Noah Prepares for the Flood

6:9-22

9 Here is more of the history about Noah and his descendants: Noah was a man who did what was right. Out of all the people living at that time, he was the only one whom God considered blameless, and he lived in a close relationship with God. 10 Eventually Noah had his three sons, whose names were Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

11 Now the people on the earth had become wicked according to God’s standards, and all over the earth they were doing violent things. 12 God saw how wicked everyone on the earth had become, because all the people on the earth were continually behaving in evil ways. 13 So he said to Noah, “I am going to destroy all people, because all over the earth they are doing violent things. In fact, I am going to destroy them and everything else on the earth too. 14 Therefore you must build a very large boat for yourself and your family out of the best wood for building boats. Build rooms inside the boat, and seal it inside and outside with tar to keep water out. 15 You must make the boat like this: It must be 140 meters long, twenty-three meters wide, and fourteen meters high. 16 Make a half-meter high opening between the top of the walls of the ark and its roof all the way around, to let light and air in. Put a door in the side of the boat, and build three levels on the inside. 17 Listen carefully to me: I am going to bring a flood over the whole earth, which will destroy all the creatures under the sky that breathe air. As a result, every living thing that is on land will die! 18 But I will make a special agreement between me and you, so you must get on board the boat, and take your wife, your sons, and your sons’ wives with you. 19 You must also take into the boat two of every kind of living creature, including every kind of animal, so that they stay alive with you. Each pair must include one male and one female. 20 Pairs of every kind of bird and every kind of animal, including every kind of creature that moves on the ground, will come to you so that you keep them alive in the boat. 21 You must also gather all the different kinds of food that people and animals eat and store it on the boat with you, so that there will be enough food for you and your family and for all the animals.” 22 So, that is what Noah did; he did everything exactly as God had commanded him to do.