^1. When men began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them,

^2. the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose.

^3. Then the LORD said, "My Spirit will not contend with [2] man forever, for he is mortal [1] ; his days will be a hundred and twenty years."

^4. The Nephilim were on the earth in those days--and also afterward--when the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.

^5. The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time.

^6. The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain.

^7. So the LORD said, "I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth--men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air--for I am grieved that I have made them."

^8. But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.

^9. This is the account of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God.

^10. Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth.

^11. Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight and was full of violence.

^12. God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways.

^13. So 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.

^14. So make yourself an ark of cypress [3] wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out.

^15. This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be 450 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet high. [4]

^16. Make a roof for it and finish [6] the ark to within 18 inches [5] of the top. Put a door in the side of the ark and make lower, middle and upper decks.

^17. I 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.

^18. But 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.

^19. You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you.

^20. Two 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.

^21. You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them."

^22. Noah did everything just as God commanded him.