人類的邪惡

人類在地上逐漸增多,生了女兒。 上帝的兒子們[a]看見人的女兒漂亮,就隨意選來做妻子。 耶和華說:「人既然是血肉之軀,我的靈不會永遠住在人的裡面,然而人還可以活一百二十年。」 從那時起,地上出現了一些巨人,他們是上古有名的勇士,是上帝的兒子和人的女兒所生的後代。

耶和華看見人罪惡深重,心中終日思想惡事, 就後悔在地上造了人,心裡傷痛, 說:「我要把所造的人從地上除掉,連同一切飛禽走獸和爬蟲都除掉,我後悔造了他們。」 只有挪亞在耶和華面前蒙恩。

上帝命挪亞造方舟

以下是有關挪亞的記載。

挪亞是個義人,在當時的世代是個純全無過的人,他與上帝同行。 10 挪亞生了三個兒子:閃、含和雅弗。

11 當時的世界在上帝眼中非常敗壞,充滿了暴行。 12 上帝看見世界敗壞了,因為世人行為敗壞。 13 祂對挪亞說:「世人惡貫滿盈,他們的結局到了。我要把他們跟大地一起毀滅。 14 你要為自己用歌斐木建造一艘方舟,裡面要有艙房,內外都要塗上柏油。 15 你建造的方舟要長一百三十三米,寬二十二米,高十三米。 16 舟頂要有五十釐米高的透光口,門開在方舟的側面,整艘方舟要分為上、中、下三層。 17 看啊,我要使洪水在地上氾濫,毀滅天下。地上一切有氣息的生靈都要滅亡。 18 但我要跟你立約,你與妻子、兒子和兒媳都可以進方舟。 19 每種動物你要帶兩隻進方舟,雌雄各一隻,好保存牠們的生命。 20 各種飛禽走獸和爬蟲要按種類每樣一對到你那裡,好保住生命。 21 你要為自己和這些動物預備各種食物,貯存起來。」

22 挪亞就照著上帝的吩咐把事情都辦好了。

Footnotes

  1. 6·2 上帝的兒子」可能指塞特的後代,天使或有權勢的人。

People began to grow in number all over the earth. They gave birth to daughters. The 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.[a]

The 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.’

The 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.

The Lord saw that men and women on the earth had become very bad. They thought only of evil things all the time. The Lord was sorry that he had made humans and put them on the earth. He became very upset. So 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.’

But as for Noah, the Lord was happy about him.[b]

God saves Noah

This 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. 10 Noah became the father of Shem, Ham and Japheth.

11 God saw that everything on the earth had become spoiled. Everywhere, people were attacking each other. 12 God saw how much the earth had become spoiled. Everyone was doing bad things. 13 God 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. 14 So make a ship for yourself. Use wood from cypress trees to make it.[c] The ship must have rooms in it. Cover the inside and the outside of the ship with tar.[d]

15 This is how you will build the ship: It must be 150 metres long, 25 metres wide and 15 metres high.

16 Make 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.

17 I will cover the earth with deep water. I will destroy all living things, wherever they live. Everything that breathes will die. 18 But 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. 19 You 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. 20 Bring 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. 21 You must also take every different kind of food. That will be food for you and food for the animals.’

22 Noah obeyed God. He did everything that God had told him to do.

Footnotes

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 6:14 Cypress trees are trees with hard wood.
  4. 6:14 Tar stops water coming into the ship.

The Wickedness and Judgment of Man

Now it came to pass, (A)when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them, that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful; and they (B)took wives for themselves of all whom they chose.

And the Lord said, (C)“My Spirit shall not (D)strive[a] with man forever, (E)for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.” There were [b]giants on the earth in those (F)days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.

Then [c]the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every (G)intent[d] of the thoughts of his heart was only evil [e]continually. And (H)the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and (I)He was grieved in His (J)heart. So the Lord said, “I will (K)destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.” But Noah (L)found grace in the eyes of the Lord.

Noah Pleases God

This is the genealogy of Noah. (M)Noah was a just man, [f]perfect in his generations. Noah (N)walked with God. 10 And Noah begot three sons: (O)Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

11 The earth also was corrupt (P)before God, and the earth was (Q)filled with violence. 12 So God (R)looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for (S)all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.

The Ark Prepared(T)

13 And God said to Noah, (U)“The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; (V)and behold, (W)I will destroy them with the earth. 14 Make yourself an ark of gopherwood; make [g]rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and outside with pitch. 15 And this is how you shall make it: The length of the ark shall be three hundred [h]cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. 16 You shall make a window for the ark, and you shall finish it to a cubit from above; and set the door of the ark in its side. You shall make it with lower, second, and third decks. 17 (X)And behold, I Myself am bringing (Y)floodwaters on the earth, to destroy from under heaven all flesh in which is the breath of life; everything that is on the earth shall (Z)die. 18 But I will establish My (AA)covenant with you; and (AB)you shall go into the ark—you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you. 19 And of every living thing of all flesh you shall bring (AC)two of every sort into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female. 20 Of the birds after their kind, of animals after their kind, and of every creeping thing of the earth after its kind, two of every kind (AD)will come to you to keep them alive. 21 And you shall take for yourself of all food that is eaten, and you shall gather it to yourself; and it shall be food for you and for them.”

22 (AE)Thus Noah did; (AF)according to all that (AG)God commanded him, so he did.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 6:3 LXX, Syr., Tg., Vg. abide
  2. Genesis 6:4 Heb. nephilim, fallen or mighty ones
  3. Genesis 6:5 So with MT, Tg.; Vg. God; LXX Lord God
  4. Genesis 6:5 thought
  5. Genesis 6:5 all the day
  6. Genesis 6:9 blameless or having integrity
  7. Genesis 6:14 Lit. compartments or nests
  8. Genesis 6:15 A cubit is about 18 inches.

Wickedness in the World

When human beings began to increase in number on the earth(A) and daughters were born to them, the sons of God(B) saw that the daughters(C) of humans were beautiful,(D) and they married(E) any of them they chose. Then the Lord said, “My Spirit(F) will not contend with[a] humans forever,(G) for they are mortal[b];(H) their days will be a hundred and twenty years.”

The Nephilim(I) were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of humans(J) and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.(K)

The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth,(L) and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.(M) The Lord regretted(N) that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth(O) the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.(P) But Noah(Q) found favor in the eyes of the Lord.(R)

Noah and the Flood

This is the account(S) of Noah and his family.

Noah was a righteous man, blameless(T) among the people of his time,(U) and he walked faithfully with God.(V) 10 Noah had three sons: Shem,(W) Ham and Japheth.(X)

11 Now the earth was corrupt(Y) in God’s sight and was full of violence.(Z) 12 God saw how corrupt(AA) the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways.(AB) 13 So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy(AC) both them and the earth.(AD) 14 So make yourself an ark of cypress[c] wood;(AE) make rooms in it and coat it with pitch(AF) inside and out. 15 This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be three hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide and thirty cubits high.[d] 16 Make a roof for it, leaving below the roof an opening one cubit[e] high all around.[f] Put a door in the side of the ark and make lower, middle and upper decks. 17 I am going to bring floodwaters(AG) on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish.(AH) 18 But I will establish my covenant with you,(AI) and you will enter the ark(AJ)—you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you. 19 You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you.(AK) 20 Two(AL) of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind(AM) of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive.(AN) 21 You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them.”

22 Noah did everything just as God commanded him.(AO)

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 6:3 Or My spirit will not remain in
  2. Genesis 6:3 Or corrupt
  3. Genesis 6:14 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
  4. Genesis 6:15 That is, about 450 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet high or about 135 meters long, 23 meters wide and 14 meters high
  5. Genesis 6:16 That is, about 18 inches or about 45 centimeters
  6. Genesis 6:16 The meaning of the Hebrew for this clause is uncertain.