³ Then the Lord said, “My Spirit^(A) will not contend with^[a] humans forever,^(B) for they are mortal^[b];^(C) their days will be a hundred and twenty years.”

⁴ The Nephilim^(D) were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of humans^(E) and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.^(F)

⁵ The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth,^(G) and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.^{(H) 6} The Lord regretted^(I) that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. ⁷ So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth^(J) 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.^(K)” ⁸ But Noah^(L) found favor in the eyes of the Lord.^(M)

Noah and the Flood

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

Noah was a righteous man, blameless^(O) among the people of his time,^(P) and he walked faithfully with God.^{(Q) 10} Noah had three sons: Shem,^(R) Ham and Japheth.^(S)

¹¹ Now the earth was corrupt^(T) in God’s sight and was full of violence.^{(U) 12} God saw how corrupt^(V) the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways.^(W)