Ukwanda kobubi babantu
1Kwathi abantu beqala ukwanda ebusweni bomhlaba, bezala amadodakazi, 2amadodana kaNkulunkulu abona amadodakazi abantu ukuthi mahle, azithathela abafazi kuwo awathandayo. 3Wayesethi uJehova: “UMoya wami awuyikubusa njalo kumuntu, njengokuba eyinyama nje; izinsuku zakhe ziyakuba yiminyaka eyikhulu namashumi amabili.”
4Ngalezo zinsuku kwakukhona iziqhwaga emhlabeni, nangasemuva futhi, lapho amadodana kaNkulunkulu engena kuwo amadodakazi abantu, awazalela abantwana. Lana ayengamadodana asendulo anamandla, anegama lodumo.
5Kepha uJehova wabona ukuthi ububi bomuntu bukhulu emhlabeni nokuthi zonke izizindlo zemicabango yenhliziyo yakhe zimbi njalo. 6Wayesezisola uJehova ukuthi wayebenzile abantu emhlabeni, wadabuka enhliziyweni yakhe. 7UJehova wathi: “Abantu engibadalileyo ngizakubachitha ebusweni bomhlaba, yebo, abantu, nezinkomo, nezilwanyana ezinwabuzelayo, nezinyoni zezulu, ngokuba ngiyazisola ukuthi ngibenzile.” 8Kepha uNowa wayetholile umusa emehlweni kaJehova.
9Lokhu kuyizizukulwane zikaNowa. UNowa wayeyindoda eqotho, engenacala esizukulwaneni sakhe; uNowa wayehamba noNkulunkulu. 10UNowa wazala amadodana amathathu: ngoShemi, noHamu, noJafete.
11Umhlaba wawonakele ebusweni bukaJehova; umhlaba wagcwala ubudlwangudlwangu. 12UNkulunkulu wabona ukuthi umhlaba wonakele, ngokuba inyama yonke yayonakalisile indlela yayo emhlabeni.
Ukumenyezelwa kukazamcolo
13UNkulunkulu wathi kuNowa: “Ukuphela kwenyama yonke kufikile phambi kwami, ngokuba umhlaba ugcwele ubudlwangudlwangu ngenxa yabantu; bheka, ngiyakubachitha kanye nomhlaba. 14Yakha umkhumbi ngemithi yegofere,* wenze amakamelo emkhunjini, uwuhuqe ngaphakathi nangaphandle ngekolitayi.* 15Yikho lokhu ozakukwenza: ubude bomkhumbi buyakuba yizingalo ezingamakhulu amathathu, ububanzi bawo bube yizingalo ezingamashumi ayisihlanu, nokuphakama kwawo kube yizingalo ezingamashumi amathathu. 16Yenza ifasitele emkhunjini, uligcine ngaphezulu libe yingalo inye, ufake umnyango womkhumbi ohlangothini lwawo, uwenze ube nendlu engaphansi nengaphakathi nengaphezulu. 17Mina, bheka, mina ngizakuzisa uzamcolo wamanzi emhlabeni ukuba achithe yonke inyama okukuyo umoya wokuphila phansi kwezulu; konke okusemhlabeni kuzakufa. 18Kepha ngiyakumisa isivumelwano sami nawe, uze ungene emkhunjini, wena namadodana akho, nomkakho, nabafazi bamadodana akho bekanye nawe. 19Nakuzo zonke izilwane uzakungenisa ezimbili kuzo zonke izinhlobo zenyama ukuba ziphile nawe, kube ngeyeduna neyensikazi. 20Kuzo izinyoni ngezinhlobo zazo, nakuzo izinkomo ngezinhlobo zazo, nakuzo izilwanyana ezinwabuzelayo emhlabeni ngezinhlobo zazo kuzakufika kuwe ezimbili zezinhlobo zonke, ziphile. 21Zithathele kukho konke ukudla okudliwayo, ukubuthele kuwe; kuyakuba ngukudla kwakho nokwabo.”
22UNowa wenze njalo; njengalokho uNkulunkulu emyalile wakwenza.
