Increasing Corruption on Earth

When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose. 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.” 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.

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Footnotes

  1. Genesis 6:3 Or My Spirit shall not contend with
  2. Genesis 6:4 Or giants

Human Corruption

Now after the population of human beings had increased throughout the[a] earth, and daughters had been born to them, some divine beings[b] noticed how attractive human women[c] were, so they took wives for themselves from a selection that pleased them.[d] 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.”

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]

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Footnotes

  1. Genesis 6:1 Lit. increase on the surface of the
  2. Genesis 6:2 Lit. them, the sons of God
  3. Genesis 6:2 Lit. attractive daughters of Adam
  4. Genesis 6:2 Lit. from all whom they had selected
  5. Genesis 6:3 Or contend
  6. Genesis 6:3 Lit. flesh
  7. Genesis 6:3 Lit. days
  8. Genesis 6:4 MT reads The Fallen Ones; LXX and Aram. read Giants; cf. Num 13:33
  9. Genesis 6:4 Lit. earth in those days
  10. Genesis 6:4 Or after, the sons of God
  11. Genesis 6:4 Lit. beings went in to
  12. Genesis 6:4 Lit. with Adam’s daughters
  13. Genesis 6:4 The Heb. lacks children
  14. Genesis 6:4 Lit. heroes of ancient times, men of renown