The Flood

6 Men began to increase their numbers on the earth, and daughters were born to them. 2The sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful. So they married any of them they chose.

3Then the Lord said, “My Spirit will not struggle with man forever. He will die. He will have only 120 years to live until I judge him.”

4The Nephilim were on the earth in those days. That was when the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them. The Nephilim were the heroes of long ago. They were famous men. Nephilim were also on the earth later on.

5The Lord saw how bad the sins of man had become on the earth. All of the thoughts in his heart were always directed only toward what was evil. 6The Lord was very sad that he had made man on the earth. His heart was filled with pain. 7So the Lord said, “I created man on the earth. But I will wipe them out. I will destroy people and animals alike. I will also destroy the creatures that move along the ground and the birds of the air. I am very sad that I have made man.”

8But the Lord was pleased with Noah.

9Here is the story of Noah.

Noah was a godly man. He was without blame among the people of his time. He walked with God. 10Noah had three sons. Their names were Shem, Ham and Japheth.

11The earth was very sinful in God’s eyes. It was full of mean and harmful acts. 12God saw how sinful the earth had become. All of the people on earth were leading very sinful lives.

13So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people. They have filled the earth with their harmful acts. You can be sure that I am going to destroy both them and the earth.

14“So make yourself an ark out of cypress wood. Make rooms in it. Cover it with tar inside and out. 15Here is how I want you to build it. The ark has to be 450 feet long. It has to be 75 feet wide and 45 feet high. 16Make a roof for it. Leave the sides of the ark open a foot and a half from the top. Put a door in one side of the ark. Make lower, middle and upper decks.

17“I am going to bring a flood on the earth. It will destroy all life under the sky. It will destroy every living creature that breathes. Everything on earth will die.

18“But I will make my covenant with you. You will enter the ark. Your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives will enter it with you.

19“Bring two of every living thing into the ark. Bring male and female of them into it. They will be kept alive with you. 20Two of every kind of bird will come to you. Two of every kind of animal will come to you. And two of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you. All of them will be kept alive with you.

21“Take every kind of food that you will need. Store it away. It will be food for you and for them.”

22Noah did everything exactly as God commanded him.