Genesis 6
English Standard Version
Increasing Corruption on Earth
6 When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, 2 the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose. 3 Then the Lord said, (A)“My Spirit shall not abide in[a] man forever, (B)for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.” 4 The Nephilim[b] were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown.
5 (C)The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every (D)intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And (E)the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it (F)grieved him to his heart. 7 So the Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.” 8 But Noah (G)found favor in the eyes of the Lord.
Noah and the Flood
9 These are the generations of Noah. (H)Noah was a righteous man, (I)blameless in his generation. Noah (J)walked with God. 10 And Noah had three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
11 Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight, and the earth was filled with violence. 12 And God (K)saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, (L)for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. 13 And God said to Noah, (M)“I have determined to make an end of all flesh,[c] for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth. 14 Make yourself an ark of gopher wood.[d] Make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch. 15 This is how you are to make it: the length of the ark 300 cubits,[e] its breadth 50 cubits, and its height 30 cubits. 16 Make a roof[f] for the ark, and finish it to a cubit above, and set the door of the ark in its side. Make it with lower, second, and third decks. 17 (N)For behold, I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life under heaven. Everything that is on the earth shall die. 18 But (O)I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall come 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 two of every sort into the ark to keep them alive with you. They shall be male and female. 20 Of the birds according to their kinds, and of the animals according to their kinds, of every creeping thing of the ground, according to its kind, two of every sort shall come in to you to keep them alive. 21 Also take with you every sort of food that is eaten, and store it up. It shall serve as food for you and for them.” 22 (P)Noah did this; he did all that God commanded him.
Footnotes
- Genesis 6:3 Or My Spirit shall not contend with
- Genesis 6:4 Or giants
- Genesis 6:13 Hebrew The end of all flesh has come before me
- Genesis 6:14 An unknown kind of tree; transliterated from Hebrew
- Genesis 6:15 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters
- Genesis 6:16 Or skylight
Genesis 6
International Standard Version
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.
Footnotes
- Genesis 6:1 Lit. increase on the surface of the
- Genesis 6:2 Lit. them, 2 the sons of God
- Genesis 6:2 Lit. attractive daughters of Adam
- Genesis 6:2 Lit. from all whom they had selected
- Genesis 6:3 Or contend
- Genesis 6:3 Lit. flesh
- Genesis 6:3 Lit. days
- Genesis 6:4 MT reads The Fallen Ones; LXX and Aram. read Giants; cf. Num 13:33
- Genesis 6:4 Lit. earth in those days
- Genesis 6:4 Or after, the sons of God
- Genesis 6:4 Lit. beings went in to
- Genesis 6:4 Lit. with Adam’s daughters
- Genesis 6:4 The Heb. lacks children
- Genesis 6:4 Lit. heroes of ancient times, men of renown
- Genesis 6:5 Lit. hearts
- Genesis 6:6 Lit. was grieved to the heart
- Genesis 6:7 Lit. the surface of the
- Genesis 6:9 Or the generations
- Genesis 6:9 Or generations
- Genesis 6:9 Lit. lifetime, Noah walked
- Genesis 6:11 Lit. sight
- Genesis 6:12 Lit. all the flesh on the earth
- Genesis 6:12 Lit. corrupted their ways
- Genesis 6:13 Lit. The end of all flesh has come before me
- Genesis 6:14 Or cypress
- Genesis 6:15 I.e. about 450 feet
- Genesis 6:15 I.e. about 75 feet
- Genesis 6:15 I.e. about 45 feet
- Genesis 6:16 Or cupola
- Genesis 6:16 The Heb. lacks the walls
- Genesis 6:16 I.e. about one and a half feet
- Genesis 6:16 I.e. for a skylight
- Genesis 6:17 Lit. thing under heaven
- Genesis 6:19 Lit. every kind of flesh
- Genesis 6:20 Lit. kind
- Genesis 6:20 Lit. kind
- Genesis 6:20 Lit. kind
- Genesis 6:21 Lit. and them
- Genesis 6:22 Lit. this, everything that
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