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Sons of God and Daughters of Mankind
1When mankind began to multiply on the earth and daughters were born to them, 2the sons of God#Jb 1:6; 2:1; 38:7 saw that the daughters of mankind were beautiful, and they took any they chose as wives for themselves.#1Pt 3:19–20; Jd 6 3And the Lord said, “My Spirit will not remain#6:3 Or strive with#6:3 Or in mankind forever,#Gl 5:16–17; 1Pt 3:20 because they are corrupt.#6:3 Lit flesh#Ps 78:39 Their days will be 120 years.” 4The Nephilim#6:4 Possibly means “fallen ones”; traditionally, “giants”; Nm 13:31–33 were on the earth both in those days and afterward, when the sons of God came to the daughters of mankind, who bore children to them. They were the powerful men of old, the famous men.
Judgment Decreed
5When the Lord saw that human wickedness was widespread on the earth and that every inclination of the human mind was nothing but evil all the time,#Gn 8:21; Ps 14:1–3; Pr 6:18; Mt 15:19; Rm 1:28–32 6the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth,#Nm 23:19; 1Sm 15:11,29; 2Sm 24:16; Jl 2:13 and he was deeply grieved. 7Then the Lord said, “I will wipe mankind, whom I created, off the face of the earth, together with the animals, creatures that crawl, and birds of the sky — for I regret that I made them.” 8Noah, however, found favor with the Lord.#Gn 19:19; Ex 33:17; Lk 1:30
God Warns Noah
9These are the family records#Gn 2:4 of Noah. Noah was a righteous man,#Ps 37:39; 2Pt 2:5 blameless among his contemporaries;#Gn 17:1; Dt 18:13; Jb 1:1 Noah walked with God.#Gn 5:22 10And Noah fathered three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
11Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with wickedness.#6:11 Or injustice, also in v. 13 12God saw how corrupt the earth was, for every creature had corrupted its way on the earth.#Jb 22:15–17; Ps 14:2–3; 53:2–3 13Then God said to Noah, “I have decided to put an end to every creature, for the earth is filled with wickedness because of them; therefore I am going to destroy them along with the earth.
14“Make yourself an ark of gopher#6:14 Unknown species of tree; perhaps pine or cypress wood. Make rooms in the ark, and cover it with pitch inside and outside. 15This is how you are to make it: The ark will be 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high.#6:15 Or 300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide, and 30 cubits high 16You are to make a roof,#6:16 Or window, or hatch; Hb uncertain finishing the sides of the ark to within eighteen inches#6:16 Lit to a cubit of the roof. You are to put a door in the side of the ark. Make it with lower, middle, and upper decks.
17“Understand that I am bringing a flood — floodwaters on the earth#Gn 7:4; 2Pt 2:5 to destroy every creature under heaven with the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish. 18But I will establish my covenant with you,#Gn 9:9–16; 17:7 and you will enter the ark with your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives. 19You are also to bring into the ark two of all the living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you. 20Two of everything — from the birds according to their kinds, from the livestock according to their kinds, and from the animals that crawl on the ground according to their kinds — will come to you so that you can keep them alive. 21Take with you every kind of food that is eaten; gather it as food for you and for them.” 22And Noah did this. He did everything that God had commanded him.#Gn 7:5