וַיִּזְכֹּ֤ר אֱלֹהִים֙ אֶת־נֹ֔חַ וְאֵ֤ת כָּל־הַֽחַיָּה֙ וְאֶת־כָּל־הַבְּהֵמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר אִתּ֖וֹ בַּתֵּבָ֑ה וַיַּעֲבֵ֨ר אֱלֹהִ֥ים ר֙וּחַ֙ עַל־הָאָ֔רֶץ וַיָּשֹׁ֖כּוּ הַמָּֽיִם׃

God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the animals that were with him in the ark; God caused a wind to pass over the earth, and the water subsided. The water rested from its rage and did not descend anymore in the form of rain nor surge from the depths.

וַיִּסָּֽכְרוּ֙ מַעְיְנֹ֣ת תְּה֔וֹם וַֽאֲרֻבֹּ֖ת הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם וַיִּכָּלֵ֥א הַגֶּ֖שֶׁם מִן־הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃

The wellsprings of the depth and the windows of the heavens were dammed, closed, and the rain from the heavens was terminated.

וַיָּשֻׁ֧בוּ הַמַּ֛יִם מֵעַ֥ל הָאָ֖רֶץ הָל֣וֹךְ וָשׁ֑וֹב וַיַּחְסְר֣וּ הַמַּ֔יִם מִקְצֵ֕ה חֲמִשִּׁ֥ים וּמְאַ֖ת יֽוֹם׃

The water receded from upon the earth gradually. The water that had swelled and risen above the mountains descended into the valleys, from where it flowed into the sea. These processes took time, as the entire world was inundated with water. And the water was diminished at the end of one hundred and fifty days. After one hundred and fifty days of flooding, the water began to diminish.

וַתָּ֤נַח הַתֵּבָה֙ בַּחֹ֣דֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔י בְּשִׁבְעָה־עָשָׂ֥ר י֖וֹם לַחֹ֑דֶשׁ עַ֖ל הָרֵ֥י אֲרָרָֽט׃

The ark rested during the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, at the conclusion of one hundred and fifty days starting from the second month, upon the mountains of Ararat. The water level receded until the ark rested once again on the earth, although not in the place where Noah had built it. The ark was presumably constructed in a then-inhabited area, in or around modern-day Iraq, and it drifted a considerable distance to the high mountains of Ararat, which are likely close to the mountains called by that name today.

וְהַמַּ֗יִם הָיוּ֙ הָל֣וֹךְ וְחָס֔וֹר עַ֖ד הַחֹ֣דֶשׁ הָֽעֲשִׂירִ֑י בָּֽעֲשִׂירִי֙ בְּאֶחָ֣ד לַחֹ֔דֶשׁ נִרְא֖וּ רָאשֵׁ֥י הֶֽהָרִֽים׃

And the water gradually receded until the tenth month; during the tenth month, on the first of the month, the peaks of the mountains were revealed and seen. Since the ark was exceedingly heavy and deeply immersed in the water, it took additional time from when it rested on the peak until the mountains themselves were exposed.

וַֽיְהִ֕י מִקֵּ֖ץ אַרְבָּעִ֣ים י֑וֹם וַיִּפְתַּ֣ח נֹ֔חַ אֶת־חַלּ֥וֹן הַתֵּבָ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשָֽׂה׃

It was at the end of forty days from the time that the tops of the mountains could first be seen. Only after the mountaintops became visible could it be known with certainty that the water was gradually receding. Noah opened the window of the ark that he made.

וַיְשַׁלַּ֖ח אֶת־הָֽעֹרֵ֑ב וַיֵּצֵ֤א יָצוֹא֙ וָשׁ֔וֹב עַד־יְבֹ֥שֶׁת הַמַּ֖יִם מֵעַ֥ל הָאָֽרֶץ׃

He sent the raven. Noah chose to send a raven, on the assumption that a bird which feeds on carrion would be the first to find itself something to eat. Were it to find food, Noah would know that the water level had diminished. And it went to and fro, without bringing back any sign, until the drying of the water from upon the earth.

וַיְשַׁלַּ֥ח אֶת־הַיּוֹנָ֖ה מֵאִתּ֑וֹ לִרְאוֹת֙ הֲקַ֣לּוּ הַמַּ֔יִם מֵעַ֖ל פְּנֵ֥י הָֽאֲדָמָֽה׃

He sent the dove from him, as this bird is also capable of flying long distances, to see if the waters had abated from upon the surface of the ground.

וְלֹֽא־מָצְאָה֩ הַיּוֹנָ֨ה מָנ֜וֹחַ לְכַף־רַגְלָ֗הּ וַתָּ֤שָׁב אֵלָיו֙ אֶל־הַתֵּבָ֔ה כִּי־מַ֖יִם עַל־פְּנֵ֣י כָל־הָאָ֑רֶץ וַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח יָדוֹ֙ וַיִּקָּחֶ֔הָ וַיָּבֵ֥א אֹתָ֛הּ אֵלָ֖יו אֶל־הַתֵּבָֽה׃

But the dove did not find rest for its foot, and it returned to him to the ark, as water was on the face of the entire earth; and he extended his hand and took it, and brought it to him to the ark.

וַיָּ֣חֶל ע֔וֹד שִׁבְעַ֥ת יָמִ֖ים אֲחֵרִ֑ים וַיֹּ֛סֶף שַׁלַּ֥ח אֶת־הַיּוֹנָ֖ה מִן־הַתֵּבָֽה׃

He waited yet another seven days and again sent the dove from the ark.

וַתָּבֹ֨א אֵלָ֤יו הַיּוֹנָה֙ לְעֵ֣ת עֶ֔רֶב וְהִנֵּ֥ה עֲלֵה־זַ֖יִת טָרָ֣ף בְּפִ֑יהָ וַיֵּ֣דַע נֹ֔חַ כִּי־קַ֥לּוּ הַמַּ֖יִם מֵעַ֥ל הָאָֽרֶץ׃

The dove came in to him at evening time, after it had been sent off in the morning, and behold, it had plucked an olive leaf in its mouth. Since olive leaves are relatively tough, they did not rot in the water. And Noah knew that the waters had abated [ kallu ], that they had become light [ kal ] and diminished from upon the earth.

וַיִּיָּ֣חֶל ע֔וֹד שִׁבְעַ֥ת יָמִ֖ים אֲחֵרִ֑ים וַיְשַׁלַּח֙ אֶת־הַיּוֹנָ֔ה וְלֹֽא־יָסְפָ֥ה שׁוּב־אֵלָ֖יו עֽוֹד׃

He waited yet another seven days and sent the dove, and it did not return again to him anymore, as it found rest in one of the spots that had dried up in the meantime.

וַֽ֠יְהִי בְּאַחַ֨ת וְשֵׁשׁ־מֵא֜וֹת שָׁנָ֗ה בָּֽרִאשׁוֹן֙ בְּאֶחָ֣ד לַחֹ֔דֶשׁ חָֽרְב֥וּ הַמַּ֖יִם מֵעַ֣ל הָאָ֑רֶץ וַיָּ֤סַר נֹ֙חַ֙ אֶת־מִכְסֵ֣ה הַתֵּבָ֔ה וַיַּ֕רְא וְהִנֵּ֥ה חָֽרְב֖וּ פְּנֵ֥י הָֽאֲדָמָֽה׃

It was in the six hundred and first year, during the first month on the first of the month; the water dried from upon the earth, those areas that had been dry land prior to the flood. Noah removed the cover of the ark, as apparently the window was very small and he was able to see out only after removing the cover; and he saw, and behold, the surface of the ground dried. The water had disappeared, but the ground was still sodden.

וּבַחֹ֙דֶשׁ֙ הַשֵּׁנִ֔י בְּשִׁבְעָ֧ה וְעֶשְׂרִ֛ים י֖וֹם לַחֹ֑דֶשׁ יָבְשָׁ֖ה הָאָֽרֶץ׃ (ס)

During the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth dried. It took a long time until the ground fully dried up, to the extent that it was possible to tread upon it.

וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶל־נֹ֥חַ לֵאמֹֽר׃

Nevertheless, Noah remained in the ark. Just as he did not enter the ark of his own initiative, so too, now he waited for a divine command to exit it. And indeed, God spoke to Noah, saying:

צֵ֖א מִן־הַתֵּבָ֑ה אַתָּ֕ה וְאִשְׁתְּךָ֛ וּבָנֶ֥יךָ וּנְשֵֽׁי־בָנֶ֖יךָ אִתָּֽךְ׃

Go out of the ark: You, and your wife, and your sons, and your sons’ wives with you.

כָּל־הַחַיָּ֨ה אֲשֶֽׁר־אִתְּךָ֜ מִכָּל־בָּשָׂ֗ר בָּע֧וֹף וּבַבְּהֵמָ֛ה וּבְכָל־הָרֶ֛מֶשׂ הָרֹמֵ֥שׂ עַל־הָאָ֖רֶץ הוצא [הַיְצֵ֣א] אִתָּ֑ךְ וְשָֽׁרְצ֣וּ בָאָ֔רֶץ וּפָר֥וּ וְרָב֖וּ עַל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃

Every living being that is with you from all flesh, of the birds, and of the animals, and of every crawling creature that crawls on the earth, bring out with you. Remove them forcibly, as the animals had become accustomed to life in the ark. Although they were confined there, they had easy access to food. Moreover, some of them may have been in a state of hibernation due to the conditions. It was therefore necessary to compel them to leave. And they will teem [ veshartzu ] on the earth, by increasing greatly in number so that they will be found everywhere, like creeping animals [ sheratzim ], and be fruitful and multiply upon the earth. In this manner the world will be populated afresh.

וַיֵּ֖צֵא־נֹ֑חַ וּבָנָ֛יו וְאִשְׁתּ֥וֹ וּנְשֵֽׁי־בָנָ֖יו אִתּֽוֹ׃

Noah emerged, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons’ wives with him.

כָּל־הַֽחַיָּ֗ה כָּל־הָרֶ֙מֶשׂ֙ וְכָל־הָע֔וֹף כֹּ֖ל רוֹמֵ֣שׂ עַל־הָאָ֑רֶץ לְמִשְׁפְּחֹ֣תֵיהֶ֔ם יָצְא֖וּ מִן־הַתֵּבָֽה׃

Every beast, every crawling creature and every bird, every creature that crawls on the earth, after their families, emerged from the ark.

וַיִּ֥בֶן נֹ֛חַ מִזְבֵּ֖חַ לַֽיהוָ֑ה וַיִּקַּ֞ח מִכֹּ֣ל ׀ הַבְּהֵמָ֣ה הַטְּהוֹרָ֗ה וּמִכֹּל֙ הָע֣וֹף הַטָּהֹ֔ר וַיַּ֥עַל עֹלֹ֖ת בַּמִּזְבֵּֽחַ׃

Noah built an altar to the Lord, and he took from every pure animal and from every pure bird, and sacrificed burnt offerings on the altar.

וַיָּ֣רַח יְהוָה֮ אֶת־רֵ֣יחַ הַנִּיחֹחַ֒ וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה אֶל־לִבּ֗וֹ לֹֽא־אֹ֠סִף לְקַלֵּ֨ל ע֤וֹד אֶת־הָֽאֲדָמָה֙ בַּעֲב֣וּר הָֽאָדָ֔ם כִּ֠י יֵ֣צֶר לֵ֧ב הָאָדָ֛ם רַ֖ע מִנְּעֻרָ֑יו וְלֹֽא־אֹסִ֥ף ע֛וֹד לְהַכּ֥וֹת אֶת־כָּל־חַ֖י כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשִֽׂיתִי׃

The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma. This is a symbolic expression, which appears elsewhere in connection with offerings. Its plain meaning is satisfaction. And the Lord said in His heart, an anthropomorphic expression denoting divine contemplation: I will not continue to curse the ground anymore on account of man, as I did with the flood, as the inclination of man’s heart is evil from his youth [ mine’urav ]. he Sages expound: From when he stirs himself [ ninar ] and emerges into the world, from birth. Man is not by nature evil. But he is given freedom to choose and is subject to constant temptation. And therefore I will not continue to smite every living being anymore, as I did. In order to repair the corruption of the evil inclination, mankind requires a fixed and stable world. Therefore, human history will know no more all-encompassing, catastrophic events like the flood, but rather there will be relatively moderate rises and falls.

עֹ֖ד כָּל־יְמֵ֣י הָאָ֑רֶץ זֶ֡רַע וְ֠קָצִיר וְקֹ֨ר וָחֹ֜ם וְקַ֧יִץ וָחֹ֛רֶף וְי֥וֹם וָלַ֖יְלָה לֹ֥א יִשְׁבֹּֽתוּ׃

As long as the earth endures, planting and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease. During the flood, the seasons of the year and the alternation between day and night came to a stop. Afterward, God reestablished regular time and its units, and determined that they shall not cease again. The world will follow its natural path, the human race will survive, and never again will there be a total flood.