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1 But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the livestock that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind blow over the earth, and the waters subsided.
2 The fountains of the deep and the windows of the heavens were closed, the rain from the heavens was restrained,
3 and the waters receded from the earth continually. At the end of 150 days the waters had abated,
4 and in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat.
5 And the waters continued to abate until the tenth month; in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, the tops of the mountains were seen.
6 At the end of forty days Noah opened the window of the ark that he had made
7 and sent forth a raven. It went to and fro until the waters were dried up from the earth.
8 Then he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters had subsided from the face of the ground.
9 But the dove found no place to set her foot, and she returned to him to the ark, for the waters were still on the face of the whole earth. So he put out his hand and took her and brought her into the ark with him.
10 He waited another seven days, and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark.
11 And the dove came back to him in the evening, and behold, in her mouth was a freshly plucked olive leaf. So Noah knew that the waters had subsided from the earth.
12 Then he waited another seven days and sent forth the dove, and she did not return to him anymore.
13 In the six hundred and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried from off the earth. And Noah removed the covering of the ark and looked, and behold, the face of the ground was dry.
14 In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth had dried out.
15 Then God said to Noah,
16 "Go out from the ark, you and your wife, and your sons and your sons' wives with you.
17 Bring out with you every living thing that is with you of all flesh- birds and animals and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth- that they may swarm on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth."
18 So Noah went out, and his sons and his wife and his sons' wives with him.
19 Every beast, every creeping thing, and every bird, everything that moves on the earth, went out by families from the ark.
20 Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and took some of every clean animal and some of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar.
21 And when the LORD smelled the pleasing aroma, the LORD said in his heart, "I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man's heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done.
22 While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease."
The English Standard Version (ESV)
The English Standard Version (ESV) is a prominent Bible translation that strives to balance word-for-word accuracy with readability. First published in 2001 by Crossway, the ESV was developed by a team of more than 100 leading evangelical scholars and pastors. It aims to provide a faithful rendering of the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts while maintaining the literary quality and stylistic beauty of the English language. This translation approach makes the ESV suitable for both personal study and public worship.
A key feature of the ESV is its commitment to formal equivalence, or essentially literal translation philosophy. This method prioritizes a close correspondence between the original languages and the English text, ensuring that the translation remains as true as possible to the original words and structures. The ESV translators worked meticulously to preserve the nuances and intricacies of the biblical languages, while also striving for clarity and smoothness in English. This balance makes the ESV highly regarded for its accuracy and readability.
The ESV is also known for its use in academic and scholarly settings. Its rigorous translation process and commitment to textual fidelity make it a reliable resource for in-depth Bible study and theological research. The translation includes extensive footnotes and cross-references that provide additional context and insights, helping readers to understand the historical, cultural, and linguistic background of the scriptures. The ESV’s clear and precise language has made it a preferred choice for pastors, scholars, and serious students of the Bible.
Despite its many strengths, the ESV has faced some criticism. Some readers and scholars argue that the translation’s formal equivalence approach can sometimes result in a text that is overly rigid and less fluid than more dynamic translations. Others have raised concerns about gender-specific language in the ESV, suggesting that it may not be as inclusive as some other modern translations. Nonetheless, the English Standard Version remains a highly respected and widely used translation, valued for its accuracy, readability, and commitment to preserving the original meaning of the biblical texts.