Noah

9To me this is like the days of Noah. I promised that Noah's flood would never cover the earth again. In the same way, I have promised not to be angry with you or scold you.

For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee.

NoteNoah built a huge boat when a flood covered the whole earth. Afterward God promised never to flood the whole earth again.

10The mountains may go away. The hills may be shaken loose. But my kindness will never leave you. My promise to give you peace will not be broken. The LORD who loves you says this.

For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee.

NoteA promise like this one is called a covenant. It is a strong promise that is meant to last forever.

12The LORD spoke to me again. He said:

The word of the LORD came again to me, saying,

13"Son of man, suppose a land sins against me and is very unfaithful. Then I will reach out my hand against it. I will take away its supply of bread. I will send hunger there. I will cut off both people and animals.

Son of man, when the land sinneth against me by trespassing grievously, then will I stretch out mine hand upon it, and will break the staff of the bread thereof, and will send famine upon it, and will cut off man and beast from it:

NoteThe old words say God will "break the staff of the bread." A staff is a walking stick you lean on. Bread was like a stick that people leaned on to stay strong. Breaking it means the food is gone. That is called a famine: no food anywhere, for a long time.

14Even if these three men lived there, it would not change this. Noah, Daniel, and Job did what was right. But their good lives would save only themselves, says the Lord GOD.

Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord GOD.

NoteNoah built a huge boat and lived through a great flood. Daniel was a wise man who kept trusting God in a faraway land. Job kept trusting God even when he lost everything. All three were known for living good lives. Their "souls" means their own lives.

15Or suppose I send wild animals through the land. They hurt it and leave it empty. No one can even walk through, because of the animals.

If I cause noisome beasts to pass through the land, and they spoil it, so that it be desolate, that no man may pass through because of the beasts:

NoteIn 1611, "noisome" meant harmful or dangerous. It did not mean smelly. "Desolate" means empty, with nobody living there.

16As surely as I live, says the Lord GOD, even if these three men lived there, they could not save their own sons or daughters. Only they would be saved. The land would still be empty.

Though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters; they only shall be delivered, but the land shall be desolate.

Note"As I live" is a very strong promise. It means: this is as sure as the fact that I am alive.

17Or suppose I bring war on that land. I say, 'Let the sword go through the land.' So I cut off both people and animals.

Or if I bring a sword upon that land, and say, Sword, go through the land; so that I cut off man and beast from it:

NoteA sword stands for war here. Bringing a sword on a land means armies coming to fight there.

18As surely as I live, says the Lord GOD, even if these three men lived there, they could not save their own sons or daughters. Only they would be saved.

Though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters, but they only shall be delivered themselves.

19Or suppose I send a deadly sickness into that land. I pour out my anger there, and blood is spilled. I cut off both people and animals.

Or if I send a pestilence into that land, and pour out my fury upon it in blood, to cut off from it man and beast:

Note"Pestilence" is a sickness that spreads fast and kills many people.

20As surely as I live, says the Lord GOD, even if Noah, Daniel, and Job lived there, they could not save their own son or daughter. Their good lives would save only themselves.

Though Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness.

36No one knows the day or the hour when this will happen. The angels in heaven do not know. Only my Father knows.

But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

37It was a certain way in the days of Noah. It will be like that when the Son of Man comes.

But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

NoteNoah lived very long ago. God told him to build a huge boat. Then a flood covered the earth, and the boat kept his family safe.

38Before the big flood, people were eating and drinking. They were getting married. They kept doing this until the day Noah went into the boat.

For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,

NoteThe King James says "the ark." An ark is a very big boat. "Giving in marriage" means parents planning weddings for their children. It all sounds like ordinary busy life.

39They did not know what was coming. Then the flood came and swept them all away. It will be like that when the Son of Man comes.

And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

26"The days of the Son of Man will be like the days of Noah."

And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.

NoteNoah lived a very long time before Jesus. God told him a big flood was coming. Noah built a huge boat so his family would be safe.

27"People ate and drank. They got married. They kept on until the day Noah went into the big boat. Then the flood came and destroyed them all."

They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.

NoteThe King James calls the boat an "ark." That word just means a big wooden box or boat. It kept Noah's family and the animals safe on the water.

28"It was the same in the days of Lot. People ate and drank. They bought and sold. They planted and built."

Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;

NoteLot lived long ago too. He was the nephew of Abraham. Lot moved to a city called Sodom and lived there.

29"But on the day Lot left the city of Sodom, fire and burning sulfur rained down from the sky. It destroyed them all."

But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.

NoteThe King James says "brimstone." That is an old word for sulfur. Sulfur is a yellow rock that burns with a strong smell.

30"That is how it will be on the day the Son of Man is shown."

Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.

7Noah trusted God. God warned him about things that no one could see yet. With deep respect for God, Noah built a big boat to save his family. What he did showed that the rest of the world was wrong. God called Noah right and good because he trusted.

By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

NoteGod told Noah that a great flood was coming. Water would cover the whole earth. Noah built a huge boat, called an ark, to keep his family and animals safe.

18Christ suffered for sins one time, and that was enough. He was right with God, and he died for people who were not. He did this to bring us to God. His body was put to death, but the Spirit made him alive.

For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

Note"The just for the unjust" means the one who did right died for people who did wrong. "Quickened" is an old word for made alive.

19In the Spirit he also went and preached to the spirits who were in prison.

By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;

NotePeter says Jesus preached to "the spirits in prison." People have wondered for a very long time who these spirits are. Peter does not tell us any more than this.

20Long ago those spirits would not obey. God waited patiently in Noah's time while the big boat was being built. Only a few people went inside. Eight people were saved through the water.

Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.

NoteNoah lived long ago and built a huge boat called an ark. God sent a great flood, and only Noah's family stayed safe. The eight people were Noah, his wife, his three sons and their wives. "Souls" is an old word for people.

21That water is a picture of baptism, which now saves you too. Baptism is not about washing dirt off your body. It is a promise to God from a clear conscience. It saves you because Jesus Christ rose from the dead.

The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:

NoteBaptism is when a person is dipped in water, or has water poured on them. It shows that the person belongs to Jesus.

22Jesus has gone into heaven. He is at God's right hand, the place of honor. Angels and rulers and powers all obey him.

Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.

Note"Angels and authorities and powers" means every strong being anywhere. Even they must obey Jesus.

4God did not let the angels off when they sinned. He threw them down into hell. He put them in chains of darkness to wait for judgment.

For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;

NoteAngels are beings who serve God. The Bible says some of them turned against him. "Chains of darkness" is a word picture. It means they are shut away in the dark and waiting. Judgment is the time when God decides what each person deserves.

5God did not let the ancient world off either. He brought a flood on people who did not care about him. But he kept Noah safe, and seven others with him. Noah told people to live right.

And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;

NoteNoah lived long ago, in a story near the start of the Bible. God sent a great flood over the earth. Noah built a huge boat, and eight people stayed safe inside. "Noah the eighth person" means Noah and seven others, eight in all.

6God turned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes. He judged them and wiped them out. They stand as a warning to people who live wicked lives later on.

And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;

NoteSodom and Gomorrah were two cities in an old Bible story. The people there were cruel, and God destroyed the cities. The King James word "ensample" just means example.

7God rescued Lot, who was a good man. The people around Lot lived filthy lives, and it wore him down.

And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked:

NoteLot was Abraham's nephew, and he lived in Sodom. In 1611 the word "conversation" meant the way a person lived. It did not mean talking.

8(That good man lived among them day after day. He saw and heard the evil things they did. It hurt his good heart every single day.)

(For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)

NoteThe King James word "vexed" means worn down and hurt inside. Lot was not angry. He was sad and tired every day.

9So the Lord knows how to rescue godly people from hard times. He also knows how to hold guilty people for punishment on the day of judgment.

The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:

NoteIn the King James, "temptations" here means hard times and troubles. "Godly" means people who love God and try to live his way.