The Waters Recede

1God kept Noah in mind, along with all the wildlifea and livestock that were with him in the ark. God’s Spiritb moved throughout the earth, causing the flood waters to subside. 2The water sources from the ocean depths were blocked and the floodgates of the heavens were closed. 3Then the flood waters steadily receded,c diminishing completely by the end of the 150 days. 4The ark came to rest on the mountains of Araratd on the seventeenth day of the seventh month. 5The flood water continued to recede until the tenth month, when, on the first of that month, the tops of the mountains could be seen.

6After 40 days, Noah opened the window of the ark that he had built 7and sent out a raven. It went back and forth as the flood water continued to evaporate throughout the earth. 8Later, he sent a dove out from the arke to see whether the water that covered the land’s surface had completelyf receded, 9but the dove could not yet find a place to rest,g so it returned to Noahh on the ark, since water still covered the land. Noah reached out his hand and took the dove backi into the ark with him.

10Noahj waited another seven days and sent the dove out from the ark again. 11The dove returned to him in the evening, but in its beak there was an olive leaf that it had plucked! So Noah knew that the flood waters had decreased on the land. 12He waited seven more days and sent the dove out again, but it did not return to him anymore.

13In the six hundred and first year of Noah’s life,k during the first month, the flood water began to evaporate from the land. Noah then removed the ark’s cover and saw that the surface of the land was drying. 14By the twenty-seventh day of the second month, the ground was dry.

The LORD’s Covenant

15God spoke to Noah, 16“It’s time for you, your wife, your sons, and your sons’ wives who are with you to leave the ark. 17Bring out with you every living creature—including the flying creatures, animals, and everything that crawls on the ground—so they may disperse throughout the land, be fruitful, and multiply throughout the earth.” 18So Noah, his sons, his wife, and his sons’ wives emerged. 19Every animal, every crawling thing, every flying creature, and everything that moves on the earth emerged from the ark by groups.l

20Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and offered burnt offerings on itm from every clean animal and every clean bird. 21When the LORD smelled the pleasing aroma, he told himself, “I will never again curse the land because of human beings—even though human inclinations remain evil from youth—nor will I destroy every living being ever again, as I’ve done.

22“Nevern again, as long as the earth exists,

will sowing and harvest,

cold and heat,

summer and winter,

and day and night ever cease.”