Genesis 5:32-6:8 (Vespers, 1st Reading)

32

And Noah was five hundred years old, and Noah begot Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

1

Now it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them,

2

that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose.

3

And the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.”

4

There were giants on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.

5

Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

6

And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.

7

So the Lord said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.”

8

But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.