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.
Kuyipa kwa Mtundu wa Anthu
1Anthu atayamba kuchuluka pa dziko lapansi ndi kubereka ana aakazi, 2ana aamuna a Mulungu anaona kuti ana aakazi a anthuwo anali okongola. Ndipo anakwatira aliyense amene anamusankha. 3Tsono Yehova anati, “Sindilola kuti chipwirikiti chikuchitikachi chipitirire mpaka muyaya, pakuti iye ndi munthu; masiku a moyo wake adzakhala zaka 120.”
4Masiku amenewo komanso pambuyo pake, pa dziko lapansi panali Anefili, anthu amphamvu ndiponso otchuka. Anthuwa ndi amene ankabadwa ana a Mulungu aja atakwatira ana aakazi a anthu.
5Pamene Yehova anaona kuti kuyipa kwa munthu pa dziko lapansi kunali kwakukulu ndi kuti nthawi zonse amalingalira ndi kukhumbira kuchita zoyipa zokhazokha, 6Yehova anamva chisoni kuti analenga munthu ndi kumuyika pa dziko lapansi, ndipo anawawidwa mtima. 7Choncho Yehova anati, “Ndidzafafaniza munthu, nyama, zonse zokwawa, ndi mbalame za mu mlengalenga pa dziko lapansi, pakuti ndikumva chisoni kuti ndinazilenga zimenezi.” 8Koma Yehova anamukomera mtima Nowa.
Nowa ndi Chigumula
9Mbiri ya Nowa inali yotere:
Nowa anali munthu wolungama ndi wopanda tchimo pakati pa anthu a mʼbado wake. Ndipo anayenda ndi Mulungu. 10Nowa anabereka ana aamuna atatu: Semu, Hamu ndi Yafeti.
11Chiwawa chinadzaza pa dziko lapansi kotero kuti dziko linakhala lowonongeka pamaso pa Mulungu. 12Mulungu atayangʼana, anaona kuti dziko layipadi chifukwa cha makhalidwe oyipa a anthu onse pa dziko lapansi. 13Ndipo Mulungu anati kwa Nowa, “Ndatsimikiza mtima kuti ndiwononge anthu onse, pakuti dziko lapansi ladzaza ndi ntchito zawo zoyipa. Ndithudi ndiwawononga pamodzi ndi zonse za pa dziko. 14Tsono udzipangire chombo cha matabwa a mtengo wanjale; mʼkati mwake upange zipinda ndipo upake phula mʼkati ndi kunja. 15Uchipange motere: Chombo chikhale mamita 140 mulitali, mamita 23 mulifupi ndi mamita 13 mu msinkhu wake. 16Uchipangire denga ndi kuchimaliza ndi zenera la masentimita makumi asanu. Uyike khomo mʼmbali mwa chombocho ndi kupanga zipinda zosanjikana; chapansi, chapakati ndi chapamwamba. 17Ndidzagwetsa mvula ya chigumula pa dziko lapansi kuti ndiwononge zamoyo zonse za pansi pa thambo ndipo chilichonse cha pa dziko lapansi chidzafa. 18Koma ndidzachita pangano langa ndi iwe. Iwe, ana ako aamuna, mkazi wako ndi akazi a ana ako nonse mudzalowa mʼchombocho. 19Iwe udzalowa mʼchombocho ndi zolengedwa zamoyo zonse ziwiriziwiri, chachimuna ndi chachikazi, kuti zisungike ndi moyo pamodzi ndi iwe. 20Udzatenga ziwiriziwiri za mitundu yonse ya mbalame, mitundu yonse ya nyama, ndi mitundu yonse ya zokwawa kuti zikhale ndi moyo. 21Udzatengenso chakudya cha mtundu uliwonse ndi kuchisunga kuti inu ndi nyamazo muzidzadya.”
22Nowa anachita zonse monga Mulungu anamulamulira.
