burn, and there be none to quench it, because of the evil of your devices.

5 Declare ye in Juda, and let it be heard in Jerusalem: say ye, Sound the trumpet in the land; cry ye aloud: say ye, Gather yourselves together, and let us enter into the fortified cities.

6 Gather up [your wares] and flee to Sion: hasten, stay not: for I will bring evils from the north, and great destruction.

7 The lion is gone up from his lair, he has roused [himself] to the destruction of the nations, and has gone forth out of his place, to make the land desolate; and the cities shall be destroyed, so as to be without inhabitant.

8 For these things gird yourselves with sackclothes, and lament, and howl: for the anger of the Lord is not turned away from you.

9 And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord, that the heart of the king shall perish, and the heart of the princes; and the priests shall be amazed, and the prophets shall wonder.

10 And I said, O sovereign Lord, verily thou hast greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, There shall be peace; whereas behold, the sword has reached even to their soul.

11 At that time they shall say to this people and to Jerusalem, [There is] a spirit of error in the wilderness: the way of the daughter of my people is not to purity, nor to holiness.

12 [But] a spirit of full vengeance shall come upon me; and now I declare my judgments against them.

13 Behold, he shall come up as a cloud, and his chariots as a tempest: his horses are swifter than eagles. Woe unto us! for we are in misery.

14 Cleanse thine heart from wickedness, O Jerusalem, that thou mayest be saved: how long will thy grievous thoughts be within thee?

15 For a voice of one publishing from Dan shall come, and trouble out of mount Ephraim shall be heard of.

16 Remind ye the nations; behold, they are come: proclaim [it] in Jerusalem, that bands are approaching from a land afar off, and have uttered their voice against the cities of Juda.

17 As keepers of a field, they have surrounded her; because thou, saith the Lord, hast neglected me.

18 Thy ways and thy devices have brought these things upon thee; this is thy wickedness, for [it is] bitter, for it has reached to thy heart.

19 I am pained in my bowels, my bowels, and the sensitive powers of my heart; my soul is in great commotion, my heart is torn: I will not be silent, for my soul has heard the sound of a trumpet, the cry of war, and of distress: it calls on destruction;

20 for all the land is distressed: suddenly [my] tabernacle is distressed, my curtains have been rent asunder.

21 How long shall I see fugitives, and hear the sound of the trumpet?

22 For the princes of my people have not known me, they are foolish and unwise children: they are wise to do evil, but [how] to do good they have not known.

23 I looked upon the earth, and, behold, [it was] not; and to the sky, and there was no light in it.

24 I beheld the mountains, and they trembled, and [I saw] all the hills in commotion.

25 I looked, and, behold, there was no man, and all the birds of the sky were scared.

26 I saw, and, behold, Carmel was desert, and all the cities were burnt with fire at the presence of the Lord, and at the presence of his fierce anger they were utterly destroyed.

27 Thus saith the Lord, The whole land shall be desolate; but I will not make a full end.

28 For these things let the earth mourn, and let the sky be dark above: for I have spoken, and I will not repent; I have purposed, and I will not turn back from it.

29 The whole land has recoiled from the noise of the horseman and the bent bow; they have gone into the caves, and have hidden themselves in the groves, and have gone up upon the rocks: every city was abandoned, no man dwelt in them.

30 And what wilt thou do? Though thou clothe thyself with scarlet, and adorn thyself with golden ornaments; though thou adorn thine eyes with stibium, thy beauty [will be] in vain: thy lovers have rejected thee, they seek thy life.

31 For I have heard thy groaning as the voice of a woman in travail, as of her that brings forth her first child; the voice of the daughter of Zion shall fail through weakness, and she shall lose the strength of her hands, [saying], Woe is me! for my soul faints because of the slain.

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

1 Si reverteris Israel, ait Dominus, ad me convertere: si abstuleris offendicula tua a facie mea, non commoveberis.

2 Et iurabis: Vivit Dominus in veritate, et in iudicio, et in iustitia: et benedicent eum Gentes, ipsumque laudabunt.

3 Hæc enim dicit Dominus viro Iuda, et Ierusalem: Novate vobis novale, et nolite serere super spinas:

4 circumcidimini Domino, et auferte præputia cordium vestrorum viri Iuda, et habitatores Ierusalem: ne forte egrediatur ut ignis indignatio mea, et succendatur, et non sit qui extinguat, propter malitiam cogitationum vestrarum.

5 Annunciate in Iuda, et in Ierusalem auditum facite: loquimini, et canite tuba in terra: clamate fortiter, et dicite: congregamini, et ingrediamur civitates munitas,

6 levate signum in Sion. Confortamini, nolite stare, quia malum ego adduco ab Aquilone, et contritionem magnam.

7 Ascendit leo de cubili suo, et prædo Gentium se levavit: egressus est de loco suo ut ponat terram tuam in solitudinem: civitates tuæ vastabuntur, remanentes absque habitatore.

8 Super hoc accingite vos ciliciis, plangite et ululate: quia non est aversa ira furoris Domini a nobis.

9 Et erit in die illa, dicit Dominus: Peribit cor regis, et cor principum: et obstupescent sacerdotes, et prophetæ consternabuntur.

10 Et dixi: Heu, heu, heu Domine Deus, ergone decepisti populum istum et Ierusalem, dicens: Pax erit vobis: et ecce pervenit gladius usque ad animam?

11 In tempore illo dicetur populo huic et Ierusalem: Ventus urens in viis, quæ sunt in deserto viæ filiæ populi mei, non ad ventilandum, et ad purgandum.

12 Spiritus plenus ex his veniet mihi: et nunc ego loquar iudicia mea cum eis.

13 Ecce quasi nubes ascendet, et quasi tempestas currus eius: velociores aquilis equi illius: væ nobis quoniam vastati sumus.

14 Lava a malitia cor tuum Ierusalem, ut salva fias: usquequo morabuntur in te cogitationes noxiæ?

15 Vox enim annunciantis a Dan, et notum facientis idolum de monte Ephraim.

16 Dicite gentibus: Ecce auditum est in Ierusalem custodes venire de terra longinqua, et dare super civitates Iuda vocem suam.

17 Quasi custodes agrorum facti sunt super eam in gyro: quia me ad iracundiam provocavit, dicit Dominus.

18 Viæ tuæ, et cogitationes tuæ fecerunt hæc tibi: ista malitia tua, quia amara, quia tetigit cor tuum.

19 Ventrem meum, ventrem meum doleo, sensus cordis mei turbati sunt in me: non tacebo, quoniam vocem buccinæ audivit anima mea, clamorem prælii.

20 Contritio super contritionem vocata est, et vastata est omnis terra: repente vastata sunt tabernacula mea, subito pelles meæ.

21 Usquequo videbo fugientem, audiam vocem buccinæ?

22 Quia stultus populus meus me non cognovit: filii insipientes sunt, et vecordes: sapientes sunt ut faciant mala, bene autem facere nescierunt.

23 Aspexi terram, et ecce vacua erat, et nihili: et cælos, et non erat lux in eis.

24 Vidi montes, et ecce movebantur: et omnes colles conturbati sunt.

25 Intuitus sum, et non erat homo: et omne volatile cæli recessit.

26 Aspexi, et ecce Carmelus desertus: et omnes urbes eius destructæ sunt a facie Domini, et a facie iræ furoris eius.

27 Hæc enim dicit Dominus: Deserta erit omnis terra, sed tamen consummationem non faciam.

28 Lugebit terra, et mœrebunt cæli desuper: eo quod locutus sum, cogitavi, et non pœnituit me, nec aversus sum ab eo.

29 A voce equitis, et mittentis sagittam fugit omnis civitas: ingressi sunt ardua, et ascenderunt rupes: universæ urbes derelictæ sunt, et non habitat in eis homo.

30 Tu autem vastata quid facies? cum vestieris te coccino, cum ornata fueris monili aureo, et pinxeris stibio oculos tuos, frustra componeris: contempserunt te amatores tui, animam tuam quærent.

31 Vocem enim quasi parturientis audivi, angustias ut puerperæ: Vox filiæ Sion intermorientis, expandentisque manus suas: væ mihi, quia defecit anima mea propter interfectos.

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

1 “If you will return, Israel,” says the LORD, “if you will return to me, and if you will put away your abominations out of my sight; then you will not be removed;

2 and you will swear, ‘As the LORD lives,’ in truth, in justice, and in righteousness. The nations will bless themselves in him, and they will glory in him.”

3 For the LORD says to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem, “Break up your fallow ground, and don’t sow among thorns.

4 Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart, you men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem; lest my wrath go out like fire, and burn so that no one can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.

5 Declare in Judah, and publish in Jerusalem; and say, ‘Blow the trumpet in the land!’ Cry aloud and say, ‘Assemble yourselves! Let’s go into the fortified cities!’

6 Set up a standard toward Zion. Flee for safety! Don’t wait; for I will bring evil from the north, and a great destruction.”

7 A lion has gone up from his thicket, and a destroyer of nations. He is on his way. He has gone out from his place, to make your land desolate, that your cities be laid waste, without inhabitant.

8 For this, clothe yourself with sackcloth, lament and wail; for the fierce anger of the LORD hasn’t turned back from us.

9 “It will happen at that day,” says the LORD, “that the heart of the king will perish, along with the heart of the princes. The priests will be astonished, and the prophets will wonder.”

10 Then I said, “Ah, Lord GOD! Surely you have greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, ‘You will have peace;’ whereas the sword reaches to the heart.”

11 At that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem, “A hot wind blows from the bare heights in the wilderness toward the daughter of my people, not to winnow, nor to cleanse.

12 A full wind from these will come for me. Now I will also utter judgments against them.”

13 Behold, he will come up as clouds, and his chariots will be as the whirlwind. His horses are swifter than eagles. Woe to us! For we are ruined.

14 Jerusalem, wash your heart from wickedness, that you may be saved. How long will your evil thoughts lodge within you?

15 For a voice declares from Dan, and publishes evil from the hills of Ephraim:

16 “Tell the nations, behold, publish against Jerusalem, ‘Watchers come from a far country, and raise their voice against the cities of Judah.

17 As keepers of a field, they are against her all around, because she has been rebellious against me,’” says the LORD.

18 “Your way and your doings have brought these things to you. This is your wickedness, for it is bitter, for it reaches to your heart.”

19 My anguish, my anguish! I am pained at my very heart! My heart trembles within me. I can’t hold my peace, because you have heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.

20 Destruction on destruction is decreed, for the whole land is laid waste. Suddenly my tents are destroyed, and my curtains gone in a moment.

21 How long will I see the standard and hear the sound of the trumpet?

22 “For my people are foolish. They don’t know me. They are foolish children, and they have no understanding. They are skillful in doing evil, but they don’t know how to do good.”

23 I saw the earth and, behold, it was waste and void, and the heavens, and they had no light.

24 I saw the mountains, and behold, they trembled, and all the hills moved back and forth.

25 I saw, and behold, there was no man, and all the birds of the sky had fled.

26 I saw, and behold, the fruitful field was a wilderness, and all its cities were broken down at the presence of the LORD, before his fierce anger.

27 For the LORD says, “The whole land will be a desolation; yet I will not make a full end.

28 For this the earth will mourn, and the heavens above be black, because I have spoken it. I have planned it, and I have not repented, neither will I turn back from it.”

29 Every city flees for the noise of the horsemen and archers. They go into the thickets and climb up on the rocks. Every city is forsaken, and not a man dwells therein.

30 You, when you are made desolate, what will you do? Though you clothe yourself with scarlet, though you deck yourself with ornaments of gold, though you enlarge your eyes with makeup, you make yourself beautiful in vain. Your lovers despise you. They seek your life.

31 For I have heard a voice as of a woman in travail, the anguish as of her who gives birth to her first child, the voice of the daughter of Zion, who gasps for breath, who spreads her hands, saying, “Woe is me now! For my soul faints before the murderers.”

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

1 If thou dost turn back, O Israel, An affirmation of Jehovah, unto Me turn back, And if thou dost turn aside Thine abominations from My face, Then thou dost not bemoan.

2 And thou hast sworn--Jehovah liveth, In truth, in judgment, and in righteousness, And blessed themselves in Him have nations, And in Him they boast themselves.

3 For thus said Jehovah, To the man of Judah, and to Jerusalem: Till for yourselves tillage, And do not sow unto the thorns.

4 Be circumcised to Jehovah, And turn aside the foreskins of your heart, O man of Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, Lest My fury go out as fire, and hath burned, And there is none quenching, Because of the evil of your doings.

5 Declare in Judah, and in Jerusalem sound, And say ye, `Blow a trumpet in the land,' Call ye fully, and say ye: `Be gathered, and we go in to the fenced city.'

6 Lift up an ensign Zionward, Strengthen yourselves, stand not still, For evil I am bringing in from the north, And a great destruction.

7 Gone up hath a lion from his thicket, And a destroyer of nations hath journeyed, He hath come forth from his place To make thy land become a desolation, Thy cities are laid waste, without inhabitant.

8 For this, gird on sackcloth, lament and howl, For the fierce anger of Jehovah hath not turned back from us.

9 And it hath come to pass, in that day, An affirmation of Jehovah: `Perish doth the heart of the king, And the heart of the princes, And astonished have been the priests, And the prophets do wonder.'

10 And I say, `Ah, Lord Jehovah, Surely thou hast entirely forgotten this people and Jerusalem, saying, Peace is for you, And struck hath a sword unto the soul!'

11 At that time it is said of this people, And of Jerusalem: `A dry wind of high places in the wilderness,' The way of the daughter of My people, (Not for winnowing, nor for cleansing,)

12 A full wind from these doth come for Me, Now, also, I speak judgments with them.

13 Lo, as clouds he cometh up, And as a hurricane his chariots, Lighter than eagles have been his horses, Woe to us, for we have been spoiled.

14 Wash from evil thy heart, O Jerusalem, That thou mayest be saved, Till when dost thou lodge in thy heart Thoughts of thy strength?

15 For a voice is declaring from Dan, And sounding sorrow from mount Ephraim.

16 Make ye mention to the nations, Lo, sound ye to Jerusalem: `Besiegers are coming from the land afar off, And they give forth against cities of Judah their voice.

17 As the keepers of a field They have been against her round about, For with Me she hath been rebellious, An affirmation of Jehovah.'

18 Thy way and thy doings have done these to thee, This <FI>is<Fi> thy vexation, for <FI>it is<Fi> bitter, For it hath struck unto thy heart.

19 My bowels, my bowels! I am pained <FI>at<Fi> the walls of my heart, Make a noise for me doth My heart, I am not silent, For the voice of a trumpet I have heard, O my soul--a shout of battle!

20 Destruction on destruction is proclaimed, For spoiled hath been all the land, Suddenly spoiled have been my tents, In a moment--my curtains.

21 Till when do I see an ensign? Do I hear the voice of a trumpet?

22 For my people <FI>are<Fi> foolish, me they have not known, Foolish sons <FI>are<Fi> they, yea, they <FI>are<Fi> not intelligent, Wise <FI>are<Fi> they to do evil, And to do good they have not known.

23 I looked <FI>to<Fi> the land, and lo, waste and void, And unto the heavens, and their light is not.

24 I have looked <FI>to<Fi> the mountains, And lo, they are trembling. And all the hills moved themselves lightly.

25 I have looked, and lo, man is not, And all fowls of the heavens have fled.

26 I have looked, and lo, The fruitful place <FI>is<Fi> a wilderness, And all its cities have been broken down, Because of Jehovah, Because of the fierceness of His anger.

27 For thus said Jehovah: All the land is a desolation, but a completion I make not.

28 For this doth the land mourn, And black have been the heavens above, because I have spoken--I have purposed, And I have not repented, Nor do I turn back from it.

29 From the voice of the horseman, And of him shooting with the bow, all the city is fleeing, They have come into thickets, And on cliffs they have gone up, All the city is forsaken, And there is no one dwelling in them.

30 And thou, O spoiled one, what dost thou? For thou puttest on scarlet, For thou adornest thyself <FI>with<Fi> ornaments of gold. For thou rendest with pain thine eyes, In vain thou dost make thyself fair, Kicked against thee have doting ones, Thy life they do seek.

31 For a voice as of a sick woman I have heard, Distress, as of one bringing forth a first-born, The voice of the daughter of Zion, She bewaileth herself, she spreadeth out her hands, `Woe to me now, for weary is my soul of slayers!'

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).