es as wives: the fairness of the 1260
women, the maidens' faces, and the eternal Fiend have
shamefully captivated the multitude of men who were
formerly in peace."

After that, for 120 winters, duly numbered, exile
afflicted the accursed race in this world; then the Lord 1265
wished to inflict punishment upon the covenant-breakers,
and to smite with death the doers of evil, the giant folk
unloved by God, the great and sinful foes hateful to the
Lord, when the Wielder of Victory himself saw what 1270
was man's wickedness on earth, and how they all were
bold in crime and utterly vicious. He thought to
punish rigorously the races of men, to seize upon the 1275
peoples grimly and sorely, with cruel might: he repented
exceedingly that he had ever created the author of the
nations, the source of the peoples, when he fashioned
Adam. He said that on account of the sins of men he
would utterly blot out all that there was on earth, 1280
destroy every one of the bodies in whose bosom the
breath of life was concealed: all that came near to the
sons of men, the Lord determined to annihilate.

Noe, the son of Lamech, just and honorable, was dear 1285
to God, the Preserver. The Lord knew that the virtue
of the true man prevailed in the innermost thoughts of
his breast; therefore the Lord, holy in helpfulness, Pro- 1290
tector of all men, told him by revelation what he pur-
posed inflicting upon the wicked ones: for he saw the
earth full of unrighteousness, the broad plains laden
with sin, polluted with foulness. Then spoke the Al- 1295
mighty, our Saviour, and said to Noe:

"I am resolved to destroy humanity by means of a
deluge, and also every kind of living thing that the air
and waters produce and support, both beast and bird:
but thou shalt have shelter, with thy sons, when the 1300
dark waters, the black floods of death, destroy mankind,
the vile sinners. Begin to build thee a ship, a mighty
sea-house, in which thou shalt give a place of refuge
to many a one and a safe home to every species on earth, 1305
after thine own. Build partitions in the midst of the
ship. Make the boat fifty cubits wide, thirty high,
three hundred long, and joint it stoutly against the 1310
assault of the waves. There shall be a creature of every
living species, a scion of every race on earth, led