Genesis
6 Bathi bakuqala ukwanda abantu phezu komhlaba baza bazala neentombi, 2 oonyana boThixo wokwenene*+ bazibona ukuba zintle iintombi zabantu. Bazikhethela abafazi kuzo. 3 Emva koko uYehova wathi: “Umoya wam awuzukumnyamezela ngonaphakade umntu,+ kuba uyinyama.* Ngoko ke, uza kuphila iminyaka eyi-120.”+
4 Kwakukho izigebenga* emhlabeni ngaloo mihla nasemva koko. Ngelo xesha, oonyana boThixo wokwenene balala neentombi zabantu, zaza zabazalela oonyana. La ke ngala madoda akudala awayenamandla nawayedumile.
5 Ngenxa yoko, uYehova wabona ukuba abantu baqatsele ekwenzeni izinto ezimbi emhlabeni, yaye zonke izinto abazicingayo zisoloko zimbi.+ 6 UYehova wazisola* ngokuba ebenzile abantu emhlabeni, yaza yaba buhlungu intliziyo yakhe.+ 7 Ngoko uYehova wathi: “Ndiza kubatshayela kuthi tu phezu komhlaba abantu endibadalileyo. Ndiza kutshayela abantu, izilwanyana zasekhaya, izidalwa ezibhabhayo zasemazulwini nezinye iintlobo zezilwanyana, kuba ndiyazisola ngokubadala.” 8 Kodwa yena uNowa wayethandwa nguYehova.
9 Le yimbali kaNowa.
UNowa wayelilungisa.+ Kubantu bexesha lakhe,* wazingqina emsulwa.* UNowa wahamba noThixo wokwenene.+ 10 Ekuhambeni kwexesha wazala oonyana abathathu, uShem, uHam noYafete.+ 11 Umhlaba wawonakele emehlweni kaThixo wokwenene, kugcwele ubundlobongela. 12 UThixo wawujonga umhlaba waza wawubona ukuba wonakele;+ bonke abantu babesenza izinto ezimbi emhlabeni.+
13 Emva koko uThixo wathi kuNowa: “Ndigqibe ekubeni nditshabalalise yonke into eyinyama, kuba emhlabeni kugcwele ubundlobongela ngenxa yabantu, ngoko ndiza kubatshabalalisa ndize ndiwonakalise umhlaba.+ 14 Zenzele umkhombe ngomthi onentlaka.+ Uze wenze amacandelo kulo mkhombe, uwuqabe itha+ ngaphakathi nangaphandle. 15 Nantsi indlela omele uwenze ngayo: Ubude bomkhombe bumele bube ziikubhite* eziyi-300, ube ziikubhite eziyi-50 ububanzi, uze ube ziikubhite eziyi-30 ukuphakama. 16 Uze wenze ifestile eza kungenisa ukukhanya* emkhombeni, ibe kumlinganiselo wekubhite ukusuka phezulu. Uze umnyango womkhombe uwenze ecaleni.+ Lo mkhombe wenze ube nomgangatho ongaphantsi, umgangatho wesibini nomgangatho wesithathu.
17 “Mna ke ndiza kuzisa izikhukula emhlabeni,+ ukuze nditshabalalise yonke into ephilayo phantsi kwamazulu. Yonke into esemhlabeni iza kutshabalala.+ 18 Ngoku ndenza isivumelwano nawe, yaye umele ungene emkhombeni, wena, oonyana bakho, umfazi wakho nabafazi boonyana bakho.+ 19 Uze ufake emkhombeni ngambini kwizidalwa eziphilayo zalo lonke uhlobo,+ ukuze uzigcine ziphila kunye nawe. Uze ufake inkunzi nemazi;+ 20 kwizidalwa ezibhabhayo ngokohlobo lwazo, kwizilwanyana zasekhaya ngokohlobo lwazo, nakuzo zonke izilwanyana ezinambuzelayo ngokohlobo lwazo. Kuza kungena ngambini kuhlobo ngalunye, zize kuwe ukuze uzigcine ziphila.+ 21 Wena ke umele uqokelele lonke uhlobo lokutya ungene nako.+ Kuza kutyiwa nguwe nezilwanyana.”
22 UNowa wenza yonke into awayeyiyalelwe nguThixo. Wayenza ngobunjalo bayo.+