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.
人類的邪惡
1當時，人類在地上開始逐漸增多，生了女兒。 2上帝的兒子們6·2 「上帝的兒子們」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從上帝的兒子和人的女兒交合生子起，地上出現了巨人，他們是上古英武有名的人。
5耶和華看見人在地上罪惡深重，心裡終日思想的都是惡事， 6就後悔在地上造了人，心裡傷痛， 7說：「我要把所造的人，連同一切飛禽走獸和爬蟲從地上都毀滅，因為我後悔造了他們。」 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那時大地在上帝眼中敗壞了，充滿了暴行。 12上帝看見大地敗壞了，因為世人都行為敗壞。 13祂對挪亞說：「我決定消滅世人，因為他們使大地充滿暴行。我要把他們和大地一起毀滅。 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你建造的方舟要長一百三十五米，寬二十二米半，高十三米半。 16舟頂要有四十五釐米高的透光口，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，毀滅天下一切有生命氣息的活物，地上的一切都要滅亡。 18但我要和你立約，你與妻子、兒子和兒媳都可以進方舟。 19每樣動物你要帶兩隻進方舟，雌雄各一隻，好保存牠們的生命。 20各類飛禽走獸和爬蟲每樣一對都要到你那裡，好保全生命。 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。
