Genesis 6
EasyEnglish Bible
6 People began to grow in number all over the earth. They gave birth to daughters. 2 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]
3 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.’
4 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.
5 The Lord saw that men and women on the earth had become very bad. They thought only of evil things all the time. 6 The Lord was sorry that he had made humans and put them on the earth. He became very upset. 7 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.’
8 But as for Noah, the Lord was happy about him.[b]
God saves Noah
9 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 6:14 Cypress trees are trees with hard wood.
- 6:14 Tar stops water coming into the ship.
Genesis 6
Expanded Bible
The Human Race Grows More Evil
6 The number of people on earth began to ·grow [multiply], and daughters were born to them. 2 When the ·sons of God [C may refer to godly men among Seth’s descendants (ch. 5), or noble men, or angels] saw that ·these girls [L the daughters of men/human beings; C either evil women among Cain’s descendants (4:17–24), poor women, or simply mortal women] were beautiful, they married any of them they chose [C though their identity is unclear, their marriage clearly violated a boundary]. 3 The Lord said, “My Spirit will not ·remain in [or contend with] human beings forever, because they are ·flesh [mortal]. ·They will live [L Their days will be] only 120 years.”
4 The ·Nephilim [L fallen ones; C the significance of the name is unclear] were on the earth in those days and also later. That was when the sons of God ·had sexual relations with [L came in to] the daughters of ·human beings [T man; C Hebrew: Adam; 1:27–28]. These women gave birth to children ·who became famous [L men of a name] and were the mighty warriors of long ago. [C The Nephilim of Num. 13:31–33, though not related genealogically, were giants, suggesting these pre-flood Nephilim were also.]
5 The Lord saw that the human beings on the earth were very ·wicked [evil] and that ·everything they thought about [L every inclination of their mind/heart] was ·evil [wicked]. 6 He ·was sorry [regretted] he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. 7 So the Lord said, “I will ·destroy [wipe/blot out; exterminate] all human beings that I ·made [created; 1:1] on the earth. And I will destroy every animal and everything that ·crawls [creeps] on the earth and the birds of the ·air [sky; heavens], because I ·am sorry [regret] I have made them.” 8 But Noah ·pleased [L found grace/favor in the eyes of] the Lord.
Noah and the Great Flood
9 This is the family history [2:4] of Noah. Noah was a ·good [righteous; just] man, the most ·innocent [blameless; Job 1:1] man of his ·time [generation], and he walked with God [5:24]. 10 He had three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth [9:18–10:32].
11 ·People on earth [L The earth] did what ·God said was evil [L was corrupt before God], and ·violence was everywhere [L the earth was filled with violence]. 12 When God saw that [L the earth was corrupt because] ·everyone [L all flesh] on the earth ·did only evil [L was corrupt], 13 God said to Noah, “·I have decided to bring an end to all living creatures [L The end of all flesh is coming before me]. Because people have made the earth full of violence, I will destroy all of them from the ·earth [land]. 14 ·Build [Make] ·a boat [L an ark] of ·cypress [or gopher; C the precise meaning is uncertain] wood for yourself. Make rooms in it and cover it inside and outside with ·tar [pitch]. 15 This is how ·big I want you to build the boat [L you should make it]: ·four hundred fifty feet [L three hundred cubits] long, ·seventy-five feet [L fifty cubits] wide, and ·forty-five feet [L thirty cubits] high. 16 Make an opening around the top of the boat [C probably a window] that is ·eighteen inches [L a cubit] high from the edge of the roof down. Put a door in the side of the boat. Make an ·upper, middle, and lower [L lower, second, and third] deck in it. 17 I will bring a flood of water on the earth to destroy all ·living things [L flesh] that live under ·the sky [heaven], including everything that has the breath of life. Everything on the earth will die. 18 But I will ·make [establish] an ·agreement [covenant; treaty] with you—you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives will all go into the boat. 19 Also, you must bring into the ·boat [L ark] two of ·every living thing [L all flesh], male and female. Keep them alive with you. 20 Two of every kind of bird, animal, and ·crawling [creeping] thing will come to you to be kept alive. 21 Also ·gather [take] some of every kind of food and store it on the boat as food for you and the animals.”
22 Noah did everything that God commanded him.
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