1 Now it came about, when humankind {haadam: collective humanity} began to increase across the surface of the earth {haadamah: inhabited soil}, that daughters were born to them.
2 Then the sons of God {benei haelohim: heavenly beings} noticed that the daughters of mankind were beautiful {tovot: outwardly pleasing}, and they took for themselves wives from any whom they chose.
3 And the LORD {YHWH, Righteous Judge} said, “My Spirit {ruach: life-giving presence} will not remain with man forever, since he also is flesh, and his days will be one hundred and twenty years.”
4 The Nephilim {nephilim: fearsome giants} were in the land in those days, and also later on, when the sons of God {bene ha’elohim: heavenly beings} came to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men of ancient times, men of renown.
5 And the LORD {YHWH, All-Seeing Judge} saw that the wickedness {ra'at: pervasive corruption} of humanity had become great on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was nothing but evil all the day.
6 And the LORD {YHWH, Righteous Judge} regretted that He had made the human {ha'adam: collective mankind} on the earth, and it grieved Him to His heart.
7 So the LORD {YHWH, Righteous Judge} said, “I will wipe out {emcheh: completely erase} the human beings whom I have created from the surface of the earth—from man to animal to creeping thing, and even to the birds of the heavens—because I regret that I have made them.”
8 Yet Noah found favor {chen: gracious acceptance} in the eyes of the LORD {YHWH, Gracious Judge}.
9 These are the generations {toledot: family line} of Noah: Noah was a righteous man, blameless among his generations; Noah lived in step with God {Elohim, Righteous Judge}.
10 Noah {Noach: Righteous Survivor} became the father of three sons {banim: male descendants}: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
11 Now the earth had become ruined before God {Elohim, Righteous Judge}, and the earth was filled with violence {chamas: lawless destruction}.
12 And God {Elohim, Righteous Judge} examined the earth, and indeed it was corrupt, because all flesh had corrupted its way {darko: moral path} upon the earth.
13 And God {Elohim, Sovereign Judge} said to Noah, “The end {kets: appointed conclusion} of all flesh is before Me, because the earth is filled with violence through them; and now I am going to destroy them along with the earth.”
14 Make for yourself an ark {tevah: box-shaped vessel} out of gopher wood; make chambers in the ark, and cover it {kafar: sealing for protection} on the inside and on the outside with pitch.
15 This is the way you shall build it: the ark {tevah: large vessel} is to be three hundred cubits {ammah: standard forearm measure} long, fifty cubits wide, and thirty cubits high.
16 You shall make a window for the ark, and you shall complete it to a cubit {amah: standard forearm measure} at the top; set the door {petakh: controlled access point} of the ark in its side. You shall make it with lower, second, and third decks.
17 As for Me {Elohim, Supreme Judge}—behold, I am bringing the flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh that has the breath {ruach: life-giving breath} of life from under the heavens; everything that is on the earth will perish.
18 But I will establish My covenant {berit: formal binding pact} with you, and you shall enter the ark {tevah: refuge vessel}—you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you.
19 And from every living thing {chai: breathing creature} of all flesh {basar: mortal life}, you shall bring two of each kind into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female.
20 From the birds {op: flying creatures} according to their kinds, from the animals according to their kinds, and from every crawling thing {remes: ground movers} of the earth according to its kind—two of each will come to you, to keep them alive.
21 And you shall take {kakh: actively select} for yourself some of every kind of food that may be eaten, and you shall gather it to you, and it shall be food {maʾakhal: ongoing sustenance} for you and for them.
22 And Noah did according to all that God {Elohim, Divine Commander} commanded him; he did {asah: full obedience} exactly so.