03-00
The Flood
This title can also be translated as: “About God made a great flood” or “What happened when God made a great flood?”
03-01
After a long time
This story happens many generations (hundreds of years) after creation.
very wicked and violent
It may be more natural to say: “had become wicked and did violent things.”
It became so bad
It may be clearer to say: “People were behaving in such harmful and evil ways.”
God decided to destroy
This does not mean that the earth would be destroyed completely. Rather God planned to destroy all the people who had rebelled against him and who had caused such evil and violence. This flood would also kill all the land animals and the birds.
a huge flood
Very deep water that would cover the earth, even in places where the ground was normally dry, and even covering the tops of the highest mountains.
03-02
God was pleased with Noah
God was pleased with Noah because he feared and obeyed God. So even though Noah was not sinless, God was gracious to him and made a plan to rescue his family from the devastating flood. Make sure this does not sound like Noah was lucky or that he just happened to escape. Rather, it was God’s choice.
was going to make a big flood
God planned to cause deep water to cover the earth by sending a lot of rain. That is, he planned to cause the flood by causing a lot of rain to fall.
a big flood
See how you translated this in 03:01.
03-03
the boat
The boat was big enough to carry eight people, two of every kind of animal, and their provisions for almost a year.
03-04
Noah warned the people
Noah told everyone that God planned to destroy the world because of sin.
to turn to God
This means that they should stop sinning and start obeying God.
03-06
God sent
Noah did not need to find the animals. God sent them to him.
used for sacrifices
For some languages, it may be better to say something like, animals that were acceptable to sacrifice to God. God had decided that people should sacrifice animals to him, but he only permitted them to sacrifice certain kinds of animals.
God himself closed the door
This emphasizes that it was God who shut the door.
03-07
rain, and rain, and rain
This emphasizes that there was an unusual, extreme amount of rain. Other languages may have a different way of emphasizing this.
gushing up
This indicates that there was a large amount of water coming out.
the whole world was covered
This refers to all the earth being covered with water from the flood.
03-09
the rains stopped
This could be translated as: “it stopped raining.”
the boat rested
There was so much water from the rain that it covered the mountains. The ship floated over the mountains, and when the water started to go down, the ship went down with the water and settled on a mountain.
After three more months
During the next three months, the water continued to go down.
were visible
Other ways to translate this would be “were showing” or “appeared” or “could be seen.” It may be more clear to say: “After three months, the water had gone down enough so that Noah and his family could clearly see the tops of the mountains.
03-10
a raven
A black bird that flies and eats a variety of plant and animal foods, including the rotting flesh of dead animals.
03-11
a dove
A small white or gray flying bird that eats seeds or fruit.
an olive branch
An olive tree’s fruit contains oil which people use for cooking or putting on their skin. If your language does not have a word for olive branch, you could translate it as: “branch from a tree called olive” or “branch from an oil-tree.”
The water was going down
It may be more natural in your language to say: “the water was going away” or “the level of the water was getting lower.”
03-12
waited another week
You could say: “waited seven more days.” The word waited shows that Noah was allowing time for the floodwaters to go down before sending out the dove again.
03-13
Two months later
This means two months after Noah released the dove from the ark. It may be necessary to say this explicitly if it is not clear.
God said to Noah, “You and your family and all the animals may leave the boat now. Have many children and grandchildren and fill the earth.”
This is direct quotation. It can also be stated as an indirect quotation: “God told Noah that he and his family and all the animals could leave the boat then, and have many children and grandchildren and fill the earth.” (See: [[https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-quotations/01.md]])
Have many children
To make sure it is clear that this was God’s command and desire, you could say: “You must have many children” or “I want you to have many children.”
fill the earth
If this is not clear, it may be necessary to say: “and fill the earth with people” or “so that there will be many people living on the earth.”
came out
Some languages would say: “went out” instead. (See: [[https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-go/01.md]])
03-14
animal that could be used for a sacrifice
Another way to say this would be: “that people could use to sacrifice to him.”
God was happy
God was pleased with Noah for sacrificing these animals.
03-15
God said, “I promise I will never again curse the ground because of the evil things that people do, or destroy the world by causing a flood, even though people are sinful from the time they are children.”
This is direct quotation. It can also be stated as an indirect quotation: “God promised to never again curse the ground because of the evil things that people do, or destroy the world by causing a flood, even though people are sinful from the time they are children.” (See: [[https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-quotations/01.md]])
never again
This means not ever again or not again at any time or truly not again. Examples: I will not ever again curse the ground or I will not curse the ground again at any time or I will truly not curse the ground again.
curse the ground
The earth and the other creatures suffered because of man’s sin.
the world
This refers to the earth and the living creatures that lived on it.
people are sinful from the time they are children
Another way to say this would be: “people do sinful things their entire lives.”
03-16
rainbow
This is the multicolored arc of light that often appears in the sky after a rainstorm.
a sign
A sign is something (such as an object or event) that gives a certain meaning or which points to something that is true or will happen.
of his promise
In some languages, it may be better to say: “to show that he had promised.”
Every time
Make sure it is clear that this means every time a rainbow appeared from that time on. It may be necessary to add: “From then on, every time…”
what he promised
This refers back to the previous frame in which God promised to never again destroy the earth with a flood.
A Bible story from
These references may be slightly different in some Bible translations.