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This is the history of the generations of Noah: Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time. Noah walked with God. 10 Noah became the father of three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. 11 The earth was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. 12 God saw the earth, and saw that it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.

13 God said to Noah, “I will bring an end to all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them and the earth. 14 Make a ship of gopher wood. You shall make rooms in the ship, and shall seal it inside and outside with pitch. 15 This is how you shall make it. The length of the ship shall be three hundred cubits,[a] its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. 16 You shall make a roof in the ship, and you shall finish it to a cubit upward. You shall set the door of the ship in its side. You shall make it with lower, second, and third levels. 17 I, even I, will bring the flood of waters on this earth, to destroy all flesh having the breath of life from under the sky. Everything that is in the earth will die. 18 But I will establish my covenant with you. You shall come into the ship, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you. 19 Of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every sort into the ship, to keep them alive with you. They shall be male and female. 20 Of the birds after their kind, of the livestock after their kind, of every creeping thing of the ground after its kind, two of every sort will come to you, to keep them alive. 21 Take with you some of all food that is eaten, and gather it to yourself; and it will be for food for you, and for them.” 22 Thus Noah did. He did all that God commanded him.

Yahweh said to Noah, “Come with all of your household into the ship, for I have seen your righteousness before me in this generation. You shall take seven pairs of every clean animal with you, the male and his female. Of the animals that are not clean, take two, the male and his female. Also of the birds of the sky, seven and seven, male and female, to keep seed alive on the surface of all the earth. In seven days, I will cause it to rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights. I will destroy every living thing that I have made from the surface of the ground.”

Noah did everything that Yahweh commanded him.

Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters came on the earth. Noah went into the ship with his sons, his wife, and his sons’ wives, because of the floodwaters. Clean animals, unclean animals, birds, and everything that creeps on the ground went by pairs to Noah into the ship, male and female, as God commanded Noah. 10 After the seven days, the floodwaters came on the earth. 11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst open, and the sky’s windows opened. 12 It rained on the earth forty days and forty nights.

13 In the same day Noah, and Shem, Ham, and Japheth—the sons of Noah—and Noah’s wife and the three wives of his sons with them, entered into the ship— 14 they, and every animal after its kind, all the livestock after their kind, every creeping thing that creeps on the earth after its kind, and every bird after its kind, every bird of every sort. 15 Pairs from all flesh with the breath of life in them went into the ship to Noah. 16 Those who went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God commanded him; then Yahweh shut him in. 17 The flood was forty days on the earth. The waters increased, and lifted up the ship, and it was lifted up above the earth. 18 The waters rose, and increased greatly on the earth; and the ship floated on the surface of the waters. 19 The waters rose very high on the earth. All the high mountains that were under the whole sky were covered. 20 The waters rose fifteen cubits[b] higher, and the mountains were covered. 21 All flesh died that moved on the earth, including birds, livestock, animals, every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, and every man. 22 All on the dry land, in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life, died. 23 Every living thing was destroyed that was on the surface of the ground, including man, livestock, creeping things, and birds of the sky. They were destroyed from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those who were with him in the ship. 24 The waters flooded the earth one hundred fifty days.

God remembered Noah, all the animals, and all the livestock that were with him in the ship; and God made a wind to pass over the earth. The waters subsided. The deep’s fountains and the sky’s windows were also stopped, and the rain from the sky was restrained. The waters continually receded from the earth. After the end of one hundred fifty days the waters receded. The ship rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on Ararat’s mountains. The waters receded continually until the tenth month. In the tenth month, on the first day of the month, the tops of the mountains were visible.

At the end of forty days, Noah opened the window of the ship which he had made, and he sent out a raven. It went back and forth, until the waters were dried up from the earth. He himself sent out a dove to see if the waters were abated from the surface of the ground, but the dove found no place to rest her foot, and she returned into the ship to him, for the waters were on the surface of the whole earth. He put out his hand, and took her, and brought her to him into the ship. 10 He waited yet another seven days; and again he sent the dove out of the ship. 11 The dove came back to him at evening and, behold, in her mouth was a freshly plucked olive leaf. So Noah knew that the waters were abated from the earth. 12 He waited yet another seven days, and sent out the dove; and she didn’t return to him any more.

13 In the six hundred first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from the earth. Noah removed the covering of the ship, and looked. He saw that the surface of the ground was dry. 14 In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth was dry.

15 God spoke to Noah, saying, 16 “Go out of the ship, you, your wife, your sons, and your sons’ wives with you. 17 Bring out with you every living thing that is with you of all flesh, including birds, livestock, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply on the earth.”

18 Noah went out, with his sons, his wife, and his sons’ wives with him. 19 Every animal, every creeping thing, and every bird, whatever moves on the earth, after their families, went out of the ship.

Footnotes

  1. 6:15 A cubit is the length from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow on a man’s arm, or about 18 inches or 46 centimeters.
  2. 7:20 A cubit is the length from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow on a man’s arm, or about 18 inches or 46 centimeters.

Noah Obeys God

These are the family records[a] of Noah: Noah was a righteous man. Blameless during his times,[b] Noah communed[c] with God. 10 Noah fathered three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. 11 By this time, the earth had become ruined in God’s opinion[d] and filled with violence. 12 God looked at the earth, observing how corrupt its population had become, because the entire human race[e] had corrupted itself.[f] 13 So God announced to Noah, “I’ve decided to destroy every living thing on earth,[g] 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,[h] constructing compartments in it, and cover it inside and out with tar. 15 Make the ark like this: 300 cubits[i] long, 50 cubits[j] wide, and 30 cubits[k] high. 16 Make a roof[l] for the ark, and finish the walls[m] to within one cubit[n] from the top.[o] 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[p] 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[q] into the ark so they may remain alive with you. They are to be male and female. 20 From birds according to their species,[r] from domestic animals according to their species,[s] and from everything that crawls on the ground according to their species[t]—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.”[u]

22 Noah did all of this, precisely as[v] God had commanded.

Entering the Ark

Then the Lord told Noah, “Come—you and all your household—into the ark, because I’ve seen that you alone are righteous[w] in this generation. You are to take with you seven pairs[x] of every clean animal, a male and its mate, and two of the unclean animals, a male and its mate; along with seven pairs[y] of the flying birds, male and female, in order to keep their offspring alive on the surface of all the earth. Seven days from now I’ll send rain on the earth for 40 days and 40 nights, and I’ll destroy every living creature that I’ve made.”

Noah did everything that the Lord commanded.

The Flood Begins

Noah was 600 years old when water began to flood the earth. Noah, his sons, his wife, and his sons’ wives entered the ark with him before the flood waters arrived.[z] From both clean and unclean animals, from birds, and from everything that crawls on the ground, two by two, male and female, they entered the ark to join Noah, just as God had commanded.

10 Seven days later, the flooding started. 11 On the seventeenth day of the second month, when Noah was 600 years old, all the springs of the great deep burst open, the floodgates of the heavens were opened, 12 and it rained throughout the earth for 40 days and 40 nights. 13 On that very day, Noah entered the ark with his[aa] sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth, Noah’s wife, his sons’ three wives with them, 14 along with every species of wild animal,[ab] livestock, crawling creature, bird, and every creature that has wings. 15 Two of each living creature[ac] entered the ark with Noah. 16 The males and females of each living creature[ad] entered the ark,[ae] just as God had commanded. Then the Lord sealed them inside.

17 The flood continued throughout the earth for 40 days, while the flood waters increased, lifting the ark so that it rose above the surface of the[af] earth. 18 The flood waters continued to surge, increasing throughout the earth, while the ark floated on the surface of the flood water. 19 The flood water surged even higher throughout the earth, until all the highest mountains under the sky were covered. 20 The flood waters rose 15 cubits[ag] above the mountains. 21 Every living thing[ah] on earth died—flying creatures, livestock, wildlife, all creatures that swarm over the earth, and all human beings. 22 Everything that breathed[ai] and everything that had lived on dry land died. 23 All existing creatures that had lived on the surface of the ground were annihilated, from humans to livestock, from crawling creatures to birds of the sky. They were wiped off the earth. Only Noah remained, along with those who were with him in the ark. 24 The flood waters surged over the earth for 150 days.

The Waters Recede

God kept Noah in mind, along with all the wildlife[aj] and livestock that were with him in the ark. God’s Spirit[ak] moved throughout the earth, causing the flood waters to subside. The water sources from the ocean depths were blocked and the floodgates of the heavens were closed. Then the flood waters steadily receded,[al] diminishing completely by the end of the 150 days. The ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat[am] on the seventeenth day of the seventh month. The flood water continued to recede until the tenth month, when, on the first of that month, the tops of the mountains could be seen.

After 40 days, Noah opened the window of the ark that he had built and sent out a raven. It went back and forth as the flood water continued to evaporate throughout the earth. Later, he sent a dove out from the ark[an] to see whether the water that covered the land’s surface had completely[ao] receded, but the dove could not yet find a place to rest,[ap] so it returned to Noah[aq] on the ark, since water still covered the land. Noah reached out his hand and took the dove back[ar] into the ark with him.

10 Noah[as] waited another seven days and sent the dove out from the ark again. 11 The dove returned to him in the evening, but in its beak there was an olive leaf that it had plucked! So Noah knew that the flood waters had decreased on the land. 12 He waited seven more days and sent the dove out again, but it did not return to him anymore.

13 In the six hundred and first year of Noah’s life,[at] during the first month, the flood water began to evaporate from the land. Noah then removed the ark’s cover and saw that the surface of the land was drying. 14 By the twenty-seventh day of the second month, the ground was dry.

The Lord’s Covenant

15 God spoke to Noah, 16 “It’s time for you, your wife, your sons, and your sons’ wives who are with you to leave the ark. 17 Bring out with you every living creature—including the flying creatures, animals, and everything that crawls on the ground—so they may disperse throughout the land, be fruitful, and multiply throughout the earth.” 18 So Noah, his sons, his wife, and his sons’ wives emerged. 19 Every animal, every crawling thing, every flying creature, and everything that moves on the earth emerged from the ark by groups.[au]

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 6:9 Or the generations
  2. Genesis 6:9 Or generations
  3. Genesis 6:9 Lit. lifetime, Noah walked
  4. Genesis 6:11 Lit. sight
  5. Genesis 6:12 Lit. all the flesh on the earth
  6. Genesis 6:12 Lit. corrupted their ways
  7. Genesis 6:13 Lit. The end of all flesh has come before me
  8. Genesis 6:14 Or cypress
  9. Genesis 6:15 I.e. about 450 feet
  10. Genesis 6:15 I.e. about 75 feet
  11. Genesis 6:15 I.e. about 45 feet
  12. Genesis 6:16 Or cupola
  13. Genesis 6:16 The Heb. lacks the walls
  14. Genesis 6:16 I.e. about one and a half feet
  15. Genesis 6:16 I.e. for a skylight
  16. Genesis 6:17 Lit. thing under heaven
  17. Genesis 6:19 Lit. every kind of flesh
  18. Genesis 6:20 Lit. kind
  19. Genesis 6:20 Lit. kind
  20. Genesis 6:20 Lit. kind
  21. Genesis 6:21 Lit. and them
  22. Genesis 6:22 Lit. this, everything that
  23. Genesis 7:1 Lit. righteous before me
  24. Genesis 7:2 Lit. seven seven
  25. Genesis 7:3 Lit. seven seven
  26. Genesis 7:7 The Heb. lacks arrived
  27. Genesis 7:13 Lit. Noah’s
  28. Genesis 7:14 I.e., non-domesticated animals, as opposed to domesticated livestock
  29. Genesis 7:15 Lit. each of all flesh in which there was life
  30. Genesis 7:16 Lit. of all flesh
  31. Genesis 7:16 The Heb. lacks the ark
  32. Genesis 7:17 The Heb. lacks surface of the
  33. Genesis 7:20 I.e. about 22 and a half feet
  34. Genesis 7:21 Lit. flesh that moves
  35. Genesis 7:22 Lit. that had breath in its nostrils
  36. Genesis 8:1 I.e., non-domesticated animals, as opposed to domesticated livestock
  37. Genesis 8:1 Or wind
  38. Genesis 8:3 Lit. receded from the dry land
  39. Genesis 8:4 I.e. ancient Urartu
  40. Genesis 8:8 Lit. from his presence
  41. Genesis 8:8 The Heb. lacks completely
  42. Genesis 8:9 Lit. rest for its foot
  43. Genesis 8:9 Lit. him
  44. Genesis 8:9 Lit. took it
  45. Genesis 8:10 Lit. He
  46. Genesis 8:13 The Heb. lacks of Noah’s life
  47. Genesis 8:19 Lit. by their groups