6 In time, when men began to multiply on earth, and daughters were born to them, ² the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were attractive; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose. ³ Adonai said, “My Spirit will not live in human beings forever, for they too are flesh; therefore their life span is to be 120 years.” ⁴ The N’filim were on the earth in those days, and also afterwards, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them; these were the ancient heroes, men of renown.

(Maftir) ⁵ Adonai saw that the people on earth were very wicked, that all the imaginings of their hearts were always of evil only. ⁶ Adonai regretted that he had made humankind on the earth; it grieved his heart. ⁷ Adonai said, “I will wipe out humankind, whom I have created, from the whole earth; and not only human beings, but animals, creeping things and birds in the air; for I regret that I ever made them.” ⁸ But Noach found grace in the sight of Adonai.

Haftarah B’resheet: Yesha‘yahu (Isaiah) 42:5–43:10 (A); 42:5–21 (S)

B’rit Hadashah suggested readings for Parashah B’resheet: Mattityahu (Matthew) 1:1–17; 19:3–9; Mark 10:1–12; Luke 3:23–38; Yochanan (John) 1:1–18; 1 Corinthians 6:15–20; 15:35–58; Romans 5:12–21; Ephesians 5:21–32; Colossians 1:14–17; 1 Timothy 2:11–15; Messianic Jews (Hebrews) 1:1–3; 3:7–4:11; 11:1–7; 2 Kefa (2 Peter) 3:3–14; Revelation 21:1–5; 22:1–5

Parashah 2: Noach (Noah) 6:9–11:32

⁹ Here is the history of Noach. In his generation, Noach was a man righteous and wholehearted; Noach walked with God. ¹⁰ Noach fathered three sons, Shem, Ham and Yefet. ¹¹ The earth was corrupt before God, the earth was filled with violence. ¹² God saw the earth, and, yes, it was corrupt; for all living beings had corrupted their ways on the earth.

¹³ God said to Noach, “The end of all living beings has come before me, for because of them the earth is filled with violence. I will destroy them along with the earth. ¹⁴ Make yourself an ark of gofer-wood; you are to make the ark with rooms and cover it with pitch both outside and inside. ¹⁵ Here is how you are to build it: the length of the ark is to be 450 feet, its width seventy-five feet and its height forty-five feet. ¹⁶ You are to make an opening for daylight in the ark eighteen inches below its roof. Put a door in its side; and build it with lower, second and third decks.

¹⁷ “Then I myself will bring the flood of water over the earth to destroy from under heaven every living thing that breathes; everything on earth will be destroyed. ¹⁸ But I will establish my covenant with you; you will come into the ark, you, your sons, your wife and your sons’ wives with you.

¹⁹ “From everything living, from each kind of living being, you are to bring two into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they are to be male and female. ²⁰ Of each kind of bird, each kind of livestock, and each kind of animal creeping on the ground, two are to come to you, so that they can be kept alive. ²¹ Also take from all the kinds of food that are eaten, and collect it for yourself; it is to be food for you and for them.” ²² This is what Noach did; he did all that God ordered him to do.

6 ⁽¹⁶⁾ The sons of Levi: Gershom, K’hat and M’rari. ^2 (17) These are the names of the sons of Gershom: Livni and Shim‘i. ^3 (18) The sons of K’hat: ‘Amram, Yitz’har, Hevron and ‘Uzi’el. ^4 (19) The sons of M’rari: Machli and Mushi.

These are the families of the L’vi’im according to father’s clans: ^5 (20) [The descendants] of Gershom: his son Livni, his son Yachat, his son Zimah, ^6 (21) his son Yo’ach, his son ‘Iddo, his son Zerach, his son Ye’atrai.

^7 (22) The descendants of K’hat: his son ‘Amminadav, his son Korach, his son Asir, ^8 (23) his son Elkanah, his son Evyasaf, his son Asir, ^9 (24) his son Tachat, his son Uri’el, his son ‘Uziyah and his son Sha’ul. ^10 (25) The sons of Elkanah: ‘Amasai and Achimot. ^11 (26) As for Elkanah, the sons of Elkanah: his son Tzofai, his son Nachat, ^12 (27) his son Eli’av, his son Yerocham and his son Elkanah. ^13 (28) The sons of Sh’mu’el: Vashni the firstborn, then Aviyah.

^14 (29) The descendants of M’rari: Machli, his son Livni, his son Shim‘i, his son ‘Uzah, ^15 (30) his son Shim‘a, his son Hagiyah and his son ‘Asayah. ^16 (31) David appointed them to be in charge of the service of song in the house of Adonai after the ark had found a permanent resting place. ^17 (32) They served as singers before the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, until Shlomo had built the house of Adonai in Yerushalayim; and they carried out their tasks in a prescribed order.

^18 (33) Those who carried out these tasks and their descendants were — starting with descendants of the K’hati — Heman the singer, the son of Yo’el the son of Sh’mu’el, ^19 (34) the son of Elkanah, the son of Yerocham, the son of Eli’el, the son of Toach, ^20 (35) the son of Tzuf, the son of Elkanah, the son of Machat, the son of ‘Amasai, ^21 (36) the son of Elkanah, the son of Yo’el, the son of ‘Azaryah, the son of Tz’fanyah, ^22 (37) the son of Tachat, the son of Asir, the son of Evyasaf, the son of Korach, ^23 (38) the son of Yitz’har, the son of K’hat, the son of Levi, the son of Isra’el.

^24 (39) His brother Asaf, who stood on his right, was Asaf the son of Berekhyah, the son of Shim‘a, ^25 (40) the son of Mikha’el, the son of Ba‘aseyah, the son of Malkiyah, ^26 (41) the son of Etni, the son of Zerach the son of ‘Adayah, ^27 (42) the son of Eitan, the son of Zimah, the son of Shim‘i, ^28 (43) the son of Yachat, the son of Gershom, the son of Levi.

^29 (44) On the left were their kinsmen the descendants of M’rari: Eitan the son of Kishi, the son of ‘Avdi, the son of Malukh, ^30 (45) the son of Hashavyah, the son of Amatzyah, the son of Hilkiyah, ^31 (46) the son of Amtzi, the son of Bani, the son of Shemer, ^32 (47) the son of Machli, the son of Mushi, the son of M’rari, the son of Levi.

^33 (48) Their kinsmen the L’vi’im were put in charge of all the service of the tabernacle of the house of God.

^34 (49) But Aharon and his sons were the ones who offered on the altar of burnt offering and on the altar of incense for all the service of the Especially Holy Place and to make atonement for Isra’el, in keeping with all that Moshe the servant of God had ordered to be done. ^35 (50) These are the descendants of Aharon: his son El‘azar, his son Pinchas, his son Avishua, ^36 (51) his son Buki, his son ‘Uzi, his son Z’rachyah, ^37 (52) his son M’rayot, his son Amaryah, his son Achituv, ^38 (53) his son Tzadok and his son Achima‘atz.

^39 (54) These were the settlements of the descendants of Aharon according to the territories assigned them: to the descendants of Aharon, of the clans of the K’hati — for the first lot fell to them — ^40 (55) they gave Hevron in the land of Y’hudah with the open land surrounding it, ^41 (56) but the fields and the dependent villages of the city they gave to Kalev the son of Y’funeh. ^42 (57) To the descendants of Aharon they gave the city of refuge Hevron, also Livnah with its surrounding open land, Yatir, Esht’moa with its surrounding open land, ^43 (58) Hilen with its surrounding open land, D’vir with its surrounding open land, ^44 (59) ‘Ashan with its surrounding open land, Beit-Shemesh with its surrounding open land; ^45 (60) and out of the tribe of Binyamin: Geva with its surrounding open land, ‘Alemet with its surrounding open land and ‘Anatot with its surrounding open land. All the cities for all their clans amounted to thirteen cities.

^46 (61) The rest of the descendants of K’hat were assigned by lot, clan by clan, ten cities from the half-tribe of M’nasheh. ^47 (62) The descendants of Gershom were assigned, clan by clan, thirteen cities from the tribes of Yissakhar, Asher, Naftali and M’nasheh in Bashan. ^48 (63) To the descendants of M’rari were assigned by lot, clan by clan, twelve cities from the tribes of Re’uven, Gad and Z’vulun. ^49 (64) So the people of Isra’el gave the L’vi’im these cities with the surrounding open land. ^50 (65) From the tribes of the descendants of Y’hudah, Shim‘on and Binyamin they assigned these cities mentioned by name.

^51 (66) Some of the clans of the descendants of K’hat were given cities in territory from the tribe of Efrayim. ^52 (67) They gave them the city of refuge Sh’khem in the hills of Efrayim with the surrounding open land, also Gezer with the surrounding open land, ^53 (68) Yokme‘am with the surrounding open land, Beit-Horon with the surrounding open land, ^54 (69) Ayalon with the surrounding open land, and Gat-Rimmon with the surrounding open land; ^55 (70) and out of the half-tribe of M’nasheh: ‘Aner with the surrounding open land and Bil‘am with the surrounding open land, for the rest of the clans of the descendants of K’hat.

^56 (71) The descendants of Gershom were given, from the clans of the half-tribe of M’nasheh: Golan in Bashan with the surrounding open land and ‘Ashtarot with the surrounding open land; ^57 (72) and from the tribe of Yissakhar: Kedesh with the surrounding open land, Davrat with the surrounding open land, ^58 (73) Ramot with the surrounding open land and ‘Anem with the surrounding open land; ^59 (74) and from the tribe of Asher: Mashal with the surrounding open land, ‘Avdon with the surrounding open land, ^60 (75) Hukok with the surrounding open land and Rechov with the surrounding open land; ^61 (76) and from the tribe of Naftali: Kedesh in the Galil with the surrounding open land, Hamon with the surrounding open land and Kiryatayim with the surrounding open land.

^62 (77) To the rest [of the L’vi’im], the descendants of M’rari, were given, from the tribe of Z’vulun: Rimmono with the surrounding open land and Tavor with the surrounding open land; ^63 (78) and beyond the Yarden at Yericho, on the east side of the Yarden, they were given, from the tribe of Re’uven: Betzer in the desert with the surrounding open land, Yahatz with the surrounding open land, ^64 (79) K’demot with the surrounding open land and Mefa‘at with the surrounding open land; ^65 (80) and from the tribe of Gad: Ramot in Gil‘ad with the surrounding open land, Machanayim with the surrounding open land, ^66 (81) Heshbon with the surrounding open land and Ya‘zer with the surrounding open land.

3 In the fifteenth year of Emperor Tiberius’ rule; when Pontius Pilate was governor of Y’hudah, Herod ruler of the Galil, his brother Philip ruler of Iturea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene, ² with ‘Anan and Kayafa being the cohanim g’dolim; the word of God came to Yochanan Ben-Z’kharyah in the desert. ³ He went all through the Yarden region proclaiming an immersion involving turning to God from sin in order to be forgiven. ⁴ It was just as had been written in the book of the sayings of the prophet Yesha‘yahu,

⁷ Therefore, Yochanan said to the crowds who came out to be immersed by him, “You snakes! Who warned you to escape the coming punishment? ⁸ If you have really turned from your sins, produce fruit that will prove it! And don’t start saying to yourselves, ‘Avraham is our father’! For I tell you that God can raise up for Avraham sons from these stones! ⁹ Already the axe is at the root of the trees, ready to strike; every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown in the fire!”

¹⁰ The crowds asked Yochanan, “So then, what should we do?” ¹¹ He answered, “Whoever has two coats should share with somebody who has none, and whoever has food should do the same.” ¹² Tax-collectors also came to be immersed; and they asked him, “Rabbi, what should we do?” ¹³ “Collect no more than the government assesses,” he told them. ¹⁴ Some soldiers asked him, “What about us? What should we do?” To them he said, “Don’t intimidate anyone, don’t accuse people falsely, and be satisfied with your pay.”

¹⁵ The people were in a state of great expectancy, and everyone was wondering whether perhaps Yochanan himself might be the Messiah; ¹⁶ so Yochanan answered them all, “I am immersing you in water, but he who is coming is more powerful than I — I’m not worthy to untie his sandals! He will immerse you in the Ruach HaKodesh and in fire. ¹⁷ He has with him his winnowing fork to clear out his threshing floor and gather his wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the straw with unquenchable fire!”

¹⁸ And with many other warnings besides these he announced the Good News to the people.

¹⁹ But Yochanan also denounced Herod the regional governor for taking as his own wife Herodias, the wife of his brother, and for all the other wicked things Herod had done; ²⁰ whereupon Herod added this to the rest: he locked up Yochanan in prison.

²¹ While all the people were being immersed, Yeshua too was immersed. As he was praying, heaven was opened; ²² the Ruach HaKodesh came down on him in physical form like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, whom I love; I am well pleased with you.”