Genesis
Summary
Genesis 6 describes the spread of wickedness on the earth, the mysterious reference to the "sons of God" and the "daughters of men," and the appearance of mighty figures (the Nephilim) in the ancient world. Grieved by human violence and corruption, God decides to cleanse the earth by a great flood, but finds favour in Noah, a righteous man. God commissions Noah to build an ark, provides precise dimensions and instructions, and calls Noah to gather his family and representative animals so life may be preserved. The chapter frames the flood as an act of judgement paired with God's provision for a new beginning.
When humans began to multiply on the face of the ground and daughters were born to them,
the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were beautiful, and they took for themselves wives from all whom they chose.
Then the LORD said, "My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is but flesh; yet his days shall be a hundred and twenty years."
The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty ones who were of old, the men of renown.
The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every inclination of the intents of his heart was only evil continually.
And the LORD relented that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved to His heart.
So the LORD said, "I will wipe the human race I created from the face of the ground, from man to cattle to the creeping things and to the birds of the sky, for I relent that I have made them."
But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.
This is the account of the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, perfect in his generations; Noah walked with God.
Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth.
Now the earth was corrupt before God and the earth was filled with violence.
God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted its way on the earth.
So God said to Noah, "The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. Behold, I am going to destroy them with the earth.
Make for yourself an Ark (Tevah) of Gopher wood; make rooms in the Ark and cover it inside and out with pitch.
And this is how you are to build it: The length of the Ark shall be three hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits.
Make a light-opening for the Ark, finishing it to within a cubit of the top; set a door in the side of the Ark and make it with lower, second, and third decks.
Behold, I am going to bring floodwaters upon the earth to destroy all life under the heavens that has the breath of life in it; everything on the earth shall perish.
But I will establish My covenant with you, and you shall enter the Ark, you and your sons and your wife and your sons' wives with you.
Of every living thing of all flesh, you are to bring two of every kind into the Ark to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female.
Of the birds after their kind, and of the cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the ground after its kind, two of every kind shall come to you to be kept alive.
You are to take for yourself every kind of food that is eaten and store it away for yourself; it shall be for food for you and for them."
Noah did everything just as God commanded him; so he did.