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 for ever, 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 afterwards – 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 favour 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 135 metres long, 23 metres wide and 14 metres high 16Make a roof for it, leaving below the roof an opening one cubit6:16 That is, about 45 centimetres 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.
人類的邪惡
1人類在地上逐漸增多，生了女兒。 2上帝的兒子們6·2 「上帝的兒子」可能指塞特的後代，天使或有權勢的人。看見人的女兒漂亮，就隨意選來做妻子。 3耶和華說：「人既然是血肉之軀，我的靈不會永遠住在人的裡面，然而人還可以活一百二十年。」 4從那時起，地上出現了一些巨人，他們是上古有名的勇士，是上帝的兒子和人的女兒所生的後代。
5耶和華看見人罪惡深重，心中終日思想惡事， 6就後悔在地上造了人，心裡傷痛， 7說：「我要把所造的人從地上除掉，連同一切飛禽走獸和爬蟲都除掉，我後悔造了他們。」 8只有挪亞在耶和華面前蒙恩。
上帝命挪亞造方舟
9以下是有關挪亞的記載。
挪亞是個義人，在當時的世代是個純全無過的人，他與上帝同行。 10挪亞生了三個兒子：閃、含和雅弗。
11當時的世界在上帝眼中非常敗壞，充滿了暴行。 12上帝看見世界敗壞了，因為世人行為敗壞。 13祂對挪亞說：「世人惡貫滿盈，他們的結局到了。我要把他們跟大地一起毀滅。 14你要為自己用歌斐木建造一艘方舟，裡面要有艙房，內外都要塗上柏油。 15你建造的方舟要長一百三十三米，寬二十二米，高十三米。 16舟頂要有五十釐米高的透光口，門開在方舟的側面，整艘方舟要分為上、中、下三層。 17看啊，我要使洪水在地上氾濫，毀滅天下。地上一切有氣息的生靈都要滅亡。 18但我要跟你立約，你與妻子、兒子和兒媳都可以進方舟。 19每種動物你要帶兩隻進方舟，雌雄各一隻，好保存牠們的生命。 20各種飛禽走獸和爬蟲要按種類每樣一對到你那裡，好保住生命。 21你要為自己和這些動物預備各種食物，貯存起來。」
22挪亞就照著上帝的吩咐把事情都辦好了。
