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.

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Genesis 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.

5 # 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.

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