Genesis 6
6
Increasing Corruption on Earth
1When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, 2the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose. 3Then the Lord said, #1 Pet. 3:19, 20; [Neh. 9:30; Gal. 5:16, 17] “My Spirit shall not abide in#6:3 Or My Spirit shall not contend with man forever, #Ps. 78:39for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.” 4The Nephilim#6:4 Or giants were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown.
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Ps. 14:2, 3 The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every #ch. 8:21; Job 14:4; 15:14; Ps. 51:5; Jer. 17:9; Matt. 15:19; Rom. 3:23intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6And #1 Sam. 15:11; 2 Sam. 24:16; Joel 2:13; [Num. 23:19; 1 Sam. 15:29] the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it #Isa. 63:10; Eph. 4:30grieved him to his heart. 7So the Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.” 8But Noah #ch. 19:19; Ex. 33:12, 13, 16, 17found favor in the eyes of the Lord.
Noah and the Flood
9These are the generations of Noah. #ch. 7:1; Ezek. 14:14, 20; 2 Pet. 2:5 Noah was a righteous man, #Job 1:1, 8; Luke 1:6 blameless in his generation. Noah #ch. 5:22, 24; [Heb. 11:7]walked with God. 10And Noah had three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
11Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence. 12And God #Ps. 14:2, 3; 53:2, 3 saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, #Job 22:15-17for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. 13And God said to Noah, #Ezek. 7:2, 3, 6“I have determined to make an end of all flesh,#6:13 Hebrew The end of all flesh has come before me for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth. 14Make yourself an ark of gopher wood.#6:14 An unknown kind of tree; transliterated from Hebrew Make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch. 15This is how you are to make it: the length of the ark 300 cubits,#6:15 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters its breadth 50 cubits, and its height 30 cubits. 16Make a roof#6:16 Or skylight for the ark, and finish it to a cubit above, and set the door of the ark in its side. Make it with lower, second, and third decks. 17#ch. 7:4; 2 Pet. 2:5For behold, I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life under heaven. Everything that is on the earth shall die. 18But #ch. 9:9, 11I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall come into the ark, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you. 19And of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every sort into the ark to keep them alive with you. They shall be male and female. 20Of the birds according to their kinds, and of the animals according to their kinds, of every creeping thing of the ground, according to its kind, two of every sort shall come in to you to keep them alive. 21Also take with you every sort of food that is eaten, and store it up. It shall serve as food for you and for them.” 22#Heb. 11:7; [Ex. 40:16]Noah did this; he did all that God commanded him.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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Genesis 6
6
Chapter 6
1People began to grow in number all over the earth. They gave birth to daughters. 2The sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful. They chose for themselves any of them that they wanted to become their wives. #6:2 We do not know who ‘the sons of God’ were. They may have been men on the earth who trusted God. They may have been men who belonged to God in heaven, like angels. The ‘daughters of men’ were women who lived on the earth.
3The Lord said, ‘My Spirit will not give life to humans for ever. One day they will die. I will not let them live for more than 120 years. Then they will die.’
4The Nephilites lived on the earth at that time, and for some time after that. During that time, the sons of God were having sex with the daughters of men, who gave birth to their children. The Nephilites were famous great men and fighters.
5The Lord saw that men and women on the earth had become very bad. They thought only of evil things all the time. 6The Lord was sorry that he had made humans and put them on the earth. He became very upset. 7So the Lord said, ‘I made humans, but now I will destroy them. I will completely take them off the earth. As well as human people, I will also destroy the animals, the living things that move on the ground, and the birds. I am sorry that I made them.’
8But as for Noah, the Lord was happy about him. #6:8 Men and women turned against God. God felt very sad. Noah was different from the other people on the earth at that time. God was happy with him. The next verses tell us why God was happy about Noah.
God saves Noah
9This is the report about Noah and his family.
Noah was a good man. He was the only person at that time who lived in a completely right way. He stayed near to God in his life. 10Noah became the father of Shem, Ham and Japheth.
11God saw that everything on the earth had become spoiled. Everywhere, people were attacking each other. 12God saw how much the earth had become spoiled. Everyone was doing bad things. 13God said to Noah, ‘I will destroy everyone. That is what I have decided to do. Everywhere on the earth, people are attacking each other. Now I will destroy the people and also the earth. 14So make a ship for yourself. Use wood from cypress trees to make it.#6:14 Cypress trees are trees with hard wood. The ship must have rooms in it. Cover the inside and the outside of the ship with tar. #6:14 Tar stops water coming into the ship.
15This is how you will build the ship: It must be 150 metres long, 25 metres wide and 15 metres high.
16Make a roof for the ship. Leave a space 45 centimetres high all round under the roof. Put a door in the side of the ship. Inside the ship, make three floors above each other.
17I will cover the earth with deep water. I will destroy all living things, wherever they live. Everything that breathes will die. 18But I will make a covenant with you, Noah. You will go into the ship. You will take your wife with you, and also your three sons and their wives. 19You must also take two of every different kind of animal into the ship. One will be male and the other will be female. Then they will stay alive with you. 20Bring two of every different kind of bird, two of every different animal and two of every different living thing that moves along the ground. All these will come to you. You will take care of them so that they will stay alive. 21You must also take every different kind of food. That will be food for you and food for the animals.’
22Noah obeyed God. He did everything that God had told him to do.
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