UGenesisi 6
1 Kwathi abantu sebesanda ngobunengi emhlabeni, bezala amadodakazi,
Now when men began to multiply on the face of the earth and daughters were born to them,
2 amadodana kaNkulunkulu abona ukuthi amadodakazi abantu ayemahle, bazikhethela abawafunayo bawathatha.
the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they took as wives whomever they chose.
3 UThixo wasesithi, “UMoya wami kawuyikuphikisana lomuntu ngokungapheliyo, ngoba yena ngowenyama nje; insuku zakhe zizakuba likhulu elilamatshumi amabili kuphela.”
So the LORD said, “My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal; his days shall be 120 years.”
4 AmaNefilimi ayesemhlabeni ngalezonsuku. Njalo langemva kwazo amadodana kaNkulunkulu angenela amadodakazi abantu azala lawo abantwana. Ayengamaqhawe ekadeni, amadoda odumo.
The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and afterward as well—when the sons of God had relations with the daughters of men. And they bore them children who became the mighty men of old, men of renown.
5 UThixo wabona ukuthi ukuxhwala kwabantu kwasekukukhulu kakhulu emhlabeni, njalo lokuthi zonke izinkanuko zeminakano yezinhliziyo zabo zaziyibubi kuphela sonke isikhathi.
Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great upon the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was altogether evil all the time.
6 UThixo wadabuka ngokuthi wayemenzile umuntu emhlabeni, ngakho inhliziyo yakhe yagcwala ubuhlungu.
And the LORD regretted that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.
7 Ngakho uThixo wasesithi, “Umuntu engamdalayo ngizamkhucula emhlabeni, abantu lezinyamazana, lezinanakazana ezihuquzela emhlabathini, lezinyoni zemkhathini ngoba kuyangidabukisa ukuthi ngakwenza.”
So the LORD said, “I will blot out man, whom I have created, from the face of the earth—every man and beast and crawling creature and bird of the air—for I am grieved that I have made them.”
8 Kodwa uNowa wathola umusa emehlweni kaThixo.
Noah, however, found favor in the eyes of the LORD.
9 Lo ngumlando kaNowa. UNowa wayeyindoda elungileyo, engelasici phakathi kwabantu ngesikhathi aphila ngaso, njalo wabambelela kuNkulunkulu.
This is the account of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation; Noah walked with God.
10 UNowa wayelamadodana amathathu: UShemu, uHamu loJafethi.
And Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
11 Umhlaba wawuxhwalile phambi kukaNkulunkulu njalo ugcwele ubudlwangudlwangu.
Now the earth was corrupt in the sight of God, and full of violence.
12 UNkulunkulu wabona ukuthi umhlaba wawusuxhwale njani, ngoba bonke abantu emhlabeni basebehamba ngezindlela zabo ezixhwalileyo.
And God looked upon the earth and saw that it was corrupt; for all living creatures on the earth had corrupted their ways.
13 Ngakho uNkulunkulu wasesithi kuNowa, “Ngizabatshabalalisa bonke abantu, ngoba umhlaba ugcwele ubudlwangudlwangu ngenxa yabo. Ngeqiniso ngizababhubhisa bona kanye lomhlaba.
Then God said to Noah, “The end of all living creatures has come before Me, because through them the earth is full of violence. Now behold, I will destroy both them and the earth.
14 Ngakho zakhele umkhumbi ngezigodo zesihlahla sokubaza; wenze amakamelo kuwo, uwuhuqe ngenhlaka ngaphakathi langaphandle.
Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood; make rooms in the ark and coat it with pitch inside and out.
15 Uzawakha kanje: Umkhumbi kawube ngamalunga ezingalo ezingamakhulu amathathu ubude, ububanzi bube zingalo ezingamatshumi amahlanu lezingalo ezingamatshumi amathathu ukuphakama kwawo.
And this is how you are to build it: The ark is to be 300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide, and 30 cubits high.
16 Uwenzele uphahla, utshiye ngaphansi kophahla intuba eyingxenye yelunga lengalo ukufika phezulu. Ufake umnyango eceleni komkhumbi njalo wenze isigcawu saphansi, esaphakathi laphakathi kanye lesaphezulu.
You are to make a roof for the ark, finish its walls a cubit from the top, place a door in the side of the ark, and build lower, middle, and upper decks.
17 Ngizathumela uzamcolo emhlabeni ukubhubhisa konke okuphilayo ngaphansi kwezulu, zonke izidalwa eziphefumulayo. Yonke into emhlabeni izabhubha.
And behold, I will bring floodwaters upon the earth to destroy every creature under the heavens that has the breath of life. Everything on the earth will perish.
18 Kodwa ngizakwenza isivumelwano lawe, njalo wena uzangena emkhunjini, wena lamadodana akho lomkakho kanye labomalukazana bakho.
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 Kuzamele ulethe emkhunjini okubili kwezidalwa zonke eziphilayo, okuduna lokusikazi, uzigcine ziphila zilawe.
And you are to bring two of every living creature into the ark—male and female—to keep them alive with you.
20 Okubili kwemihlobo yonke yezinyoni, okwemihlobo yonke yezinyamazana lokwezinanakazana zonke ezihuquzela emhlabathini zizakuza kuwe zizogcinwa ziphila.
Two of every kind of bird and animal and crawling creature will come to you to be kept alive.
21 Kumele uthathe yonke imihlobo yokudla okuzadliwa, ukulondolozele wena kanye lazo.”
You are also to take for yourself every kind of food that is eaten and gather it as food for yourselves and for the animals.”
22 UNowa wakwenza konke njengokulaywa kwakhe nguNkulunkulu.
So Noah did everything precisely as God had commanded him.
The World is Destroyed by Water
