⁵ The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth,^(A) and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.^{(B) 6} The Lord regretted^(C) that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. ⁷ So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth^(D) the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.^(E)” ⁸ But Noah^(F) found favor in the eyes of the Lord.^(G)

²⁰ Then Noah built an altar to the Lord^(A) and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean^(B) birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings^(C) on it. ²¹ The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma^(D) and said in his heart: “Never again will I curse the ground^(E) because of humans, even though^[a] every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood.^(F) And never again will I destroy^(G) all living creatures,^(H) as I have done.

⁹ “I have seen these people,” the Lord said to Moses, “and they are a stiff-necked^(A) people. ¹⁰ Now leave me alone^(B) so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy^(C) them. Then I will make you into a great nation.”^(D)

¹¹ But Moses sought the favor^(E) of the Lord his God. “Lord,” he said, “why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand?^{(F) 12} Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth’?^(G) Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster^(H) on your people. ¹³ Remember^(I) your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self:^(J) ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars^(K) in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land^(L) I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever.’” ¹⁴ Then the Lord relented^(M) and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.

⁶ And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate^(A) and gracious God, slow to anger,^(B) abounding in love^(C) and faithfulness,^{(D) 7} maintaining love to thousands,^(E) and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.^(F) Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished;^(G) he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.”^(H)

¹⁸ ‘The Lord is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion.^(A) Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.’^(B)

Jephthah

⁶ Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord.^(A) They served the Baals and the Ashtoreths,^(B) and the gods of Aram,^(C) the gods of Sidon,^(D) the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites^(E) and the gods of the Philistines.^(F) And because the Israelites forsook the Lord^(G) and no longer served him,

²² For the sake^(A) of his great name^(B) the Lord will not reject^(C) his people, because the Lord was pleased to make^(D) you his own.

¹³ “You have done a foolish thing,^(A)” Samuel said. “You have not kept^(B) the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time.^{(C) 14} But now your kingdom^(D) will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart^(E) and appointed^(F) him ruler^(G) of his people, because you have not kept^(H) the Lord’s command.”