Many years passed after Adam and Eve left the garden of Eden. Humanity grew and multiplied upon the earth, but as time went by, people drifted further and further from God.

Men began to do evil continually. Violence and wickedness filled the earth. God looked at the world and saw that the wickedness of men was great, and that every thought of their hearts turned toward evil, every day. The Lord was sorry that He had made man upon the earth, and His heart was filled with deep sorrow.

The Lord said:

But there was one man who was different. Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. He was a just and upright man among the people of his time, and he walked with God. Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

The earth was corrupt before God, and full of violence. God saw that every creature had corrupted its way upon the earth.

God said to Noah:

God gave Noah very detailed instructions on how to build the ark:

God continued:

"I am going to send the flood, waters upon the earth, to destroy everything under heaven that has the breath of life. Everything on the earth shall perish. But with you I will establish my covenant. You shall enter the ark with your sons, your wife, and your sons' wives. Of every living thing, of every kind of animal, you shall bring into the ark a pair, male and female, so that they may live with you. Of the birds, of the tame animals, and of everything that creeps along the ground, a pair of each kind will come to you, so that they may stay alive. Gather also every kind of food that can be eaten, and store it with you, to feed your family and the animals."

Noah did everything that God had commanded him. Even when the people around him laughed and mocked, Noah obeyed God with faith. Building the ark was an enormous task, and Noah and his sons worked day after day: they cut the wood, built the compartments, and coated everything with pitch so that no water could get in.

While they worked, people passed by and laughed at Noah.

"Why are you building a boat in the middle of dry land?" they mocked. "You have lost your mind, Noah."

But Noah did not give up. He kept on working, trusting in God. He warned the people about the flood that was coming, but no one wanted to listen. Only his family believed him and helped him.

Noah divided the ark into three decks, as God had commanded. On the first, he prepared places for the largest animals; on the second, for the medium ones; on the third, for the birds and the small animals. He made separate compartments for each kind of animal, so that everyone would have their own space. He also prepared large storerooms for food: grain for the birds, hay for the grass-eating animals, and provisions for the family.

The ark also had a great window near the top, to let in light and air. The door was on one side, big enough for the largest animals to pass through.

The years went by. Noah was six hundred years old when the ark was finally ready. During all that time, he warned people about what was going to happen, but no one turned away from their wickedness.

When the ark was complete, the Lord said to Noah:

Noah did everything the Lord had commanded him.

Then something wonderful happened. From every part of the earth, the animals began to come, walking toward the ark. There came the majestic lions and the swift leopards, the huge elephants and the tiny ants, the long-necked giraffes and the heavy hippos, the eagles that fly high and the little songbirds, the snakes that slither and the rabbits that hop.

It was as if God Himself were guiding them. Animals that would normally be enemies walked peacefully, side by side. The lion did not attack the gazelle, the wolf did not chase the lamb. All of them moved, in order, toward the ark.

Noah stood at the door of the ark, watching in wonder as each animal found its place. The largest went in first and made their way down to the lower deck; then came the medium-sized ones; last of all, the birds and the small animals climbed to the upper deck.

When all the animals were inside, Noah entered the ark with his wife, his three sons — Shem, Ham, and Japheth — and their three wives. Eight people in all.

The people passing by still laughed and mocked, because the sky was blue and clear, without a single sign of rain. They said Noah was mad, that it would never rain, that the enormous boat was a waste of time. But Noah had faith. He had obeyed God through all those years, and now he would wait, inside the ark, for the Lord's word to come true.

The Lord shut the door behind Noah. Now it was no longer possible to go in or out. The ark was sealed, protected by the hand of God Himself.

Inside the ark, Noah and his family waited. The animals rested quietly in their places, and there were provisions for a long journey. Outside, people went on with their lives, never imagining that the judgment was about to arrive.