Noah and the Ark
Wickedness fills the earth, but Noah finds grace. God instructs him to build an ark to save his family and the animals from a worldwide flood.
Genesis 6:1-22, Genesis 7:1-24, Genesis 8:1-22, Genesis 9:1-17
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The Story
As people multiplied on the earth, wickedness increased. Every thought of the human heart was only evil, all the time. God's heart was filled with grief. 'I will wipe mankind from the face of the earth,' He said.
But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time. He walked faithfully with God.
God told Noah His plan. 'I am going to bring floodwaters to destroy all life. But I will establish My covenant with you. Build an ark of cypress wood.' God gave Noah detailed instructions—the ark would be 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high, with three decks and one door.
Noah obeyed. For perhaps 100 years, he built. People must have mocked him—building a massive boat far from any sea! But Noah kept building and preaching righteousness.
When the ark was finished, God told Noah to bring his family and two of every kind of animal—seven pairs of the clean animals—into the ark. They came to Noah, and he brought them in. Then the Lord shut the door.
After seven days, the rain began. For forty days and forty nights, water poured from the sky and burst from the ground. The floodwaters rose until even the highest mountains were covered. Every living thing outside the ark perished.
But God remembered Noah. After 150 days, He sent a wind, and the waters began to recede. The ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. Noah sent out a raven, then a dove. When the dove returned with an olive leaf, Noah knew the earth was drying.
Finally, God said, 'Come out of the ark.' Noah built an altar and offered sacrifices. God was pleased and made a covenant: 'Never again will I destroy all life with a flood.' He set His rainbow in the clouds as a sign of this everlasting promise.
From Noah's three sons—Shem, Ham, and Japheth—all the nations of the earth descended. God blessed them: 'Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.'
Noah's Big Boat
Kids Version
A long time after Adam and Eve, the world had become very bad. People were mean and did wrong things all the time. It made God very sad.
But there was one man who still loved God. His name was Noah. Noah tried to do what was right.
God told Noah, 'I'm going to send a big flood to wash the world clean. But I will keep you safe. Build a big, big boat called an ark!'
Noah obeyed God. He started building. BANG, BANG, BANG went his hammer! The boat was HUGE—as long as one and a half football fields! People probably laughed at Noah. 'Why are you building a boat? There's no water here!' But Noah kept building.
When the ark was done, something amazing happened. Animals started coming! Two of every kind—elephants, giraffes, lions, bunnies, birds, bugs—all walked, flew, or crawled into the ark. Noah's family went in too: Noah, his wife, his three sons, and their wives.
Then God shut the door. DRIP, DRIP, DRIP... then POUR! Rain fell and fell for forty days and forty nights. Water covered everything, even the mountains! But inside the ark, everyone was safe and dry.
After a long, long time, the rain stopped. The water went down. Noah sent out a dove, and it came back with an olive leaf! The ground was getting dry!
When they came out of the ark, Noah thanked God. Then something beautiful appeared in the sky—a RAINBOW! God said, 'This rainbow is My promise. I will never flood the whole earth again.'
Every time you see a rainbow, remember: God always keeps His promises!
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Characters in This Story
Scripture — Genesis 6:1-22 (KJV)
1And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,
2That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.
3And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh : yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.
4There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.
5And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. every: or, the whole imagination: the Hebrew word signifieth not only the imagination, but also the purposes and desires continually: Heb. every day
6And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
7And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. both: Heb. from man unto beast
8But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.
9These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God. perfect: or, upright
10And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
11The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.
12And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
13And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. with the earth: or, from the earth
14Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch. rooms: Heb. nests
15And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits.
16A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it.
17And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die.
18But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons' wives with thee.
19And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female.
20Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the earth after his kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive.
21And take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten, and thou shalt gather it to thee; and it shall be for food for thee, and for them.
22Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.
Memory Verse
“And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,”
— Genesis 6:1 (KJV)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the story of “Noah and the Ark” in the Bible?
Wickedness fills the earth, but Noah finds grace. God instructs him to build an ark to save his family and the animals from a worldwide flood. This story is found in Genesis 6:1-22, Genesis 7:1-24, Genesis 8:1-22, Genesis 9:1-17.
Where is “Noah and the Ark” found in the Bible?
“Noah and the Ark” is found in Genesis 6:1-22, Genesis 7:1-24, Genesis 8:1-22, Genesis 9:1-17, in the book of Genesis.
What can children learn from “Noah and the Ark”?
This story teaches children about Judgment, Salvation, Obedience, Covenant, New beginnings. Noah loved God when no one else did. God told Noah to build a huge boat called an ark. Noah, his family, and two of every animal were safe inside when the big flood came. God put a rainbow in the sky as a promise.