Human Corruption

1Now after the population of human beings had increased throughout thea earth, and daughters had been born to them, 2some divine beingsb noticed how attractive human womenc were, so they took wives for themselves from a selection that pleased them.d 3So the LORD said, “My Spirit won’t remaine with human beings forever, because they’re truly mortal.f Their lifespang will be 120 years.”

4The Nephilimh were on the earth at that timei (and also immediately afterward), when those divine beingsj were having sexual relations withk those human women,l who gave birth to children for them. These childrenm became the heroes and legendary figures of ancient times.n

God Decides to Destroy the World

5The LORD saw that human evil was growing more and more throughout the earth, with every inclination of people’s thoughtso becoming only evil on a continuous basis. 6Then the LORD regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and he was deeply grieved about that.p 7So the LORD said, “I will annihilate these human beings whom I’ve created from theq earth, including people, animals, crawling things, and flying creatures, because I’m grieving that I made them.” 8The LORD was pleased with Noah, however.

Noah Obeys God

9These are the family recordsr of Noah: Noah was a righteous man. Blameless during his times,s Noah communedt with God. 10Noah fathered three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. 11By this time, the earth had become ruined in God’s opinionu and filled with violence. 12God looked at the earth, observing how corrupt its population had become, because the entire human racev had corrupted itself.w 13So 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. 14So make yourself an ark out of cedar,y constructing compartments in it, and cover it inside and out with tar. 15Make the ark like this: 300 cubitsz long, 50 cubitsaa wide, and 30 cubitsbb high. 16Make a roofcc for the ark, and finish the wallsdd to within one cubitee from the top.ff 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 thinggg that breathes. Everything on earth will die. 18However, I will establish my own covenant with you, and you are to enter the ark—you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives. 19You are to bring two of every living thinghh into the ark so they may remain alive with you. They are to be male and female. 20From birds according to their species,ii from domestic animals according to their species,jj and from everything that crawls on the ground according to their specieskk —two of everything will come to you so they may remain alive. 21For your part, take some of the edible food and store it away—these stores will be food for you and the animals.”ll

22Noah did all of this, precisely asmm God had commanded.