XVI.
Then our Preserver spoke to Noe: "I give thee my
pledge for this, O dearest of mankind, that thou mayst
now take up thy course with the creatures of all kinds1330
which thou shalt bear across the deep water for many
days, in the bosom of thy vessel. Lead on board the
Ark, as I bid thee, thy sons, the three first-born, and
your four wives. And do thou take into the sea-house1335
seven [members] duly counted of each of the species that
live to [supply] nourishment for men, and two of each
of the others: likewise take on the Ark some of all plants
growing on earth used for food by the people who are1340
to sail over the floods with thee. Feed freely the differ-
ent species of animals, until I shall prepare a place under
heaven by my Word for those who are saved from this
watery journey. Depart now with thy household into1345
the Ark, with the multitude of dependent things; I know
thee for a good and true man: thou art worthy of
safety and mercy, with thy sons. In seven nights now I
shall let the deadly rain fall from above upon the face1350
of the broad earth. For forty days will I set my ven-
geance against mankind, and with a deluge blot out all
the possessions and possessors that are beyond the sides
of the Ark, when the black storm begins to descend."1355
Then Noe left him, as our Preserver commanded, in
order to lead his children on board the Ark, men and their
wives together on the great ship; and all that God Al-
mighty wished to preserve for perpetuating their spe-
cies, went on board to their food-giver, as the Almighty1360
Lord of Hosts bade them through his word. With his
own hands, the Guardian of Heaven, Wielder of Victory,
locked the entrance of the sea-house behind them, and1365
our Saviour blessed [all] within the Ark with his own
grace. Noe, the son of Lamech, had 600 winters when
he embarked with his sons, at God's command,—that1370
wise man, with the young people, his dear kinsfolk.
The Lord sent rain from heaven, and likewise let
the springs from every source rush upon the world far
and wide, [let] the dark ocean-streams burst forth in1375
tumult: the seas rose up over the boundaries of the
shore. Strong and stern was He who ruled the waters,
for he covered and shrouded with wan waters the accursed
wickedness of the sons of the earth and devastated the1380
land and homes of men: the Lord wreaked [his fury]
upon men for their offences. The sea cruelly gripped
the wretched folk for forty days, and nights as many
bitter was the suffering then, cruelly fateful to men.
The waves of the King of Glory drove the souls of the1385
vicious ones forth from their bodies. The flood covered
everything; turbid under the sky [it covered] the high
mountains over the broad earth, and on its crest raised
the Ark aloft from the ground, and its noble crew with it,
[the Ark] which the Lord Himself, our Creator, blessed,1390
when he locked the ship. Thereafter this best of ships
rode widely under the skies over the circle of the sea,
fared [forth] with its freight: the terrors of the flood1395
would have seized them with violence in the sea-traver-
sing vessel, but the Holy God led and preserved them.
Fifteen ells deep, by man's measure, stood the deluge
over the hills. That is a memorable occurrence: there1400
was nothing at hand for [the Ark] but destruction,
except that it was raised aloft into the upper air when
the inundation killed all creatures upon earth other than
those whom the Lord of Heaven saved on board the Ark,
when the Holy God everlasting, the steadfast King, let1405
[the flood] rise up with ever-increasing[18] stream.
XVII.
Then God, Wielder of Victory, was mindful of those
floating on the deep, the son of Lamech and all his1410
family, whom the Source of Light and Life had locked
up against the water in the bosom of the ship. The
Lord of mankind led the heroes by his Word over far
lands. Soon the flood began to abate; the deluge ebbed,
dark under the sky: the true God had turned back again1415
the foaming waves, for his children; the Glorious One
[had] stilled the cataracts of rain. For 150 nights under
the skies the foamy ship floated, from the time when
the well-nailed sides of this best of boats first arose
upon the flood until this number of days of dire time1420
had passed. Then the Ark of Noe, greatest of ocean-
homes, settled on high with its burden on the hills which
are called Armenia: there the pious son of Lamech1425
awaited the sure promises for a long time, when the
Keeper of Life, the Almighty King, gave him relief from
the perilous chances which he had long undergone,
when the dark waves bore him abroad on the deep over1430
far countries.
The flood was sinking; the sea-farers, the heroes and
their wives, longed [for the time] when they might
venture to step out of their straitened quarters over the
well-nailed side out on the bank, and take their goods1435
out of their crowded home. So the guardian of the ship
tried to find out whether the waters were still sinking
under the clouds: accordingly, after many days from the
time the high mountain-sides received the possessions1440
and persons of the races of earth, the son of Lamech
let a black raven fly out of the Ark over the high flood.
Noe believed that if it found no land in its flight, it1445
would zealously seek him again on the ship over the wide
water. But this hope failed him; for the evil [bird]
alighted upon a floating corpse: the dark-feathered fowl
would not seek [further]. Then again after a week he sent
from the Ark a purple dove to fly over the high water1450
after the dark raven, for the purpose of finding out
whether the foamy sea, the ocean, had given up any
portion of the green earth, as yet. Widely she sought1455
her desired object, and flew afar: nowhere did she find
a resting-place, since she could not settle on land on foot
because of the flood, nor alight on a leaf of a tree
because of the waves; for the steep mountain-sides were1460
hidden by the waters. The wild bird set out in the
evening to seek the Ark over the dusky flood, and sank
weary and famished in the hands of the pious hero.
Then after a week the wild-dove was again sent out1465
from the Ark: she flew far, until greatly rejoicing she
found a fair place for rest and settled with her feet on
a tree; she exulted glad at heart, because exceedingly
weary [as she was] she could sit in the bright branches1470
of a tree: she shook out her wings and started to fly
back again with her gift, [for she] brought in her flight
an olive twig, green leaves, into the hands of one [on
board]. Then quickly the leader of the voyagers per-1475
ceived that solace had come, relief from their perilous
experience. So again after a third week the happy
man sent out a wild dove; it did not come flying back
to the ship, for it found land, green groves: the glad1480
creature did not wish to show itself ever again under the
pitch-smeared roof on the Ark, when there was no need.