1When the number of people started to increase throughout the fertile land, daughters were born to them. 2The divine beings saw how beautiful these human women were, so they married the ones they chose. 3The LORD said, “My breath#6.3 Or spirit will not remain in humans forever, because they are flesh. They will live one hundred twenty years.” 4In those days, giants#6.4 Or the Nephilim lived on the earth and also afterward, when divine beings and human daughters had sexual relations and gave birth to children. These were the ancient heroes, famous men.

Great flood

5The LORD saw that humanity had become thoroughly evil on the earth and that every idea their minds thought up was always completely evil. 6The LORD regretted making human beings on the earth, and he was heartbroken. 7So the LORD said, “I will wipe off of the land the human race that I’ve created: from human beings to livestock to the crawling things to the birds in the skies, because I regret I ever made them.” 8But as for Noah, the LORD approved of him.

9These are Noah’s descendants. In his generation, Noah was a moral and exemplary man; he#6.9 Heb Noah walked with God. 10Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. 11In God’s sight, the earth had become corrupt and was filled with violence. 12God saw that the earth was corrupt, because all creatures behaved corruptly on the earth.

13God said to Noah, “The end has come for all creatures, since they have filled the earth with violence. I am now about to destroy them along with the earth, 14so make a wooden ark.#6.14 Or ark of gopher wood, an unknown species of tree Make the ark with nesting places and cover it inside and out with tar. 15This is how you should make it: four hundred fifty feet long, seventy-five feet wide, and forty-five feet high. 16Make a roof#6.16 Or window for the ark and complete it one foot from the top.#6.16 Heb uncertain Put a door in its side. In the hold below, make the second and third decks.

17“I am now bringing the floodwaters over the earth to destroy everything under the sky that breathes. Everything on earth is about to take its last breath. 18But I will set up my covenant with you. You will go into the ark together with your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives. 19From all living things—from all creatures—you are to bring a pair, male and female, into the ark with you to keep them alive. 20From each kind of bird, from each kind of livestock, and from each kind of everything that crawls on the ground—a pair from each will go in with you to stay alive. 21Take some from every kind of food and stow it as food for you and for the animals.”

22Noah did everything exactly as God commanded him.

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Genesis 6

The Human Race Becomes Evil

1The number of people on earth began to grow, and daughters were born to them. 2When the sons of God saw that these girls were beautiful, they married any of them they chose. 3The Lord said, “My Spirit will not remain in human beings forever, because they are flesh. They will live only 120 years.”

4The Nephilim were on the earth in those days and also later. That was when the sons of God had sexual relations with the daughters of human beings. These women gave birth to children, who became famous and were the mighty warriors of long ago.

5The Lord saw that the human beings on the earth were very wicked and that everything they thought about was evil. 6He was sorry he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. 7So the Lord said, “I will destroy all human beings that I made on the earth. And I will destroy every animal and everything that crawls on the earth and the birds of the air, because I am sorry I have made them.” 8But Noah pleased the Lord.

Noah and the Great Flood

9This is the family history of Noah. Noah was a good man, the most innocent man of his time, and he walked with God. 10He had three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

11People on earth did what God said was evil, and violence was everywhere. 12When God saw that everyone on the earth did only evil, 13he said to Noah, “Because people have made the earth full of violence, I will destroy all of them from the earth. 14Build a boat of cypress wood for yourself. Make rooms in it and cover it inside and outside with tar. 15This is how big I want you to build the boat: four hundred fifty feet long, seventy-five feet wide, and forty-five feet high. 16Make an opening around the top of the boat that is eighteen inches high from the edge of the roof down. Put a door in the side of the boat. Make an upper, middle, and lower deck in it. 17I will bring a flood of water on the earth to destroy all living things that live under the sky, including everything that has the breath of life. Everything on the earth will die. 18But I will make an agreement with you—you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives will all go into the boat. 19Also, you must bring into the boat two of every living thing, male and female. Keep them alive with you. 20Two of every kind of bird, animal, and crawling thing will come to you to be kept alive. 21Also gather some of every kind of food and store it on the boat as food for you and the animals.”

22Noah did everything that God commanded him.

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Genesis 6

Genesis 6