UGenesisi 6
1 Kwathi abantu sebesanda ngobunengi emhlabeni, bezala amadodakazi,
People started to increase in number and spread out across the earth. Daughters were born to them,
2 amadodana kaNkulunkulu abona ukuthi amadodakazi abantu ayemahle, bazikhethela abawafunayo bawathatha.
and the sons of God saw that these women were beautiful, and they took whichever ones they wanted.
3 UThixo wasesithi, “UMoya wami kawuyikuphikisana lomuntu ngokungapheliyo, ngoba yena ngowenyama nje; insuku zakhe zizakuba likhulu elilamatshumi amabili kuphela.”
Then the Lord said, “My life-giving Spirit will not remain in these people forever, because they are only mortal. The time they have left will be 120 years.”
4 AmaNefilimi ayesemhlabeni ngalezonsuku. Njalo langemva kwazo amadodana kaNkulunkulu angenela amadodakazi abantu azala lawo abantwana. Ayengamaqhawe ekadeni, amadoda odumo.
There were giants on earth in those days, and also later on. They were born after the sons of God slept with the daughters of these people. Their sons became the great warriors and famous men of ancient times.
5 UThixo wabona ukuthi ukuxhwala kwabantu kwasekukukhulu kakhulu emhlabeni, njalo lokuthi zonke izinkanuko zeminakano yezinhliziyo zabo zaziyibubi kuphela sonke isikhathi.
The Lord saw how terribly evil people on earth had become—every single thought in their minds was evil all the time!
6 UThixo wadabuka ngokuthi wayemenzile umuntu emhlabeni, ngakho inhliziyo yakhe yagcwala ubuhlungu.
The Lord was sorry he'd made human beings to live on the earth; it made him very sad to think about it.
7 Ngakho uThixo wasesithi, “Umuntu engamdalayo ngizamkhucula emhlabeni, abantu lezinyamazana, lezinanakazana ezihuquzela emhlabathini, lezinyoni zemkhathini ngoba kuyangidabukisa ukuthi ngakwenza.”
So the Lord said, “I'm going to wipe out these people I created from the earth, and not only them but also the animals, the creatures that run along the ground, and the birds, because I'm sorry I made them.”
8 Kodwa uNowa wathola umusa emehlweni kaThixo.
But the Lord was pleased with Noah.
9 Lo ngumlando kaNowa. UNowa wayeyindoda elungileyo, engelasici phakathi kwabantu ngesikhathi aphila ngaso, njalo wabambelela kuNkulunkulu.
This is the story of Noah and his family. Noah was a man of integrity, living a moral life among the people of his time. He had a close relationship with God.
10 UNowa wayelamadodana amathathu: UShemu, uHamu loJafethi.
Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
11 Umhlaba wawuxhwalile phambi kukaNkulunkulu njalo ugcwele ubudlwangudlwangu.
God saw how corrupt the whole world had become, full of violent and lawless people.
12 UNkulunkulu wabona ukuthi umhlaba wawusuxhwale njani, ngoba bonke abantu emhlabeni basebehamba ngezindlela zabo ezixhwalileyo.
God recognized that the corruption in the world was due to everyone on earth living corrupt lives.
13 Ngakho uNkulunkulu wasesithi kuNowa, “Ngizabatshabalalisa bonke abantu, ngoba umhlaba ugcwele ubudlwangudlwangu ngenxa yabo. Ngeqiniso ngizababhubhisa bona kanye lomhlaba.
So God told Noah, “I have decided to put an end to all people on earth because they are all violent and lawless. I myself am going to destroy all of them, along with the earth.
14 Ngakho zakhele umkhumbi ngezigodo zesihlahla sokubaza; wenze amakamelo kuwo, uwuhuqe ngenhlaka ngaphakathi langaphandle.
Build an ark out of cypress wood. Make rooms inside the ark, and coat it with tar, both inside and out.
15 Uzawakha kanje: Umkhumbi kawube ngamalunga ezingalo ezingamakhulu amathathu ubude, ububanzi bube zingalo ezingamatshumi amahlanu lezingalo ezingamatshumi amathathu ukuphakama kwawo.
This is how to build it: the ark is to measure 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.
Make a roof for the ark, leaving a cubit-wide opening between the roof and the top of the sides. Put a door in the side of the ark, and construct three decks inside.
17 Ngizathumela uzamcolo emhlabeni ukubhubhisa konke okuphilayo ngaphansi kwezulu, zonke izidalwa eziphefumulayo. Yonke into emhlabeni izabhubha.
I myself am going to flood the earth with water that will destroy everything that breathes, Every living thing everywhere on earth will die.
18 Kodwa ngizakwenza isivumelwano lawe, njalo wena uzangena emkhunjini, wena lamadodana akho lomkakho kanye labomalukazana bakho.
But I will keep my agreement with you. You are to go into the ark, taking with you your wife and your sons and their wives.
19 Kuzamele ulethe emkhunjini okubili kwezidalwa zonke eziphilayo, okuduna lokusikazi, uzigcine ziphila zilawe.
Take a pair, male and female, of every kind of animal into the ark and make sure you keep them alive.
20 Okubili kwemihlobo yonke yezinyoni, okwemihlobo yonke yezinyamazana lokwezinanakazana zonke ezihuquzela emhlabathini zizakuza kuwe zizogcinwa ziphila.
The same applies to every kind of bird, livestock, and the creatures that run along the ground—a pair of every kind will come to you so they can be kept alive.
21 Kumele uthathe yonke imihlobo yokudla okuzadliwa, ukulondolozele wena kanye lazo.”
Take all kinds of food with you too. Store it so you and the animals will have enough to eat.”
22 UNowa wakwenza konke njengokulaywa kwakhe nguNkulunkulu.
Noah did exactly what God ordered him to do.
The World is Destroyed by Water
