Human Corruption

6 Now after the population of human beings had increased throughout the^[a] earth, and daughters had been born to them, ² some divine beings^[b] noticed how attractive human women^[c] were, so they took wives for themselves from a selection that pleased them.^{[d] 3} So the Lord said, “My Spirit won’t remain^[e] with human beings forever, because they’re truly mortal.^[f] Their lifespan^[g] will be 120 years.”

⁴ The Nephilim^[h] were on the earth at that time^[i] (and also immediately afterward), when those divine beings^[j] were having sexual relations with^[k] those human women,^[l] who gave birth to children for them. These children^[m] became the heroes and legendary figures of ancient times.^[n]

God Decides to Destroy the World

⁵ The Lord saw that human evil was growing more and more throughout the earth, with every inclination of people’s thoughts^[o] becoming only evil on a continuous basis. ⁶ Then the Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and he was deeply grieved about that.^{[p] 7} So the Lord said, “I will annihilate these human beings whom I’ve created from the^[q] earth, including people, animals, crawling things, and flying creatures, because I’m grieving that I made them.” ⁸ However, the Lord was pleased with Noah.

Noah Obeys God

⁹ These are the family records^[r] of Noah: Noah was a righteous man. Blameless during his times,^[s] Noah communed^[t] with God. ¹⁰ Noah fathered three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. ¹¹ By this time, the earth had become ruined in God’s opinion^[u] and filled with violence. ¹² God looked at the earth, observing how corrupt its population had become, because the entire human race^[v] had corrupted itself.^{[w] 13} So God announced to Noah, “I’ve decided to destroy every living thing on earth,^[x] because it has become filled with violence due to them. Look! I’m about to annihilate them, along with the earth. ¹⁴ So make yourself an ark out of cedar,^[y] constructing compartments in it, and cover it inside and out with tar. ¹⁵ Make the ark like this: 300 cubits^[z] long, 50 cubits^[aa] wide, and 30 cubits^[ab] high. ¹⁶ Make a roof^[ac] for the ark, and finish the walls^[ad] to within one cubit^[ae] from the top.^[af] Place the entrance in the side of the ark, and build a lower, a middle, and an upper deck.

¹⁷ “For my part, I’m about to flood the earth with water and destroy every living thing^[ag] that breathes. Everything on earth will die. ¹⁸ However, I will establish my own covenant with you, and you are to enter the ark—you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives. ¹⁹ You are to bring two of every living thing^[ah] into the ark so they may remain alive with you. They are to be male and female. ²⁰ From birds according to their species,^[ai] from domestic animals according to their species,^[aj] and from everything that crawls on the ground according to their species^[ak]—two of everything will come to you so they may remain alive. ²¹ For your part, take some of the edible food and store it away—these stores will be food for you and the animals.”^[al]

²² Noah did all of this, precisely as^[am] God had commanded.