Genesis 6

Genesis 6 read aloud, in a fresh direct translation from the Hebrew — plain modern English, nothing added. Translator's notes: • Genesis 6:2 — בְנֵי־הָאֱלֹהִים (benei ha-elohim): chose "the sons of Elohim". Alternatives: members of the divine council ("sons of God"); human rulers or judges; in later interpretation, the line of Seth. Why: the Hebrew phrase is kept literal because the text itself never says which of these it means, and choosing one would add an interpretation the verse does not contain. • Genesis 6:3 — לֹא־יָדוֹן רוּחִי (lo yadon ruchi): chose "My spirit will not remain in humankind". Alternatives: "My spirit will not strive with humankind", "will not shield humankind", "will not judge humankind". Why: yadon is a rare form whose root is disputed; "remain" fits the sentence's contrast between spirit and flesh, and the fork is recorded here rather than hidden. • Genesis 6:4 — הַנְּפִלִים (ha-nephilim): chose "the Nephilim". Alternatives: "the fallen ones"; "giants" (the rendering of the later Greek and Latin tradition). Why: nephilim behaves like the name of a particular ancient group; a connection to the root "fall" is possible but not certain, so the name is kept rather than translated into a claim. • Genesis 6:6 — וַיִּנָּחֶם (vayinnachem): chose "regretted". Alternatives: "was sorry", "relented", "changed his mind". Why: the verb joins grief with a turning from a course taken; "regretted" holds the grief — the next clause says it grieved him to his heart — without settling more than the word says. • Genesis 6:16 — צֹהַר (tsohar): chose "an opening". Alternatives: "a roof", "a window", "a skylight". Why: the word occurs only here in the Bible, so the exact kind of opening cannot be recovered; "an opening" says what is known and no more.