The Corruption of Mankind

6 Now it came about, when mankind began to multiply on the face of the land, and daughters were born to them, ² that the sons of God saw that the daughters of mankind were ^[a]beautiful; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose. ³ Then the Lord said, “^(A)My Spirit will not ^[b]remain with man forever, ^[c](B)because he is also flesh; ^[d]nevertheless his days shall be 120 years.” ⁴ The ^[e](C)Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of mankind, and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.

⁵ Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of mankind was great on the earth, and that ^(D)every intent of the thoughts of ^[f]their hearts was only evil continually. ⁶ So ^(E)the Lord was sorry that He had made mankind on the earth, and He was ^(F)grieved ^[g]in His heart. ⁷ Then the Lord said, “^(G)I will wipe out mankind whom I have created from the face of the land; mankind, and animals as well, and crawling things, and the birds of the sky. For ^(H)I am sorry that I have made them.” ⁸ But ^(I)Noah ^(J)found favor in the eyes of the Lord.

⁹ These are the records of the generations of Noah. Noah was a ^(K)righteous man, ^[h](L)blameless in his generation. Noah ^(M)walked with God. ¹⁰ And Noah fathered three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

¹¹ Now the earth was ^(N)corrupt in the sight of God, and the earth was ^(O)filled with violence. ¹² And God looked on the earth, and behold, it was corrupt; for ^[i](P)humanity had corrupted its way upon the earth.

¹³ Then God said to Noah, “^(Q)The end of ^[j]humanity has come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence because of ^[k]people; and behold, I am about to destroy them with the earth. ¹⁴ Make for yourself an ark of ^[l]gopher wood; you shall make the ark with compartments, and ^[m]cover it inside and out with pitch. ¹⁵ This is how you shall make it: the length of the ark shall be ^[n]three hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. ¹⁶ You shall make a ^[o]window for the ark, and finish it to a ^[p]cubit from ^[q]the top; and put the door of the ark on the side; you shall make it with lower, second, and third decks. ¹⁷ Now behold, ^(R)I Myself am bringing the flood of water upon the earth, to destroy all flesh in which there is the breath of life, from under heaven; everything that is on the earth shall perish. ¹⁸ But I will establish ^(S)My covenant with you; and ^(T)you shall enter the ark—you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you. ^19 (U)And of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every kind into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female. ^20 (V)Of the birds according to their kind, and of the animals according to their kind, of every crawling thing of the ground according to its kind, two of every kind will come to you to keep them alive. ²¹ As for you, take for yourself some of every ^(W)food that is edible, and gather it to yourself; and it shall be food for you and them.” ^22 (X)So Noah did these things; according to everything that God had commanded him, so he did.