King James Bible
"And the evening and the morning were the third day."
This phrase follows the Hebrew pattern of marking days from sunset to sunset, with evening preceding morning. The repetitive formula emphasizes the orderly, rhythmic nature of God's creative work, establishing time's fundamental structure. The third day marks the completion of another creation cycle, specifically when dry land appeared and vegetation sprouted. This counting reinforces that creation unfolds through deliberate, sequential acts rather than instantaneous completion.