1-2 # Job 1.6; 2.1. More and more people were born, until finally they spread all over the earth. Some of their daughters were so beautiful that supernatural beings#6.1,2 supernatural beings: Or “angels.” came down and married the ones they wanted. 3Then the Lord said, “I won't let my life-giving breath remain in anyone forever.#6.3 I won't … forever: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text. No one will live for more than 120 years.”#6.3 No one … years: Or “In fact, they will all be destroyed in about 100 years” (that is, at the time of the flood).

4 # Nu 13.33; Si 16.7; Ba 3.26. #3 Macc 2.4. The children of the supernatural beings who had married these women became famous heroes and warriors. They were called Nephilim and lived on the earth at that time and even later.

5 # Mt 24.37; Lk 17.26; 1 P 3.20. The Lord saw how bad the people on earth were and that everything they thought and planned was evil. 6He was sorry that he had made them, 7and he said, “I'm going to destroy every person on earth! I'll even wipe out animals, birds, and reptiles. I'm sorry I ever made them.”

8But the Lord was pleased with Noah, 9#Si 44.17,18; 2 P 2.5. and this is the story about him. Noah was the only person who lived right and obeyed God. 10He had three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

11-12God knew that everyone was terribly cruel and violent. 13So he told Noah:

Cruelty and violence have spread everywhere. Now I'm going to destroy the whole earth and all its people. 14Get some good lumber and build a boat. Put rooms in it and cover it with tar inside and out. 15Make it 133 meters long, 22 meters wide, and 13 meters high. 16Build a roof#6.16 roof: Or “window.” on the boat and leave a space of about 44 centimeters between the roof and the sides.#6.16 leave … sides: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text. Make the boat three stories high and put a door on one side.

17I'm going to send a flood that will destroy everything that breathes! Nothing will be left alive. 18But I solemnly promise that you, your wife, your sons, and your daughters-in-law will be kept safe in the boat.#6.18 boat: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 18.

19-20Take into the boat with you a male and a female of every kind of animal and bird, as well as a male and a female of every reptile. I don't want them to be destroyed. 21Store up enough food both for yourself and for them.

22 # He 11.7. Noah did everything God told him to do.

Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)

Learn More

Genesis 6

1And after that men began to be multiplied upon the earth, and daughters were born to them.

2The sons of God seeing the daughters of men, that they were fair, took themselves wives of all which they chose.

3And God said: My spirit shall not remain in man for ever, because he is flesh; and his days shall be a hundred and twenty years.

4Now giants were upon the earth in those days. For after the sons of God went in to the daughters of men, and they brought forth children, these are the mighty men of old, men of renown.

5And God seeing that the wickedness of men was great on the earth, and that all the thought of their heart was bent upon evil at all times,

6It repented him that he had made man on the earth. And being touched inwardly with sorrow of heart,

7He said: I will destroy man, whom I have created, from the face of the earth, from man even to beasts, from the creeping thing even to the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.

8But Noe found grace before the Lord.

9These are the generations of Noe. Noe was a just and perfect man in his generations; he walked with God.

10And he begot three sons, Sem, Cham, and Japheth.

11And the earth was corrupted before God, and was filled with iniquity.

12And when God had seen that the earth was corrupted (for all flesh had corrupted its way upon the earth),

13He said to Noe: The end of all flesh is come before me; the earth is filled with iniquity through them; and I will destroy them with the earth.

14Make thee an ark of timber planks: thou shalt make little rooms in the ark, and thou shalt pitch it within and without.

15And thus shalt thou make it: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits; the breadth of it fifty cubits; and the height of it thirty cubits.

16Thou shalt make a window in the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish the top of it; and the door of the ark thou shalt set in the side; with lower, middle chambers, and third stories shalt thou make it.

17Behold, I will bring the waters of a great flood upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, under heaven. All things that are in the earth shall be consumed.

18And I will establish my covenant with thee, and thou shalt enter into the ark; thou and thy sons, and thy wife, and the wives of thy sons with thee.

19And of every living creature of all flesh, thou shalt bring two of each sort into the ark, that they may live with thee: of the male sex, and the female.

20Of fowls according to their kind, and of beasts in their kind, and of every thing that creepeth on earth according to its kind; two of every sort shall go in with thee, that they may live.

21Thou shalt take unto thee of all food that may be eaten, and thou shalt lay it up with thee: and it shall be food for thee and them.

22And Noe did all things which God commanded him.

An historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.

Learn More

Choose your language

Genesis 6

Genesis 6