Now the earthwas corruptin the sightof God,and the earthwas filledwith violence.
He was a mightyhunterbeforethe LORD;thereforeit is said,"Like Nimroda mightyhunterbeforethe LORD."
Now the menof Sodomwere wickedexceedinglyand sinnersagainst the LORD.
Noahbecamethe fatherof threesons:Shem,Ham,and Japheth.
Then the LORDsaidto Noah,"Enterthe ark,you and allyour household,for you [alone] I have seen[to be] righteousbeforeMe in thistime.
"Becauseyour heartwas tenderand you humbledyourselfbeforeGodwhen you heardHis wordsagainstthisplaceand againstits inhabitants,and [because] you humbledyourselfbeforeMe, toreyour clothesand weptbeforeMe, I trulyhave heardyou," declaresthe LORD.
The LORDteststhe righteousand the wicked,And the one who lovesviolenceHis soulhates.
"May a slanderernot be establishedin the earth;May evilhuntthe violentmanspeedily."
Confuse,O Lord,dividetheir tongues,For I have seenviolenceand strifein the city.
Then the LORDspoketo Moses,"Godownat once,for your people,whomyou broughtup from the landof Egypt,have corrupted[themselves].
"Violencewill not be heardagainin your land,Nordevastationor destructionwithin your borders;But you will callyour wallssalvation,and your gatespraise.
"As a wellkeepsits watersfresh,Soshe keepsfreshher wickedness.Violenceand destructionare heardin her; Sicknessand woundsare everbeforeMe.
"By the abundanceof your tradeYou were internallyfilledwith violence,And you sinned;Therefore I have castyou as profaneFrom the mountainof God.And I have destroyedyou, O coveringcherub,From the midstof the stonesof fire.
He saidto me, "Do you see[this], sonof man?Is it too lighta thingfor the houseof Judahto committhe abominationswhichthey have committedhere,that they have filledthe landwith violenceand provokedMe repeatedly?For behold,they are puttingthe twigto their nose.
Howlong,O LORD,will I callfor help,And You will not hear?I cryout to You, "Violence!"Yet You do not save.
"For the violencedone to Lebanonwill overwhelmyou, And the devastationof [its] beastsby which you terrifiedthem, Becauseof humanbloodshedand violencedone to the land,To the townand allits inhabitants.
"Becauseyou have lootedmanynations,Allthe remainderof the peopleswill lootyou-- Becauseof humanbloodshedand violencedone to the land,To the townand allits inhabitants.
They were bothrighteousin the sightof God,walkingblamelesslyin allthe commandmentsand requirementsof the Lord.
for [it is] not the hearersof the Law[who] are justbeforeGod,but the doersof the Lawwill be justified.
Nowwe knowthat whateverthe Lawsays,it speaksto thosewho are underthe Law,sothat everymouthmay be closedand allthe worldmay becomeaccountableto God;
"For I knowthat aftermy deathyou will actcorruptlyand turnfrom the waywhichI have commandedyou; and evilwill befallyou in the latterdays,for you will dothat whichis evilin the sightof the LORD,provokingHim to angerwith the workof your hands."
But it cameabout when the judgedied,that they would turnbackand actmorecorruptlythantheir fathers,in followingothergodsto servethem and bowdownto them; they did not abandontheir practicesor their stubbornways.
