Genesis, 6

1. When men began to multiply on earth and daughters were born to them,

1. When people began being numerous on earth, and daughters had been born to them,

2. the sons of heaven saw how beautiful the daughters of man were, and so they took for their wives as many of them as they chose.

2. the sons of God, looking at the women, saw how beautiful they were and married as many of them as they chose.

3. Then the LORD said: "My spirit shall not remain in man forever, since he is but flesh. His days shall comprise one hundred and twenty years."

3. Yahweh said, 'My spirit cannot be indefinitely responsible for human beings, who are only flesh; let the time allowed each be a hundred and twenty years.'

4. At that time the Nephilim appeared on earth (as well as later), after the sons of heaven had intercourse with the daughters of man, who bore them sons. They were the heroes of old, the men of renown.

4. The Nephilim were on earth in those days (and even afterwards) when the sons of God resorted to the women, and had children by them. These were the heroes of days gone by, men of renown.

5. When the LORD saw how great was man's wickedness on earth, and how no desire that his heart conceived was ever anything but evil,

5. Yahweh saw that human wickedness was great on earth and that human hearts contrived nothing but wicked schemes all day long.

6. he regretted that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was grieved.

6. Yahweh regretted having made human beings on earth and was grieved at heart.

7. So the LORD said: "I will wipe out from the earth the men whom I have created, and not only the men, but also the beasts and the creeping things and the birds of the air, for I am sorry that I made them."

7. And Yahweh said, 'I shall rid the surface of the earth of the human beings whom I created -- human and animal, the creeping things and the birds of heaven -- for I regret having made them.'

8. But Noah found favor with the LORD.

8. But Noah won Yahweh's favour.

9. These are the descendants of Noah. Noah, a good man and blameless in that age,

9. This is the story of Noah: Noah was a good man, an upright man among his contemporaries, and he walked with God.

10. for he walked with God, begot three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

10. Noah fathered three sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth.

11. In the eyes of God the earth was corrupt and full of lawlessness.

11. God saw that the earth was corrupt and full of lawlessness.

12. When God saw how corrupt the earth had become, since all mortals led depraved lives on earth,

12. God looked at the earth: it was corrupt, for corrupt were the ways of all living things on earth.

13. he said to Noah: "I have decided to put an end to all mortals on earth; the earth is full of lawlessness because of them. So I will destroy them and all life on earth.

13. God said to Noah, 'I have decided that the end has come for all living things, for the earth is full of lawlessness because of human beings. So I am now about to destroy them and the earth.

14. Make yourself an ark of gopherwood, put various compartments in it, and cover it inside and out with pitch.

14. Make yourself an ark out of resinous wood. Make it of reeds and caulk it with pitch inside and out.

15. This is how you shall build it: the length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits.

15. This is how to make it: the length of the ark is to be three hundred cubits, its breadth fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits.

16. Make an opening for daylight in the ark, and finish the ark a cubit above it. Put an entrance in the side of the ark, which you shall make with bottom, second and third decks.

16. Make a roof to the ark, building it up to a cubit higher. Put the entrance in the side of the ark, which is to be made with lower, second and third decks.

17. I, on my part, am about to bring the flood (waters) on the earth, to destroy everywhere all creatures in which there is the breath of life; everything on earth shall perish.

17. 'For my part I am going to send the flood, the waters, on earth, to destroy all living things having the breath of life under heaven; everything on earth is to perish.

18. But with you I will establish my covenant; you and your sons, your wife and your sons' wives, shall go into the ark.

18. But with you I shall establish my covenant and you will go aboard the ark, yourself, your sons, your wife, and your sons' wives along with you.

19. Of all other living creatures you shall bring two into the ark, one male and one female, that you may keep them alive with you.

19. From all living creatures, from all living things, you must take two of each kind aboard the ark, to save their lives with yours; they must be a male and a female.

20. Of all kinds of birds, of all kinds of beasts, and of all kinds of creeping things, two of each shall come into the ark with you, to stay alive.

20. Of every species of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that creeps along the ground, two must go with you so that their lives may be saved.

21. 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."

21. For your part, provide yourself with eatables of all kinds, and lay in a store of them, to serve as food for yourself and them.'

22. This Noah did; he carried out all the commands that God gave him.

22. Noah did this; exactly as God commanded him, he did.