Genesis, Chapter 6

Origin of the Nephilim.

1
When human beings began to grow numerous on the earth and daughters were born to them,
2
the sons of God saw how beautiful the daughters of human beings were, and so they took for their wives whomever they pleased.
3
Then the LORD said: My spirit shall not remain in human beings forever, because they are only flesh. Their days shall comprise one hundred and twenty years.
4
The Nephilim appeared on earth in those days, as well as later, after the sons of God had intercourse with the daughters of human beings, who bore them sons. They were the heroes of old, the men of renown.

Warning of the Flood.

5
When the LORD saw how great the wickedness of human beings was on earth, and how every desire that their heart conceived was always nothing but evil,
6
the LORD regretted making human beings on the earth, and his heart was grieved.
7
So the LORD said: I will wipe out from the earth the human beings I have created, and not only the human beings, but also the animals and the crawling things and the birds of the air, for I regret that I made them.
8
But Noah found favor with the LORD.
9
These are the descendants of Noah. Noah was a righteous man and blameless in his generation; Noah walked with God.
10
Noah begot three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
11
But the earth was corrupt in the view of God and full of lawlessness.
12
When God saw how corrupt the earth had become, since all mortals had corrupted their ways on earth,
13
God said to Noah: I see that the end of all mortals has come, for the earth is full of lawlessness because of them. So I am going to destroy them with the earth.

Preparation for the Flood.

14
Make yourself an ark of gopherwood, equip the ark with various compartments, and cover it inside and out with pitch.
15
This is how you shall build it: the length of the ark will be three hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits.
16
Make an opening for daylight and finish the ark a cubit above it. Put the ark’s entrance on its side; you will make it with bottom, second and third decks.
17
I, on my part, am about to bring the flood waters on the earth, to destroy all creatures under the sky in which there is the breath of life; everything on earth shall perish.
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I will establish my covenant with you. You shall go into the ark, you and your sons, your wife and your sons’ wives with you.
19
Of all living creatures you shall bring two of every kind into the ark, one male and one female, to keep them alive along with you.
20
Of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal, and of every kind of thing that crawls on the ground, two of each will come to you, that you may keep them alive.
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Moreover, you are to provide yourself with all the food that is to be eaten, and store it away, that it may serve as provisions for you and for them.
22
Noah complied; he did just as God had commanded him.