In the 600th year of Noah’s life, in the 2nd month, the 17th day of the month, on that day all the springs of the great deep burst forth and the windows of the heavens were opened, and rain fell upon the earth 40 days and 40 nights. On the same day Noah and his sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth, and Noah’s wife and the three wives of his sons entered the ark, they and every beast according to its kind, and all the cattle according to their kinds, and every creeping thing according to its kind, and every flying thing according to its kind, every flying thing of every sort. They went into the ark with Noah, two and two of all flesh in which there was the breath of life. And those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him; and the Lord shut him in.
The mabbul [or ‘cataclysm’] was 40 days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and bore up the ark, and it rose high above the earth. The waters prevailed and increased greatly upon the earth; and the ark floated on the face of the earth. And the waters prevailed so mightily upon the earth that all the high mountains under the whole heaven were covered; the waters prevailed above the mountains, covering them fifteen cubits deep. And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, flying things, cattle, beasts, all swarming creatures that swarm upon the earth, and every man; everything on the dry land in whose nostrils was the breath of life died. He blotted out every living thing that was upon the face of the ground, man and animals and creeping things and flying things of the air; they were blotted out from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those that were with him in the ark.
And the waters prevailed upon the earth 150 days. And God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the cattle that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters subsided. The springs of the deep and the windows of the heaven were closed, and the rain from the heavens was restrained, and the waters receded from the earth back and forth. At the end of the 150 days the waters had abated, and in the 7th month, on the 17th day of the month, the ark came to rest upon the mountains of Ararat.
And the waters continued to abate until the 10th month; in the 10th month, on the 1st day of the month, the tops of the mountains were seen. And at the end of 40 days Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made and sent forth a raven; and it went back and forth until the waters were dried up from the earth. Then he sent forth a dove, to see if the waters had subsided from the face of the ground; but the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot, and she returned to him to the ark, for the waters were still on the face of the whole earth. And he put forth his hand and took her and brought her into the ark with him. And he waited another 7 days, and again sent forth the dove out of the ark; and the dove came back to him in the evening, and lo, in her mouth an olive leaf, plucked off. So Noah knew that the waters had subsided from the earth. And he waited another 7 days, and sent forth the dove; and she did not return to him any more.
In the 601st year, in the 1st month, the 1st day of the month, the waters were dried off from the earth. And Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and behold, the face of the ground was dry.
In the 2nd month, on the 27th day of the month, the earth was dry. And God said to Noah, “Go forth from the ark, you and your wife, and your sons and your sons’ wives with you. Bring forth with you every living thing that is with you of all flesh, birds and animals and every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth, that they may breed abundantly on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth.” So Noah went forth, and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives with him. And every beast, every creeping thing, and every bird, everything that moves upon the earth, went forth by families out of the ark.
