diff --git a/src/app.ts b/src/app.ts
index 59eed4adcd..1d5a72520f 100644
--- a/src/app.ts
+++ b/src/app.ts
@@ -1,12 +1,17 @@
+import dotenv from 'dotenv';
+dotenv.config();
+
 import express from 'express';
 import asyncHandler from 'express-async-handler';
 import APIError, { errorHandler, ErrorCode } from './error';
+import database from './database';
 
 const app = express()
 	.get(
 		'/',
 		asyncHandler(async (req, res, next) => {
-			throw new APIError(ErrorCode.NOT_FOUND, 'Route `/` not found');
+			const records = await database.select('*').from('articles');
+			res.json(records);
 		})
 	)
 	.use(errorHandler);
diff --git a/src/database.ts b/src/database.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d3f526e093
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/database.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+import knex from 'knex';
+
+const database = knex({
+	client: process.env.DB_CLIENT,
+	connection: {
+		host: process.env.DB_HOST,
+		port: Number(process.env.DB_PORT),
+		user: process.env.DB_USER,
+		password: process.env.DB_PASSWORD,
+		database: process.env.DB_NAME,
+	},
+});
+
+export default database;