Man's Wickedness / God's Plan to Punish
After God cursed Cain, Cain found a wife, and they had children. Seth, whom God gave to Adam and Eve in the place of Abel, also found a wife, and they had children. The people on the earth became many. Some of the people loved God, but most of them rebelled against God. They were always fighting. “God saw that every intention of the thoughts of the heart of man were always evil.” When God saw how wicked the works of man were, He said, "I will destroy everything I have created, man and animal.”
Noah's Job
But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. He was a righteous man who walked with God. God said to Noah, “I am sorry that I ever made man. I am going to destroy all that has been created because the people are evil, but I will establish my covenant with you. Only you, your wife, your three sons, and their wives will live.”
“I want you to build a big boat, called an ark, because I will cause a great flood to destroy the earth. You should also take with you male and female of every kind of animal and bird. Also, for animals that are good for sacrifice, you must put seven males and seven females. Bring all kinds of food also.”
God told Noah exactly how to build the boat. And Noah did all that the Lord commanded him. It took Noah many years to build the boat. Then one day God told Noah that he and his family should take all of the animals and birds and enter the boat. Then God himself shut the one door.
Rains and Waiting
For forty days and forty nights, the waters above rained down and the waters below broke out onto the earth. Everything was covered with water, even the highest mountain, and there was no way for the people to escape, so they all drowned. But Noah and his family and the animals on the ark were safe, floating on top of the water.
At the end of the forty days, God remembered Noah and stopped the waters. For many months Noah was in the boat. After one year, the flood had gone down, and the ark came to rest on a mountain.
God's Blessing
Then God said to Noah, “Come out of the ark.” And Noah and his family, and the animals, came out of the boat. Noah built an altar and made an offering, worshiping God. God was pleased with his offering. God said, “I will never again destroy the earth with a great flood. I am putting my rainbow in the sky as a sign of my promise.”
And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.”
And God said to Noah, “I now give to you the animals for food. But do not eat the blood, which is its life. Whoever sheds man's blood, by man his blood shall be shed, for in the image of God He made man.”
Noah’s sons had many children and as time passed there were many people on the earth again.