Genesis 1 is the first chapter of the Bible and describes how God created the heavens and the earth. The account is structured over six days, with God forming the world step by step and declaring each part good. Below is a detailed yet simple summary, based solely on the text itself. I paraphrase the verses to make them easy to read, while staying faithful to what the Bible says, without adding external opinions or interpretations.

The Beginning of Creation (Verses 1-2)

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and empty, with darkness over the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

The First Day: Light and Darkness (Verses 3-5)

God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good and separated the light from the darkness. He called the light ‘day’ and the darkness ‘night.’ Evening came, and morning followed—this was the first day.

The Second Day: The Firmament and Waters (Verses 6-8)

God said, “Let there be a firmament between the waters to separate water from water.” God made the firmament and divided the waters below it from the waters above it. He called the firmament ‘heaven.’ Evening came, and morning followed—this was the second day.

The Third Day: Dry Land, Seas, and Plants (Verses 9-13)

God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered into one place, so that dry land appears.” And it was so. God called the dry land ‘earth’ and the gathered waters ‘seas.’ He saw that it was good.

Then God said, “Let the earth produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and fruit trees bearing fruit with seed in it, each according to its kind.” The earth brought forth plants and trees, each according to its kind. God saw that it was good. Evening came, and morning followed—this was the third day.

The Fourth Day: Lights in the Heavens (Verses 14-19)

God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to separate day from night. Let them serve as signs, for seasons, days, and years, and let them give light on the earth.” And it was so.

God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night, and also the stars. He placed them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth, to rule over day and night, and to separate light from darkness. God saw that it was good. Evening came, and morning followed—this was the fourth day.

The Fifth Day: Living Creatures in Water and Sky (Verses 20-23)

God said, “Let the waters teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the firmament of the heavens.” God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves in the waters, each according to its kind, and every winged bird according to its kind. He saw that it was good.

God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, fill the waters in the seas, and let the birds multiply on the earth.” Evening came, and morning followed—this was the fifth day.

The Sixth Day: Land Animals and Humankind (Verses 24-31)

God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creeping things, and wild animals.” And it was so. God made the wild animals, livestock, and all creeping things on the earth, each according to its kind. He saw that it was good.

Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, after our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the heavens, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” God created humankind in his image; male and female he created them.

God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the heavens, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

God also said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it; they will be yours for food. And to every animal of the earth, every bird of the heavens, and everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.

God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. Evening came, and morning followed—this was the sixth day.

This is a complete summary of Genesis 1, which describes the creation as an orderly process where God brings everything into existence through his words and consistently declares it good. The text concludes with the completion of the sixth day, and the narrative continues in Genesis 2.