The Orthodox doctrine understands the Holy Scriptures as part of the Holy Tradition, which, according to the Orthodox theologian V. N. Lossky, is "the work of the Holy Spirit in the Church."

• “Man will not live by bread alone,
    but with every word that comes from the mouth of God

    The role of scripture in the life of a little Christian

  Bible study is an integral part of the life of every Orthodox person. According to legend, the Mother of God was very fond of reading the Holy Books. Christ himself commands every person to listen to His word.

  The Orthodox doctrine understands the Holy Scriptures as part of the Holy Tradition, which, according to the Orthodox theologian V. N. Lossky, is "the work of the Holy Spirit in the Church." Holy Tradition, in addition to texts and written instructions, includes church practice and traditions. And perhaps the most important thing in Holy Tradition is the inexpressible personal spiritual experience that passes from generation to generation. And therefore, one of the tasks of Orthodox parents is to transfer this spiritual experience to their children.

  Thus, the Holy Scriptures are a fixed part of the life of the Holy Spirit in the Church. And therefore, it represents the most objective way of a person’s personal communication with God, and it should begin from a very early age.

  “He who sows sparingly, he spares sparingly; but he who sows generously, he will also reap generously ”(). Every meeting with the Bible is a good self thrown into a young soul. We cannot be lazy on such an important issue, because we will give an answer at the Last Judgment for what is entrusted to us. So, we must try to sow these seeds in good faith. The Lord Himself will bring forth fruits, so that His promise will be fulfilled about those times when “he who sows and reaps, they will rejoice together” ().

    Introducing Your Child to the Bible: First Steps

  First of all, one cannot fail to say about the special role of the gospel in scripture. New Testament books complete the Divine Revelation, bring it to its fullness. The gospel tells the story of Jesus Christ, whose life should become an example for us to follow, and points to love as the basis of the Kingdom of God arranged by Christ. To emphasize the importance of the New Testament, it is very good to give each child their own copy of the Gospel with vivid pictures and in good binding, and to make its daily reading a pious family tradition.

  When considering children's reading, you should decide on the age framework and methodology.

  So, when is it necessary to start reading sacred texts to a child? This problem is not difficult because there are simply no age limits! The Gospel itself shows us that every person is already in his mother’s womb: “When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped up in her womb.” (). Baby John the Baptist, worn by the righteous Elizabeth, shows us the ability of God to act on every, even very small person.

  It must be remembered that a personal meeting with the Lord at some point happens with everyone who aspires to heaven. It will certainly happen in the child, but how and when - in many respects depends on the mother.

  Everything that happens to mom happens to her baby, while he is in the womb. They are closely related during this period, but will have a close relationship and subsequently. A little man, albeit unconsciously, absorbs any information about the world, and the main source of this information becomes the closest that he has in this world - his mother. It is for this reason that it is especially important for the mother to regularly read the Holy Scriptures - so, in the mysterious ways of motherly love, she will be able to pass on to her child some of her personal cognitive experience.

  Regarding the issue of reading the Holy Scriptures for relatively conscious children, it is difficult to determine universal age criteria - it all depends on individual characteristics. However, in general, little children living in the world of fairy tales are most susceptible to parables and various visual images from the Gospel. So, a good example is the image of a good shepherd, symbolizing Christ already from the Old Testament times: “As a shepherd He will shepherd His flock; He will take the lamb in his arms and carry on His chest, and lead the milked ones ”(). You can recall David, who was also a shepherd and guarded the sheep from evil lions.

    Learning Visibility

  The well-known teacher of the 19th century, K. D. Ushinsky, noted the need to supplement the narrative with pictures: “Who did not notice behind himself that those images that we ourselves perceived through contemplation and with such crashing into us are easily preserved in our memory and with particular strength we simply attach even abstract ideas that would have been erased from memory. ”

  A person perceives the surrounding reality through the senses. Didactics teaches us that acquaintance with new objects forms a certain concept in a child, consisting of a complex of information received. In this case, the sensory organs miss its various volume and, accordingly, have different values \u200b\u200bin the knowledge of the world. Figuratively speaking, in one period of time, a conventional unit of auditory information accounts for ten units of tactile and one hundred visual units. Consequently, more than 80% of information about the world around a person receives through vision. This fact indicates the exceptional importance of the visual representation of the material being studied. If you use all the senses, then the efficiency will be maximum due to the overall relationship and systemic thinking of a person.

  The illustrations used are of great importance. This is due to the fact that the biblical images reflected by the artist will remain with the young reader together for life. As a positive recommendation, you can use the famous "Children's Bible".

    "Children's Bible" by Borislav Arapovich and Vera Mattelmyaki.

  The narrative in this book is adapted for the smallest. However, at the end of each passage are references to the retold text of the scriptures, which makes it possible to use a mixed approach to study.

  It is noteworthy that the Children's Bible, although it was originally intended for children, has gained some popularity among adults. Therefore, from the second edition, additions aimed at mature readers were placed in it. These additions will be useful to parents themselves for a deeper understanding of the meaning of the text being studied. Perhaps the most important thing in the Children's Bible is the surprisingly colorful illustrations that accompany every passage of reading.

  In addition, for older people, at the end of the book are geographical maps and photographs of places of biblical events, which makes it not only colorful, but also a methodically useful tool for studying the Sacred History.

    Engravings by French artist Gustave Dore

  While examining the important role of visual representation in the study of Scripture, one cannot fail to mention the famous engravings of the French artist Gustave Doret (1832-1883). Throughout his life, the artist depicted hundreds of beautiful illustrations describing biblical subjects. His work can rightfully be considered a classic artistic interpretation of the Bible.

  For older children (from 10 years old), the work of Gustave Dore can be a great addition to regular readings. The realistic style of the paintings makes the pages of the Bible lively, the reader seems to be experiencing the events described, and the biblical characters look genuinely believable. Despite the fact that during his life Gustave Dore was criticized, the illustrations he created have stood the test of time and are still appreciated as a vivid reflection of the biblical story.

    Proverbs and Images

  One priest said that when he asked a child what to do if he was lost, he answered:

  - Stand and pray, but I will find you.

  When he became acquainted with the parable of the lost sheep, the child was able to experience it as his own experience. Analogies are necessary at all ages - they serve as a tool that shows the relevance of Bible legends for every person and every time.

  When a child loses his own toys, he is upset and cries. This experience can be used to show the sorrow of God for any lost human soul.

  It is useful for a growing child to tell parables. The parable of the sower, by analogy, shows that just as the origin of life takes place in nature, so good qualities arise in the human soul.

  The parable of workers in the vineyard refers to a sense of justice that is very developed in children. It is very complex and, at the same time, very useful in view of the fact that it is very difficult to explain the equal award received by employees.

  The parable of the prodigal son is very multifaceted. At a young age, it can be explained in such a way that the prodigal son is the one who is lost and cannot find his way home. This turns the child to personal experience when he himself was lost and could not find his mother. Despite some inaccurate interpretation, such a meaning will be most accessible to the child.

  From a certain age, questions will begin to appear and the process itself will move to a new stage - from simple reverent attention to a discussion of what has been read. This raises a second question: how to introduce children to the Holy History?

    For older

  KD Ushinsky, already mentioned by us, made the following recommendations. Church life itself is disposing us to study the Scriptures, including through church holidays. Liturgy is combined with the story of the mother and a joyful feeling - all this revives ancient historical events in the children's imagination.

  In this case, the narrative is better divided into two stages. At the first stage, the child is introduced to the main points of the event, at the second, secondary features are added to them. This method allows you to avoid a situation where a child makes little things from a long story and does not notice the main thing. Of course, when reading together, the clarity of the narrative, feedback through questions, reading comprehension, and regularity of classes are important.

  Readings should be carried out in such a way that they are not a burden to children. As noted by N.E. Pestov (citing Ushinsky’s recommendations), it is permissible to engage in any kind of needlework — drawing, origami, embroidery, or something else. But a fussy attitude or tense atmosphere is unacceptable. We must remember that we aim to instill in children love to read the Word of God, to show them that It is the main compass of life and a means of communication with God. To do this, we ourselves must trust Him and rely on Him, entrusting ourselves and our labors.

    On the threshold of school age ...

  As mentioned above, for children it is preferable to get acquainted with the Holy Scriptures in the form of a story adapted for children. The Children's Bible, adapted by Borislav Arapovich and Vera Mattelmyaki, can be considered a classic representative of this form of study. Currently, many other books have been published to introduce children to the Sacred History, in the selection of which it is best to focus on authors and publishers blessed by the Orthodox Church.

  However, with continued support for adapted publications, by the time of primary school age, the approach to studying the Holy Scriptures should undergo some changes.

  When analyzing a Sacred History, it is useful to learn to ask questions that teach a teenager to think. For example, why didn’t God accept Cain’s sacrifice? It is worth talking about the need for a reverent attitude to any business of communication with God: the Sacraments, prayer, and temple attendance.

  Studying the history of the battle with the Amalekites (), it is useful to pay attention to the fact that the success of all human activity depends on God - and therefore you need to turn to Him for a blessing before any important matter.

  Returning to the parable of the prodigal son, it is worth noting that a person often finds himself in the position of a prodigal son throughout his life. And it is quite possible, even during the course of the day, to leave the Father more than once through his own sins.

  It is useful for children of primary school age to recommend reading books that educate the concept of righteousness. Such holy fathers as Ignatius Brianchaninov, Theodosius of Optina, Theophan the Recluse at a young age loved to read the lives of Christian ascetics. Subsequently, they noted that what they read deeply sunk into their souls and left a mark on their entire subsequent life. For example, Ignatius Brianchaninov will write in his notes, turning to God: "Your Pimen, Sysoy and Makarii captivated my soul." Acquaintance with the life of holy ascetics at an early age protected the future saint from the temptations of youth and directed him to the monastic path of service to God.

    Tactile memory

  Preschoolers and primary schoolchildren have equally developed all three channels of perception of the world: auditory, visual and tactile. At the same time, the speed of writing almost always corresponds to the speed of thinking of the child, which allows you to think about the information in the process of writing it. In addition, an integral picture is created that is reliably imprinted in his memory - motor memory is quite reliable and durable.

  The stage of early school age can be considered transitional - parents, although not refusing to study the Holy Scriptures in an adapted form, can include original quotes from the synodal translation. You can have a notebook in which to write out one main quote from each reading.

    Teenage years

  From some point, which each parent has to individually determine, reading the Bible should go to a whole new level. The transition from perception in the form of a fairy tale to analogies and building a connection between the Sacred History and modern life is becoming more and more noticeable. In middle and high school age, the emphasis goes from the transfer of knowledge to building relationships in Christ. It becomes necessary to transfer the gospel to our daily lives and reflect its relevance in modern conditions. The good news should not remain a fairy tale, but should turn into a faithful life partner for a young Christian.

  Adolescence, by virtue of its protest spirit, needs stories that highlight individuals. A teenager needs to talk about personalities, about those people who are included in the holy books in order to become part of our life. Each character of the scripture has gone a certain way, making him a legendary person. At this stage, it is very important to show that with all genius, a person still needs the help of the Creator and is not able to achieve holiness on his own. At the same time, the Lord helps everyone who wants to grow.

  With teens, the Bible is best read in Slavic translation. It is good practice to do weekly compulsory reading on Saturday night — to parse a passage of the gospel read at Sunday services. Savvy parents can also read passages from the Old Testament with their children on the eve of reading the corresponding parishes.

    Methodical base

  The most important thing for a Bible teacher, whether he is a parent or a teacher, is his own living perception of God's Word. A teenager should see your sincerity in experiencing the Holy Texts and this will be the most important support for any technique.

  A translation for reading in adolescence is best used by the synodal. If you study the Bible through a discussion of the conception or chapters, it will be very useful after reading the synodal translation to read the same passage in Church Slavonic (Elizabethan Bible). Thus, you will gradually teach the teenager to understand the liturgical language.

  At this age, a careful selection of the interpretation of the Old and New Testaments becomes necessary. Parent will need preliminary preparation for reading. Interpretations on the Gospel of St. John Chrysostom and Blessed Theophylact of Bulgaria can be recommended. The latter, in the absence of time, can simply be read out - the work of Theophylact of Bulgaria is written in a very simple language. For teaching, it is recommended to use the "Four Gospels" of Archbishop Averky (Taushev) - a classic textbook for students of theological schools.

  To the Old Testament, the interpretations of Rev. Ephraim the Syrian may be useful. The leading teaching aids throughout the Bible is The Explanatory Bible A.P. Lopukhina. A simpler presentation is presented in the "Biblical History" of Metropolitan Benjamin (Pushkar).

  The fundamental collection of patristic interpretations is the 27-volume series “Biblical Commentaries of the Church Fathers and Other Authors of the 1st – 8th Centuries” edited by Konstantin Gavrilkin and Sergey Kozin.

    Translation of the Psalms of S. S. Averintsev

  A teenager’s interest in the Psalms can be awakened by combining reading in Church Slavonic with reading a poetic translation created by Sergei Sergeyevich Averintsev.

  Why exactly this translation? The fact is that the interpretation of the sacred text requires not only theological erudition, but also a strong inner spiritual feeling. The Psalms of David are filled with strong religious experiences - and every word in the psalms was spoken in the face of the Living Lord. Sergey Sergeevich Averintsev, being a talented philologist and biblical scholar, approached the matter of translation. The Psalms approached with extreme responsibility. He was able, having carried the sacred meaning of the psalms through the language barrier and the difficulties of poetic exposition, to maintain their spiritual fullness, making them accessible for understanding of Russian people.

  For many people (and especially teenagers), the obstacles to knowing a deep inner spiritual experience in psalms are insurmountable due to the cultural differences of modern literature and the sacred text. And therefore, through an inspired and talented person, a step is made towards those who want to touch ancient spiritual poetry.

    Conclusion

  Carrying the Word of God to adolescents, it should be remembered that from about the age of seven a child is called to the Sacrament of Penance. In adolescence, a little man is already able to accept Jesus Christ, accept His Sacrifice and covenant made with people.

  It is important to understand that in the Bible the concept of “learning” implied the continuous study of the Holy Scriptures with the subsequent application of the gained experience in real life, striving for the guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is necessary to help the teenager realize this.

  Adolescence implies some psychological characteristics. A person at this age, living in the present, fixes his eyes on the future, preparing himself for adulthood. The aspirations for self-knowledge, self-expression and self-affirmation are clearly expressed - all this is a natural process of development and can be realized in a life-saving form.

  In adolescence, a person urgently needs close communication with people who show love for him. Through this, psychological needs are satisfied.

  1. Raising self-esteem.   Almost every teenager feels his own inferiority in any area of \u200b\u200blife. It is necessary to help him realize his own need for you, God and His Church.
  2. Sense of need. One of the parishes in the church conducted a survey, which made it clear that young people are looking for friends in the Sunday school. For children of transitional age it is important to feel that they belong to a certain group and it is very good if the Christian community is such a group.
  3. Communication with the opposite sex.One of the important problems of adolescence is the difficulty of building relationships with the opposite sex. It is quite difficult to acquire such a skill in home walls, however, church meetings are designed to teach young people the right way to communicate with each other.
  4. Social adaptation.Every teenager asks questions about his own importance for society and personal goals in it. Getting acquainted with the Bible and the Orthodox creed, a young man gets the opportunity to find answers to some personal questions.

  The above factors speak in favor of the fact that, despite the importance of home Bible study with parents, with a transitional age stage, there is a significant need for contact with peers in the Orthodox teenage society.

Recently, there has been a lot of debate about whether the child should read the Bible, and if so, in which version is the “real” “adult” or still children's. There are many opponents of reading the "adult" version of the Bible to children. And they can be understood, because many biblical stories, frankly, are not suitable for children.

Psychologists say that reading the Bible to children has a beneficial effect on their development. The Bible gives examples of faith and morality.

We offer you a Children's Bible with pictures, which you can read online with your child. Lovely illustrations will please your child and will certainly make reading interesting and useful.

Read the Children's Bible online.

You can choose a convenient format for reading, (book, slide, brochure). Go full screen   reading can be done by clicking on the arrows in the lower right corner. Enjoy reading!

Children's Bible

Bible for children. Plots of the Old and New Testaments

Children's Bible is written as a fairy tale and adapted for young readers. Despite the simplicity of the narrative, the Children's Bible gives an excellent idea of \u200b\u200bGod's Commandments and the laws of Christian morality. John Chrysostom said that the Bible adorns the mind and makes the soul stronger and wiser. The child’s soul easily responds to good examples, and the child’s heart is sensitive to wise stories. Therefore, the Children's Bible is an excellent read for children.

Still the question of whether it is sinful to read the Children's Bible in a simplified form remains open. Do we have the right to simplify and reduce irreducible? There is no right answer, but I think every parent has the right to decide this for his child.

After reading stories from the Children's Bible, parents should ask the child questions for reasoning, so that the child thinks about the true meaning of the story. Think with the child, then reading the Children's Bible will benefit the baby.

Illustrations for the Children's Bible are very popular with children - they are colorful and detailed. Each story is assigned one spread - text + picture. Biblical Stories are abridged, but at the end of each story is a Bible Book or Bible verses, retelling of which is the story. Therefore, it will simply be possible to find the original biblical text if the child needs clarification.

It is important to understand that the Children's Bible contains all the main biblical stories, so reading it, you not only contribute to the spirituality of the child, but also to its overall development, because bible stories are the most popular in our culture. Their ignorance speaks of the ignorance and lack of culture of man.

Children need to read the Children's Bible, because it is the “inspired” Word of God to all people, not excluding children. In the Children's Bible, the child will find answers to the questions: What is the purpose of our life? Where did I come from? Is there life after death? How do I go to heaven? Why is the world full of evil? Why do you need to fight evil with good deeds? In addition to these philosophical questions, the Children's Bible will answer practical questions: How do I become a good friend? What is success and how to achieve it? How can i change? What is really important in life? How to live in such a way as not to look back with regret? How to cope with unfair circumstances?

Reading the Children's Bible will help children avoid many mistakes in life. Reading the Bible in childhood is important in light of the many tempting false teachings. Familiarizing yourself with the Bible at an early age will later help your child distinguish between truth and error. The Bible gives us a measure that will help us to avoid the influence of, for example, sectarian teachings, but having a wrong idea of \u200b\u200bGod is more dangerous than not having it at all.

God's word helps us to recognize sins in our lives and helps us get rid of sinfulness. The Children's Bible is not just a book for reading, it is a book for study and understanding. Reading the Bible with a child can be compared to mining gold. With a little effort, we find only a little gold dust. The more effort we make, the greater the reward we will receive.

The Bible is the greatest book of all time. The instructive stories, parables, verses, and messages that are contained in the Holy Scriptures help people live a righteous life, realize the meaning of being, comprehend the innermost truths, and draw closer to God. But due to the rather complex and specific style of writing, even adults can hardly perceive it, not to mention children. To comprehend each text and find in it a “kernel of truth”, you need to carefully understand the essence of what is written, re-read stories, poems and parables several times, carefully think over them. Therefore, the "adult" version of the Holy Scripture does not cause much interest in children - simply because the child, due to his age characteristics, is not able to perceive and comprehend the texts contained in it.

But there is a great alternative - the Bible for babies. This scripture version is ideal for young readers. Such a book is suitable even for children aged 2-3 years who do not yet know how to read.

Does the child need a bible?

The Bible, designed for babies, contains vibrant and colorful illustrations that are easily perceived by children and arouse their genuine interest. The Bible for babies, which you can buy in our online store "Piety.RU", contains instructive stories shown in the drawings, with a brief textual accompaniment. Even drawings alone will be enough for the child to understand the essence of history and learn from it a lesson.

A children's Bible written for toddlers is great for sharing with parents. If the child cannot read yet, this will not be a problem. You can read the text aloud, and the baby at that time will listen carefully to you and, looking at colorful illustrations, will imagine a picture of what is being described in the story.

The Bible for babies, which you can buy in the online store of Orthodox goods "Piety. RU", will be a great gift for your child. From an early age, your beloved child will be able to learn about how the world was created, where people came from, etc. The Bible for the little ones will help your child find out the purpose of Noah’s ark, who fought Goliath and for what, how Jesus managed to feed the whole settlement with five loaves of bread and two small fish.

The Bible, adapted for young children, is a simple and accessible retelling of stories and parables contained in the pages of the Old and New Testaments. There are no dry texts in it that can not cause interest in the baby. The stories that make up the Bible for the smallest ones are true and do not differ in meaning from their original “versions” of the full version of the Holy Scriptures. The illustrations that complement the children's Bible for the youngest are created by talented artists. These images are not overloaded with details, so they are easily perceived by the children's mind and leave room for imagination. The child himself draws in his imagination those scenes that could not be illustrated on the pages of the children's Bible. And simultaneously with the study of this book, the baby imperceptibly absorbs the wisdom and goodness that the biblical texts carry.

Why should you contact us?

If you want to buy a Bible for babies, do not rush to go to a regular bookstore. You can order such literature right now, using the services of our online store of Orthodox goods "Piety. RU". What will it give you?
  · Low prices. The books we sell come directly from printing houses. We do not buy them from intermediaries, therefore, we do not overpay prices in order to compensate for intermediary costs. Buying a Bible for babies through our catalog, you save a significant amount of money.
  · A large assortment. There are many variations of children's Bibles on sale. They differ among themselves in the number of retold biblical texts, in the style of illustrations, in the type of binding (hard or soft), and in many other criteria. You will definitely find exactly what your child will like and will cause him sincere interest.
· Timely delivery. You do not have to go to the office or warehouse of our company to pick up the purchased goods. When submitting an order, enter your home address, name and other contact information in the appropriate fields. We will arrange prompt delivery to anywhere in the country, and you can get the book in 1-2 days from the moment of placing the order.
  · Free consultation. Lost in a large assortment of children's Orthodox literature? Not sure if the Bible is suitable for young children for your baby, or are you worried that the texts will be too difficult to read? Consult our manager on these and other issues. We will help you make the right choice and choose exactly the edition of the Bible for children that is adapted for a specific age category.

We will gladly accept your order!

Retold by G.P. Shalaev

Reprinted with permission of the publishing house LLC “Philological Society“ WORD ””

© LLC “Philological Society“ WORD ””, 2009

© LLC “Philological Society“ WORD ””, design, 2009

* * *

The most important book on earth is called the Bible. This book will help you find out and understand where the earth on which we live began, and how everything that we see appeared around it, as well as where people came from and how many thousands of years ago.

In this book you will get acquainted with those events that took place a long time, and more precisely in those distant times when people were just starting to live on earth and, of course, made many mistakes. And God helped them and taught them to live. Do not be surprised at this, because being able to live and be kind and honest, generous and fair is very, very difficult. This must be learned.

And also ... often listen to what is inside of you. That's right: there is a heart and other organs. And there is also a soul. One must listen to one's soul. Sometimes it is called conscience. But conscience is only a part of the soul. Difficult to understand? Nothing. It’s good already if you think about it.

But do not rush to do it right away. Read the text carefully first and think about it. You will find out where people came from, you will understand where the land on which we live began, and how all that we see appeared around.

And now - good luck!

Read and think!

* * *

Once upon a time, there was no land on which we live, no sky, no sun. There were no birds, there were no flowers, there were no animals. There was nothing.

Of course you're right - it's boring and uninteresting.

But the fact is that there was no one to be bored then, because there were no people. It is very difficult to imagine, but once it was.

You ask, where did it all come from, everything that surrounds you: bright blue sky, chirping birds, green grass, colorful flowers ... And the night sky is in stars, and the change of seasons ... And much, much more ...

But it was so ...

world creation

In the beginning, God created the earth and heaven.

The land was shapeless and empty. She was not visible. Only water around and darkness.

Well, can you do something in the dark?

And God said: “Let there be light!” And the light became.

God saw how good it was when it was light, and separated light from darkness. He called light day, and darkness night. So passed first   day.

On the second   day God created the vault of heaven.

And he divided the water into two parts.

One part remained to cover the whole earth, the second part rose to the sky, and clouds and clouds formed right there.

On the third   day God did this: he collected all the water that remained on the earth, and launched streams and rivers, lakes and seas formed; and God called the land free of water the earth.

God looked at the work of his hands, and he really liked what he did. But still, something was missing.

The earth has become green and beautiful.

On the fourth   day he created the stars in the sky: the sun, moon, stars. So that they illuminate the earth day and night. And to distinguish day from night and to designate seasons, days and months.

So, at the request of God and his labors, a beautiful world arose: blooming, bright, bright! But ... empty and silent.

In the morning fifth   day in the rivers and seas splashed fish, the most different, large and small. From crucians to whales. Crayfish crawled along the seabed. They frog in the lakes.

The birds began to sing and began to twist their nests on the trees.

And then morning came sixth   of the day. Barely dawned, as the forests and fields were filled with new life. These animals appeared on the earth.

At the edge of the meadow, a lion lay down to rest. In the forest tigers lurk more often. Unhurriedly, elephants went to the watering place, and monkeys jumped from branch to branch.

Everything revived. It has become fun.

And then, on the sixth day, God created another being, the most important being on earth. It was a man.

Why do you think man is considered the main thing on earth?

Because God created him in his own image and likeness.

And God punished man that he would rule everything on earth and rule over all who live and grow on it. And so that a person could do this well, God breathed soul and mind into him. The first on earth was a man named Adam.

And on seventh God rested after his labors, and this day became a holiday for all time.

Count the days of the week. For six days a man works, and on the seventh he rests.

Only after hard and useful work is a real rest. Is not it?

Life in Paradise

In the east of the earth, God planted a beautiful garden. All the most beautiful trees and flowers grew here. A deep river flowed through the garden, in which it was pleasant to swim. This corner of the earth was called Paradise.

Here God settled Adam, and so that he would not be bored, he decided to give him a wife.

God brought a deep sleep to man, and when Adam fell asleep, he took one rib from him and made him a woman.

Adam woke up, saw another person nearby and at first he was surprised, and then he was very happy. After all, he was bored alone.

So a woman appeared on earth, and began to call her Eve.

A variety of trees grew in Paradise: apple trees and pears, peaches and plums, pineapples and bananas and many others - whatever your heart desires!

Among these trees grew one, which was called the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

God allowed man to pluck the fruits from any trees and eat them, but in no case touch the fruits from the tree of knowledge.

Adam and Eve obeyed God. They were very pleased with their life, and nothing bothered them.

Still would! They bathed when they wanted, walked around the garden, played with small animals. Everyone was friends with each other, and no one offended anyone.

This went on for a long time, and it always would be, but ...

He lived in Paradise snakes, which differed from all other animals with a special cunning.

Once Eve stood near the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and a serpent crawled up to her.

“I see that you and Adam are picking the fruits from all the trees, but you aren’t taking it.” Why? Look how beautiful and probably very tasty they are! The serpent hissed.

Eve answered him:

- God forbade us to pick fruits from this tree, because if we eat them, we will die.

The snake laughed:

“No,” he said, “God deceived you.” If you try the fruits of this tree, you will not die, but become as wise as God himself. You will understand what good and evil are. But God does not want this.

The woman could not resist the temptation. She forgot the prohibition of God, and maybe did not want to remember it: after all, indeed, the fruits were so beautiful and appetizing in appearance.

“Nothing will be bad,” Eve thought, “if I pick only one fruit.” God will not even know about it. And we will become wise with Adam.

She plucked the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and began to eat it.

What do you think, where did the expression “snake-tempter” come from (in the sense of seducing). Is it from here?

Eve came to her husband and persuaded him to also try a delicious fruit.

And their eyes opened. They looked at each other and realized that they were naked, although before it seemed to them quite natural. And now it was suddenly embarrassing, and they hid behind a tree.

At this time of the day, when it was not so hot, God usually walked around the garden and loved to be accompanied by Adam.

So now he called him, but Adam did not want to leave his shelter.

“Adam, where are you?” - God called again.

Finally Adam answered him:

God was even more surprised:

“Why were you scared, you had never hid before!” What happened?

“I was ashamed that I was naked, so I hid,” Adam answered.

God had long guessed everything, but he wanted Adam to tell him everything:

“Who told you you're naked?” Have you eaten fruit from a tree from which I forbade you to eat?

What was Adam left to do? I had to confess. But he said that it was his wife who forced him. Eve blamed the snake for everything, saying that he persuaded her to eat the forbidden fruit.

God was angry with the snake and cursed him.

Now let's talk together. Of course, the snake is to blame. But everyone should be responsible for their actions.

If Adam and Eve did not want to break God's prohibition, could a snake make them? Of course not.

Remember your actions too. It probably happens that you really want to do something that is not allowed, and you violate the ban. And then you say that someone else is to blame, because he persuaded you to do it.

After all, the snake-tempter most often sits in us, and not next to us.

Think about it.

God punished Adam with Eve: dressed them in animal skins and drove them out of Paradise. Now they had to work hard to get their own food and no longer returned back to Paradise.

Cain and Abel

Adam and Eve were very worried about their separation from God and tried to earn his forgiveness, to show him his love.

But how to do that? After all, God did not allow them to even come close to the gates of Paradise and put there a guarded winged cherub with a fiery sword.

Then people came up with a sacrifice: they brought gifts to God so that he knew that they remember him and love him.

God, of course, was pleased. But he did not accept gifts from every person.

You will understand this when you read a very sad story about what happened to the children of Adam and Eve.

Adam and Eve had two sons. The elder was called Cain, he worked in the field, growing bread. And the youngest, Abel, grazed the sheep.

Once, the brothers decided to bring their gifts to God, as their parents always did.

They lit a fire in a large clearing and laid their gifts on it. Cain - ears of ripe wheat, and Abel brought a young lamb from his herd, stabbed him and also laid it on a fire.

God knew that Abel was a good and good man, and therefore he accepted his gift immediately.

Cain seemed to him not so kind, and he did not want to accept his gift. Cain, of course, was offended and very upset.

Then God said to him:

- Why are you upset? If you do good, then your sacrifice will be accepted, and if you do evil, sin will persecute you, and you will not be able to overcome it.

But, unfortunately, Cain did not follow God's advice. On the contrary, he went very gloomy and was very envious of his brother.

“Abel is well,” he thought, “now God will help him.”

It is a sin to envy another person; envy causes malice. But if Cain understood this in time!

He once lured Abel into the field and killed him.

God, of course, saw everything, but he also hoped that Cain would be terrified of what he had done and would repent.

He asked Cain:

“Where is Abel, your brother?”

But Cain did not think to confess.

“I don’t know,” he answered, “am I my brother's keeper.”

God was even more angry.

“What have you done ?!” He said to Cain. “After all, you killed your brother!” The voice of his blood cries out to me. I curse you. You will leave here and you will not see your parents again and you will never return home. You will be an eternal exile and a wanderer!

That's how God punished Cain. But that is not all. He imposed a special sign on Cain's face, according to which all people, as soon as they saw Cain, immediately realized that he was a criminal, and avoided him.

So until now there is an expression: “Cain's Seal”.

Think to whom it can relate?

Noah builds an ark

Time passed, and many became on the earth of people.

But all of them very upset God: they deceived, robbed, killed each other in endless wars.

God, of course, tried to enlighten them; he still hoped that people would become kinder and prudent. But everything was in vain.

Then God decided this way: people will live another 120 years, and if they still do not improve, then he will destroy all life on earth.

And what? Do you think people were scared, asked God for forgiveness and tried to be better?

Nothing like this! They did not even pay attention to his warning and continued to rob and laze.

Then God finally became disillusioned with people and even regretted that he created them.

However, there lived a man on earth who always did as God taught. His name was Noah. He was kind and honest, did not deceive anyone and did not envy anyone. He lived by his labor and taught his sons to live the same way.

For this, God loved Noah. He called him once and said:

- People continue to do evil, and for this I will punish everyone. Soon there will be a great flood, and after that there will be nothing alive on earth. But you and your sons will give a continuation of a good and just life. So do what I tell you.

And God taught Noah how to build an ark.

The next morning, Noah and his sons set to work. They chopped tall trees, made logs from them and carried them ashore.

When there were a lot of boards, logs and boards, they began to build a ship.

All the neighbors fled, even passers-by stopped in wonder what these people were doing. And, of course, did not miss the opportunity to mock:

“This Noah and his sons were always abnormal; everyone is walking, and they only know that they are working and praying to God. And now they’re completely crazy, look what they came up with.

Noah, of course, did not listen to loafers. Let them mock me. He knew better what to do and how to live.

After a while, a huge ark swayed on the water. It was made of durable gopher wood, its walls inside and out and all the cracks were carefully sealed with resin. Inside the ark consisted of three tiers, which were connected by ladders.

It was made in good faith, firmly; everything was adapted so that you could live as much as needed in this ark.

And God also said to Noah:

- When everything is ready, enter the ark with your sons and their wives, and also take with you all the animals, birds and reptiles in pairs, and the seeds of everything that grows on the ground.

Noah, as always, performed everything exactly.

People were making fun of him.

- Just look! As if he had no place on earth. He was also going to swim.

But you know how they say: "The one who laughs last is laughing well." So it happened this time.

The flood

As God decided, so he did.

As soon as the door of the ark closed, it poured rain. It did not stop for forty days and forty nights and was so strong that the water rose high and flooded the whole earth.

All living things died on it. No one managed to escape. Only the ark, unscathed, sailed through the vast expanse of water.

And the water kept coming and coming. It was so much that it covered even the highest mountains and the tallest trees that grew on the tops of the mountains.

Water stood on the whole earth for another hundred and fifty days.

Finally, the rain stopped, and gradually, very slowly, the water began to decrease.

And the ark was floating. And neither Noah nor his sons knew where they were or where they were sailing. But they relied entirely on the will of God.

And on the 17th of the seventh month of sailing Noah's ark stopped at Mount Ararat. Do you know where this mountain is? That's right, in Armenia.

There was still a lot of water, and only forty days later Noah opened the window of the ark and released a raven. But the bird soon returned: there was no land anywhere.

After some time, Noah released the pigeon, but he also returned, not finding land.

Seven days later, Noah again released the pigeon, and when he returned, everyone saw that in his beak he brought a branch of an olive tree. And this meant that the water had waned and land appeared.

When Noah released the pigeon another seven days later, he no longer returned.

Then Noah opened the roof of the ark, went upstairs and saw that the earth around was already almost dry.

All came out of the ark, released animals, birds. And they thanked God for their salvation.

God, too, was glad that he had saved life on earth, and decided that he would never again flood the earth, never let life perish.

He blessed Noah and his sons, and as a sign of his reconciliation with people, he hung a rainbow in heaven.

Do you know what a rainbow is? Have you ever seen her?

Immediately after a short summer rain, when the last drops still fall from above, a multi-colored curved bridge appears between the sky and the earth. This is the rainbow.

When you see her, please remember why God was angry with people and what happened after that.

Babel

Another time has passed. Again on earth there are many people.

But they remembered that God sent a flood to punish people. Fathers told the children about this, and those who grew up passed these stories on to their children.

And so people lived together, cheerfully and understood each other, as they spoke the same language. They worked well and learned a lot.

Judge for yourself. People learned to burn bricks and build tall houses out of them. Of course, they haven’t come up with spaceships or even planes, but they are still proud of how smart they are and how much they know and can do.

And everyone thought that they would do this to leave a memory of themselves at all times. And they came up with:

- Let's build a tower. High-high. To the sky!

No sooner said than done. Found a big mountain and started building. People worked very merrily and amicably: some mined clay, others made bricks from it, still others burned them in furnaces, and others brought bricks to the mountain. And there others took these bricks and built a tower of them.

People came from all sides and also joined in the work. There were a lot of people who wanted to build a tower, and they had to live somewhere. So the city appeared around the tower. They called him Babylon.

God watched the work for a long time, he wanted to understand what people are doing and why they are building such a tall tower.

“It is unlikely that they are going to live in it,” he reasoned, “such a tower is inconvenient for housing.” (After all, there were no elevators then, and it’s hard to climb so high up the stairs.)   Just build it like that? What for?

Finally, God understood why people were building this tower. They want to show how smart and omnipotent they are.

He did not like it. God does not like it when people take pride in vain and exalt themselves.

And what did he do to stop them?

No, he did not begin to destroy the tower, but acted differently.

At that very moment a strong-strong whirlwind rose and carried away all the words that people spoke to each other. Spun, wrapped them. And mixed everything.

When the whirlwind calmed down, and it became quiet around, people again set to work. But what is this ?!

They ceased to understand each other. Everyone spoke in some unfamiliar and incomprehensible other language.

And the work, of course, went wrong: one asked the other to do something, but he did the opposite.

From below shouted:

- Take the bricks!

And from above they passed the bricks back.

They lurked like that, and they left everything. Now, one concern remained - how to find speakers of the same language in this crowd.

And so all the people dispersed in small groups in different corners of the earth, began to live separately, each group in its own side (country). And then they completely fenced off with borders from each other.

The tower began to gradually collapse.

And from the name of the city of Babylon, where God mixed all the languages \u200b\u200bto punish people for their insolence and pride, another expression has come up that you may be familiar with: “Babel Babel”.

Since then, people have lived on earth in different ways: in one country some laws and rules are established, in another - different.

And the people themselves are different: smart, stupid, funny and sad, evil and kind.

Only there is one general law for all that God has established - evil people are punished sooner or later. And it is true. But if a person realizes his mistakes and repents - God forgives him.

The Lord God is patient. He hopes that gradually people will change and will take care not only of the body, but also of their soul. They will think and reflect more on the meaning of life, on why they were born into the light of God. After all, probably not just to eat, drink and have fun. But not just to work days and nights.

Man is born to fulfill his destiny in life. Each has its own. But all people should have one common purpose - to do each other only the good and the good. It’s not so difficult.

The Spirit of God lives in every person. But people are blind and do not understand this. And when they see and understand, they will change.

The Lord God could forcefully establish the Kingdom of God on earth, but he does not want to do this. People themselves must understand what is good and what is bad. But the trouble is, each person has his own understanding of the good. All people wish themselves well, but understand it in their own way.

For some people, a good life is when you can walk, relax, celebrate and do nothing all the time.

Others believe that in order to arrange a good life for themselves, they can deceive other people, rob and even kill.

The Lord God wants everyone to be equally good. And this can happen if each person thinks not only about himself, but also about other people. This is not so difficult if you observe the ten rules that the Lord has commanded us to fulfill.

These rules are called "commandments."

Here is an introduction to the book.
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Dear young readers!

Let the Bible that you hold in your hands - first in a brief summary for children, and then the complete one - become your constant life companion, a reliable measure of all your deeds and actions, a true guide to the Kingdom of Heaven.

May the all-generous Lord enlighten you with the light of the knowledge of God and may strengthen your thoughts, feelings and desires in the fulfillment of His Holy will in all the ways of your life!

Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II

Foreword

“The Holy Scriptures,” said St. John Chrysostom, “is spiritual food that adorns the mind and makes the soul strong, firm, wise.”

Scripture is such food for both adults and children.

The children's soul is easily carried away by good examples; children's heart is sensitive to great feats. And where are there more such examples, where there will be more such feats than in the Holy History? Therefore, the first stories for children who begin to understand should be scripture stories, the first book in the hands of those who have learned to read a child should be a sacred story.

When giving a child a similar book, it is also necessary to take care so that he can understand it all, so that he does not encounter anything incomprehensible, in a word, it is necessary that it be adapted (adapted) to his understanding, to his age.

This is the book we want to give to the hands of children. It is vibrant and clear, but at the same time all the most important events of the Old and New Testaments are very simply laid out, so that children, starting with the smallest, with a pure heart, can themselves perceive everything written, without the need for explanations and clarifications of adults (mothers, older sister or competent nanny). Simplicity in presentation is combined with the visibility of specially selected illustrations: complementing the story and depicting the events described, these drawings will help strengthen in the child’s soul everything that they read.

In the early days of life, when every impression is so deeply and deeply embedded in the children's heart and mind, the events from the Holy Scriptures will leave an indelible mark on young hearts, and the pure feeling aroused by them in the children's soul will not remain barren even in later years - in the years of doubt, deeper reflection or frivolity and delusion.

OLD TESTAMENT

WORLD CREATION

An endless blue sky stretches over us. On it, like a ball of fire, the sun shines and gives us warmth and light.

At night, the sun comes up to replace the moon, and around, like children near their mother, there are many, many stars. Like clear eyes, they blink in height and, like golden lanterns, illuminate the sky dome. Forests and gardens, grass and beautiful flowers grow on the ground. Animals and animals live throughout the earth: horses and lambs, and wolves and bunnies, and many others. Birds and insects flutter in the air.

Take a look now at the rivers and seas. How much water! And all of it is full of fish - from the smallest to monsters of enormous size ... Where did all this come from? There was a time when none of this happened. There were no days, no nights, no sun, no earth, not everything that is now. Then the One Lord God lived, because He is eternal, that is, has neither the beginning nor the end of His being, He always was, is and will be.

world creation

And now, in His love, in six days out of nothing, He created everything that we admire. According to His only Word, the earth and the sun appeared, and all that is in the world. The good and loving Lord created everything, and He constantly cares for everything as a loving Father.

Having created the world, God created a beautiful garden on earth and called it paradise. Shady trees with tasty fruits grew there, beautiful birds sang, brooks rang, and the whole paradise was fragrant with beautiful flowers.

When the Lord arranged all this, He saw that there was no one to admire and enjoy the beauty of the earth and paradise. Then God created man from the earth. So the first man was born. He was created in the image of God, resembling God. The man was very handsome, but he could neither walk, nor think, nor speak, was like a lifeless statue. The Lord revived him, gave him a mind and a good heart. God called the man Adam and settled him in paradise, in the Garden of Eden.

Then the Lord brought all animals to man to give them names. Adam named all the animals and gave names to the birds of the sky, fish and beasts of the field. He courted the Garden of Eden and cared for its inhabitants.

Then, in order for the first man to have a friend, God created the first woman. Adam called the woman Eve. The first people did not have a dad or a mom. The Lord created them as adults and Himself replaced their parents. God allowed Adam and Eve to eat everything that grew in the garden, except for the fruits of one tree. It was called the tree of the knowledge of good and evil:

“My Children,” the Lord God said to Adam and Eve, “I give you this garden, live in it and enjoy; eat fruits from all trees and only from one tree do not touch the fruits and do not eat, and if you do not obey, you will lose paradise and die.

Adam and Eve settled in paradise. They knew neither cold, nor hunger, nor grief. Around them between animals and animals reigned peace and harmony, and they did not offend each other. A predatory wolf grazed next to a sheep, and a bloodthirsty tiger rested next to a cow. All animals loved Adam and Eve and obeyed them, and the birds sat on their shoulders and sang songs loudly.

So the first people lived in paradise. They lived and rejoiced and thanked their good Creator God.

EXCLUSION FROM PARADISE

Everything that we see is called the visible world. But there is another world that we cannot see, that is, the world is invisible. God's Angels live in it.

Who are these angels?

These are disembodied spirits, they are invisible. But sometimes God reveals His will through them, and the Angels take on the image of man. The Lord created all angels good and obedient. But one of them became proud, ceased to obey God and taught some of the other angels the same. For this, the Lord expelled them from Himself and they began to be called evil angels, or demons, and the first angel who rebelled against God began to be called Satan, or the devil.

Since then, the good Angels have separated from the evil. Evil angels sow evil everywhere; they quarrel people, start enmity and war, try that people do not love the Lord and live among themselves like enemies. Good Angels, on the contrary, teach us all the good and the good.

Each person has his own good guardian angel. Such Guardian Angels protect people from all sorts of troubles and, in case of danger, cover them with their wings. Kind Angels are sad and cry if the children do not obey the father and mother, because the Lord cannot take the bold and evil children to Heaven. After all, they remember how the Lord removed the impudent and naughty angels from heaven.

When Adam and Eve lived in paradise, evil angels envied them with happiness and wanted to deprive them of paradise life. To do this, the devil turned into a snake, climbed a tree and said to Eve:

“Is it true that God forbade you to eat fruit from all the trees?”

“No,” Eve replied, “the Lord forbade us to eat fruits from only one tree that grows in the middle of the garden, and said that if we eat them, we will die.