7 The Lord then said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and your whole family,^(A) because I have found you righteous^(B) in this generation.

³⁷ As it was in the days of Noah,^(A) so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. ³⁸ For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage,^(B) up to the day Noah entered the ark; ³⁹ and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.^(C)

⁵ if he did not spare the ancient world^(A) when he brought the flood on its ungodly people,^(B) but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others;^{(C) 6} if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes,^(D) and made them an example^(E) of what is going to happen to the ungodly;^{(F) 7} and if he rescued Lot,^(G) a righteous man, who was distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless^{(H) 8} (for that righteous man,^(I) living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)— ⁹ if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials^(J) and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment.^(K)

Noah and the Flood

⁹ This is the account^(A) of Noah and his family.

Noah was a righteous man, blameless^(B) among the people of his time,^(C) and he walked faithfully with God.^(D)

¹³ On that very day Noah and his sons,^(A) Shem, Ham and Japheth, together with his wife and the wives of his three sons, entered the ark.^(B)

²⁰ to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently^(A) in the days of Noah while the ark was being built.^(B) In it only a few people, eight in all,^(C) were saved^(D) through water,

⁷ By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen,^(A) in holy fear built an ark^(B) to save his family.^(C) By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith.^(D)

⁴ and said to him, “Go throughout the city of Jerusalem^(A) and put a mark^(B) on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament^(C) over all the detestable things that are done in it.^(D)”

⁵ As I listened, he said to the others, “Follow him through the city and kill, without showing pity^(E) or compassion.^{(F) 6} Slaughter^(G) the old men, the young men and women, the mothers and children,^(H) but do not touch anyone who has the mark.^(I) Begin at my sanctuary.” So they began with the old men^(J) who were in front of the temple.^(K)