Genesis
8 UThixo wabuyela kuNowa* nakuzo zonke izilwanyana zasendle nezasekhaya, ezazikunye naye emkhombeni.+ UThixo wabangela ukuba kuvuthuze umoya phezu komhlaba, aza amanzi aqalisa ukuhla. 2 Yavalwa imithombo emikhulu yamanzi anzulu, avaleka amazulu, zaphela izikhukula, yaza nemvula evela emazulwini yayeka ukunetha.*+ 3 Emva koko amanzi asemhlabeni aqalisa ukuhla. Zithe ziphela iintsuku eziyi-150 abe ehlile. 4 Ngenyanga yesixhenxe, ngosuku lwe-17 lwaloo nyanga, umkhombe wema phezu kweentaba zeArarati. 5 Aya esihla ngokuhla amanzi de kwayinyanga yeshumi. Ekuqaleni kwenyanga yeshumi, zabonakala iincopho zeentaba.+
6 Ekupheleni kweentsuku eziyi-40, uNowa wayivula ifestile+ yomkhombe awayeyenzile 7 waza wakhupha ihlungulu. Lalimana libhabha lisiya ngaphandle liphinde libuye, de amanzi oma emhlabeni.
8 Ekuhambeni kwexesha, wakhupha ihobe ukuze abone ukuba amanzi aphelile na phezu komhlaba. 9 Ihobe alizange liyifumane indawo elingathi ngcu kuyo, ngoko labuyela kuye emkhombeni kuba amanzi ayesawugqume wonke umhlaba.+ Ngoko ke wolula isandla sakhe waza walingenisa ngaphakathi emkhombeni. 10 Walinda iintsuku ezisixhenxe, waphinda walikhupha ihobe. 11 Xa labuyela kuye malunga nexesha langokuhlwa, wabona emlonyeni walo ukuba kukho igqabi lomnquma elisandula ukunqothulwa. Ngoko uNowa waqonda ukuba amanzi ehlile emhlabeni.+ 12 Walinda ezinye iintsuku ezisixhenxe, walikhupha, kodwa alizange liphinde libuyele kuye.
13 Ngoko ngonyaka we-601,+ kwinyanga yokuqala, ngosuku lokuqala lwaloo nyanga, amanzi ayengasekho; yaye uNowa wavula eluphahleni waza wabona ukuba kwakuqalisa ukoma emhlabeni. 14 Ngenyanga yesibini, ngomhla we-27 waloo nyanga, umhlaba wawomile.
15 UThixo wathi kuNowa: 16 “Phumani emkhombeni, wena, umfazi wakho, oonyana bakho nabafazi boonyana bakho.+ 17 Phuma nazo zonke izidalwa eziphilayo zohlobo ngalunye lwenyama,+ izidalwa ezibhabhayo, izilwanyana nezilwanyana ezinambuzelayo zomhlaba, ukuze zande* emhlabeni yaye ziqhame, zibe ninzi.”+
18 Ngoko uNowa waphuma kunye noonyana bakhe,+ umfazi wakhe nabafazi boonyana bakhe. 19 Zonke izidalwa eziphilayo, zonke izilwanyana ezinambuzelayo nazo zonke izidalwa ezibhabhayo, yonke nje into ehamba emhlabeni, yaphuma emkhombeni ngokweentsapho zazo.+ 20 Emva koko uNowa wakhela uYehova isibingelelo,+ waza wathatha ezinye kuzo zonke izilwanyana ezicocekileyo, nezinye kuzo zonke iintaka ezicocekileyo,+ wenza iminikelo etshiswayo esibingelelweni eso.+ 21 UYehova waliva ivumba elimnandi,* waza uYehova wathi entliziyweni yakhe: “Soze ndiphinde ndiwuqalekise umhlaba*+ ngenxa yomntu, kuba kwasebuntwaneni intliziyo yakhe ikekelele ekwenzeni izinto ezimbi;+ futhi soze ndiphinde nditshabalalise kwanto ephilayo ngendlela endenze ngayo.+ 22 Ukususela ngoku, soze kuphele ukutyala nokuvuna, ingqele nobushushu, ihlobo nobusika, imini nobusuku emhlabeni.”+