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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.

God destroys people and animals

Then the Lord said to Noah, ‘Go into the ship. Take your wife and family with you. I can see that you alone do what is right, among all the people on the earth.

Take seven of every different kind of clean animal. Take a male and a female together. Take two of every different kind of unclean animal. Take a male and a female together. Take seven of every kind of bird. Take males and females. Do this so that they will give birth to young ones. Then each different kind of animal and bird will continue to live on the earth.[e]

In seven days, I will cause rain to fall on the earth. It will rain for 40 days and 40 nights. In that way, I will destroy every living thing that I have made on the earth.’

Noah did everything that God told him to do.

Noah was 600 years old when the deep water covered the earth. Noah and his wife went into the ship. His sons and their wives also went in. They all went into the ship to be safe from the deep water. Pairs of clean animals and unclean animals came to Noah in the ship.[f] Also, pairs of birds and pairs of all the living things that move across the ground came to him. Each pair was one male and one female. They all came to Noah in the ship. Everything happened as God had said to Noah. 10 After seven days had passed, God sent the deep water to cover the earth.

11 When Noah was 600 years old, on the 17th day of the second month, streams of water came up everywhere from below the earth. Also, the water in the heavens poured down on the earth. 12 Rain fell on the earth for 40 days and 40 nights.

13 On the day that the rain began to fall, Noah and his wife went into the ship. Noah's three sons (Shem, Ham and Japheth) and their three wives also went in. 14 With them was every different kind of wild animal and every different kind of farm animal. They also had with them every kind of living thing that moves along the ground. Every different kind of bird and other flying things were there too. 15 Pairs of every kind of animal that lived came to Noah and went into the ship.[g] 16 Each pair was one male and one female. This happened in the way that God had told Noah. When they were all in the ship, the Lord shut the door.

17 For 40 days, the water on the earth became deeper. The water lifted the ship high above the ground.

18 The water became even deeper and completely covered the earth. The ship went safely on top of the water. 19 More water came until it covered all the high mountains on the earth. 20 The water still became deeper so that it was more than 6 metres higher than the tops of the mountains.

21 As a result, everything that had lived on the earth now died. The birds, the farm animals and the wild animals died. Every living thing that moved across the ground died, and so did all the people. 22 Everything that lived on the dry land died. Nothing could breathe any more. 23 God destroyed everything that lived on the earth. He destroyed people, animals, living things that move across the ground, and birds. God removed them from the earth. Only Noah and his family, together with the animals that were in the ship, stayed alive.

24 The deep water covered the earth for 150 days.

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.
  5. 7:3 Clean animals are the kinds of animal that God accepted as a sacrifice. God told Noah to take more clean animals so that Noah could offer a sacrifice to God. There would still be animals that remained to give birth to young animals.
  6. 7:8 God told the animals to go to Noah.
  7. 7:15 The fish and other beings that always live in the sea were safe in the deep water. See Genesis 1:21-25.

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。

洪水氾濫

耶和華對挪亞說:「你和你一家都進入方舟,因為這個世代只有你在我眼中是義人。 潔淨的動物,你要每樣帶七公七母,不潔淨的動物每樣帶一公一母, 飛鳥每樣帶七公七母,叫牠們以後可以在地上繁衍後代。 因為七天之後,我要在地上降雨四十晝夜,毀滅我所造的一切生靈。」 凡耶和華所吩咐的,挪亞都照辦了。

洪水氾濫的那一年,挪亞正好六百歲。 挪亞與妻子、兒子們和兒媳們都進了方舟,躲避洪水。 潔淨的動物、不潔淨的動物、飛禽和地上的一切爬蟲, 都一公一母成對地到挪亞那裡,進了方舟,正如上帝對挪亞的吩咐。 10 那七天過後,洪水在地上氾濫起來。

11 挪亞六百歲那年的二月[b]十七日,所有深淵的泉源都裂開了,天上的水閘也打開了, 12 地上傾盆大雨降了四十晝夜。 13 那天,挪亞與他的兒子閃、含和雅弗,還有挪亞的妻子和三個兒媳婦都進了方舟。 14 所有的野獸、牲畜、地上的爬蟲和飛鳥都按種類進入方舟。 15-16 這些動物都一公一母成對地到挪亞那裡,進入方舟,正如上帝對挪亞的吩咐。耶和華關上了方舟的門。

17 洪水在地上氾濫了四十天,水不斷地往上漲,把方舟漂了起來。 18 洪水來勢洶洶,淹沒大地,方舟漂浮在水面上。 19 水勢越來越大,把天下各處的高山都淹沒了。 20 水淹沒了群山,水面高出群山七米。 21 世上所有的飛禽、走獸、牲畜、爬蟲和人類都死了。 22 在陸地上所有用鼻孔呼吸的生靈都死了。 23 地上的人類、飛禽走獸和爬蟲等一切生靈都被毀滅了,只剩下挪亞和跟他同在方舟裡的生靈。 24 洪水淹沒大地一百五十天。

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。
  2. 7·11 二月」按猶太曆計算,本卷書所用月份都是按猶太曆計算。

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)

The Lord then said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and your whole family,(AP) because I have found you righteous(AQ) in this generation. Take with you seven pairs of every kind of clean(AR) animal, a male and its mate, and one pair of every kind of unclean animal, a male and its mate, and also seven pairs of every kind of bird, male and female, to keep their various kinds alive(AS) throughout the earth. Seven days from now I will send rain(AT) on the earth(AU) for forty days(AV) and forty nights,(AW) and I will wipe from the face of the earth every living creature I have made.(AX)

And Noah did all that the Lord commanded him.(AY)

Noah was six hundred years old(AZ) when the floodwaters came on the earth. And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives entered the ark(BA) to escape the waters of the flood. Pairs of clean and unclean(BB) animals, of birds and of all creatures that move along the ground, male and female, came to Noah and entered the ark, as God had commanded Noah.(BC) 10 And after the seven days(BD) the floodwaters came on the earth.

11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life,(BE) on the seventeenth day of the second month(BF)—on that day all the springs of the great deep(BG) burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens(BH) were opened. 12 And rain fell on the earth forty days and forty nights.(BI)

13 On that very day Noah and his sons,(BJ) Shem, Ham and Japheth, together with his wife and the wives of his three sons, entered the ark.(BK) 14 They had with them every wild animal according to its kind, all livestock according to their kinds, every creature that moves along the ground according to its kind and every bird according to its kind,(BL) everything with wings. 15 Pairs of all creatures that have the breath of life in them came to Noah and entered the ark.(BM) 16 The animals going in were male and female of every living thing, as God had commanded Noah.(BN) Then the Lord shut him in.

17 For forty days(BO) the flood kept coming on the earth, and as the waters increased they lifted the ark high above the earth. 18 The waters rose and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the surface of the water. 19 They rose greatly on the earth, and all the high mountains under the entire heavens were covered.(BP) 20 The waters rose and covered the mountains to a depth of more than fifteen cubits.[g][h] (BQ) 21 Every living thing that moved on land perished—birds, livestock, wild animals, all the creatures that swarm over the earth, and all mankind.(BR) 22 Everything on dry land that had the breath of life(BS) in its nostrils died. 23 Every living thing on the face of the earth was wiped out; people and animals and the creatures that move along the ground and the birds were wiped from the earth.(BT) Only Noah was left, and those with him in the ark.(BU)

24 The waters flooded the earth for a hundred and fifty days.(BV)

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.
  7. Genesis 7:20 That is, about 23 feet or about 6.8 meters
  8. Genesis 7:20 Or rose more than fifteen cubits, and the mountains were covered

And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,

That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.

And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.

There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.

And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.

And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.

But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.

These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.

10 And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.

12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.

13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

14 Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.

15 And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits.

16 A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it.

17 And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die.

18 But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons' wives with thee.

19 And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female.

20 Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the earth after his kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive.

21 And take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten, and thou shalt gather it to thee; and it shall be for food for thee, and for them.

22 Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.

And the Lord said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.

Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female.

Of fowls also of the air by sevens, the male and the female; to keep seed alive upon the face of all the earth.

For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth.

And Noah did according unto all that the Lord commanded him.

And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth.

And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him, into the ark, because of the waters of the flood.

Of clean beasts, and of beasts that are not clean, and of fowls, and of every thing that creepeth upon the earth,

There went in two and two unto Noah into the ark, the male and the female, as God had commanded Noah.

10 And it came to pass after seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon the earth.

11 In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.

12 And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights.

13 In the selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah's wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark;

14 They, and every beast after his kind, and all the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind, and every fowl after his kind, every bird of every sort.

15 And they went in unto Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein is the breath of life.

16 And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and the Lord shut him in.

17 And the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and bare up the ark, and it was lift up above the earth.

18 And the waters prevailed, and were increased greatly upon the earth; and the ark went upon the face of the waters.

19 And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high hills, that were under the whole heaven, were covered.

20 Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered.

21 And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of beast, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man:

22 All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died.

23 And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark.

24 And the waters prevailed upon the earth an hundred and fifty days.