Genesis 6

Giants in the Land

1-2When the human race began to increase, with more and more daughters being born, the sons of God noticed that the daughters of men were beautiful. They looked them over and picked out wives for themselves.

3Then God said, “I’m not going to breathe life into men and women endlessly. Eventually they’re going to die; from now on they can expect a life span of 120 years.”

4This was back in the days (and also later) when there were giants in the land. The giants came from the union of the sons of God and the daughters of men. These were the mighty men of ancient lore, the famous ones.

Noah and His Sons

5-7 God saw that human evil was out of control. People thought evil, imagined evil—evil, evil, evil from morning to night. God was sorry that he had made the human race in the first place; it broke his heart. God said, “I’ll get rid of my ruined creation, make a clean sweep: people, animals, snakes and bugs, birds—the works. I’m sorry I made them.”

8But Noah was different. God liked what he saw in Noah.

9-10This is the story of Noah: Noah was a good man, a man of integrity in his community. Noah walked with God. Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

11-12As far as God was concerned, the Earth had become a sewer; there was violence everywhere. God took one look and saw how bad it was, everyone corrupt and corrupting—life itself corrupt to the core.

13God said to Noah, “It’s all over. It’s the end of the human race. The violence is everywhere; I’m making a clean sweep.

14-16“Build yourself a ship from teakwood. Make rooms in it. Coat it with pitch inside and out. Make it 450 feet long, seventy-five feet wide, and forty-five feet high. Build a roof for it and put in a window eighteen inches from the top; put in a door on the side of the ship; and make three decks, lower, middle, and upper.

17“I’m going to bring a flood on the Earth that will destroy everything alive under Heaven. Total destruction.

18-21“But I’m going to establish a covenant with you: You’ll board the ship, and your sons, your wife and your sons’ wives will come on board with you. You are also to take two of each living creature, a male and a female, on board the ship, to preserve their lives with you: two of every species of bird, mammal, and reptile—two of everything so as to preserve their lives along with yours. Also get all the food you’ll need and store it up for you and them.”

22Noah did everything God commanded him to do.

Genesis 6

Sons of God and Daughters of Men

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 # Or women for themselves. # 1Pt 3:19-20; Jd 6 3And the Lord said, “My Spirit will not remain # Or strive with # Or in mankind forever, # Gl 5:16-17; 1Pt 3:20 because they are corrupt. # Lit flesh # Ps 78:39 Their days will be 120 years.” 4The Nephilim # 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 man’s wickedness was widespread on the earth and that every scheme his mind thought of 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 grieved in His heart. 7Then the Lord said, “I will wipe off from the face of the earth mankind, whom I created, together with the animals, creatures that crawl, and birds of the sky — for I regret that I made them.” 8Noah, however, found favor in the sight of 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. # Or injustice 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 # Or injustice because of them; therefore I am going to destroy them along with the earth.

14“Make yourself an ark of gopher # 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. # Or 300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide, and 30 cubits high 16You are to make a roof, # Or window, or hatch ; Hb uncertain finishing the sides of the ark to within 18 inches # 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 die. 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

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The Message

Genesis 6

Genesis 6