Wickedness in the World
1When human beings began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, 2the sons of God saw that the daughters of humans were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose. 3Then the Lord said, “My Spirit will not contend with6:3 Or My spirit will not remain in humans forever, for they are mortal6:3 Or corrupt; their days will be a hundred and twenty years.”
4The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of humans and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.
5The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. 6The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. 7So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.” 8But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.
Noah and the Flood
9This is the account of Noah and his family.
Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God. 10Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth.
11Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. 12God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. 13So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. 14So make yourself an ark of cypress6:14 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain. wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out. 15This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be three hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide and thirty cubits high.6:15 That is, about 450 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet high or about 135 meters long, 23 meters wide and 14 meters high 16Make a roof for it, leaving below the roof an opening one cubit6:16 That is, about 18 inches or about 45 centimeters high all around.6:16 The meaning of the Hebrew for this clause is uncertain. Put a door in the side of the ark and make lower, middle and upper decks. 17I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish. 18But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark—you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you. 19You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you. 20Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive. 21You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them.”
22Noah did everything just as God commanded him.
O dilúvio
1Quando os homens começaram a multiplicar-se na Terra e assim foram nascendo mais mulheres, 2então os filhos de Deus repararam que as filhas dos homens eram belas, e tomaram para si as que quiseram. 3E o Senhor disse: “O meu Espírito não continuará a ser desonrado pelo homem, visto que é todo ele mau. Dou-lhe 120 anos de vida.”
4Naqueles dias, e mesmo depois, quando os filhos de Deus tiveram relações com as filhas dos homens, os filhos que lhes nasceram tornaram-se gigantes, os heróis de grande fama de que nos falam os relatos da antiguidade.
5E o Senhor viu que a maldade humana se tinha estendido multiplicadamente, e que a imaginação e os pensamentos dos seres humanos os levavam unicamente para o mal. 6Então entristeceu-se muito de os ter criado. 7“Tirarei da face da Terra tudo o que tem vida, desde o homem até aos próprios animais, inclusive répteis, aves, tudo. Porque estou bem triste de os ter feito.”
8Noé, contudo, achou graça aos olhos do Senhor com a sua vida.
Noé e o dilúvio
9Esta é a história da vida de Noé, um homem justo e íntegro entre as pessoas daquele tempo. Noé andava em comunhão com Deus. 10E tinha três filhos: Sem, Cam e Jafete.
11Entretanto, a corrupção aumentava em toda a Terra. E Deus via isso. A violência alastrava por toda a parte. 12Deus, ao verificar como todo o género humano se tinha deixado arrastar para a depravação e o vício, 13disse a Noé: “Decidi acabar com toda a humanidade, porque a Terra está cheia de crime e perversão por causa do ser humano. Por isso, os destruirei.
14Faz então uma embarcação, com madeira resinosa, e que tenha compartimentos no interior. Reveste-a de alcatrão no interior e no exterior. 15Terá de ter 150 metros de comprimento, 25 de largura e 15 de altura. 16Terá uma abertura na parte de cima, meio metro logo abaixo do telhado, e no interior haverá três andares. E coloca uma porta de lado. 17Porque tenciono cobrir toda a Terra com uma imensa cheia que destruirá tudo aquilo em que houver vida. 18Mas contigo estabelecerei a minha aliança, e entrarás nessa embarcação, com a tua mulher, os teus filhos e suas respetivas mulheres. 19De todos os animais que existem traz dois, macho e fêmea, para a embarcação, para que sobrevivam contigo, durante o dilúvio. 20De cada espécie de aves, de quadrúpedes, até do mais pequeno bichinho ou verme que rasteja no solo hás de trazer um par, para que se reproduzam. 21Armazena também toda a espécie de comida, para sustento vosso e dos bichos.”
22Noé fez tudo conforme Deus lhe tinha ordenado.
