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1 But God remembered Noah and all the wild and tame animals with him in the boat. He made a wind blow over the earth, and the water went down.
2 The underground springs stopped flowing, and the clouds in the sky stopped pouring down rain.
3
4 The water that covered the earth began to go down. After one hundred fifty days it had gone down so much that the boat touched land again. It came to rest on one of the mountains of Araratn on the seventeenth day of the seventh month.
5 The water continued to go down so that by the first day of the tenth month the tops of the mountains could be seen.
6 Forty days later Noah opened the window he had made in the boat, and
7 he sent out a raven. It flew here and there until the water had dried up from the earth.
8 Then Noah sent out a dove to find out if the water had dried up from the ground.
9 The dove could not find a place to land because water still covered the earth, so it came back to the boat. Noah reached out his hand and took the bird and brought it back into the boat.
10 After seven days Noah again sent out the dove from the boat,
11 and that evening it came back to him with a fresh olive leaf in its mouth. Then Noah knew that the ground was almost dry.
12 Seven days later he sent the dove out again, but this time it did not come back.
13 When Noah was six hundred and one years old, in the first day of the first month of that year, the water was dried up from the land. Noah removed the covering of the boat and saw that the land was dry.
14 By the twenty-seventh day of the second month the land was completely dry.
15 Then God said to Noah,
16 "You and your wife, your sons, and their wives should go out of the boat.
17 Bring every animal out of the boat with you -- the birds, animals, and everything that crawls on the earth. Let them have many young ones so that they might grow in number."
18 So Noah went out with his sons, his wife, and his sons' wives.
19 Every animal, everything that crawls on the earth, and every bird went out of the boat by families.
20 Then Noah built an altar to the Lord. He took some of all the clean birds and animals, and he burned them on the altar as offerings to God.
21 The Lord was pleased with these sacrifices and said to himself, "I will never again curse the ground because of human beings. Their thoughts are evil even when they are young, but I will never again destroy every living thing on the earth as I did this time.
22 "As long as the earth continues, planting and harvest, cold and hot, summer and winter, day and night will not stop."
The New Century Version (NCV)
The New Century Version (NCV) is a contemporary English translation of the Bible designed to be easily understandable and accessible to a broad audience. First published in 1987 by Thomas Nelson, the NCV originated from a project aimed at creating a simplified English translation for children. Over time, the scope of the translation expanded to cater to readers of all ages, including those with limited English proficiency and those new to the Bible. The NCV’s primary goal is to communicate the truths of Scripture in clear, everyday language that resonates with modern readers.
A notable feature of the NCV is its use of dynamic equivalence, or thought-for-thought translation philosophy. This approach prioritizes conveying the meaning and intent of the original texts over maintaining a strict word-for-word correspondence. By doing so, the NCV aims to make the Bible’s messages more relatable and easier to understand, especially for those who may find traditional translations challenging. The translation team worked diligently to balance accuracy with readability, ensuring that the essence of the biblical texts is preserved while making them more accessible to contemporary audiences.
The NCV also includes various study aids and features designed to enhance comprehension and engagement with the biblical text. These include introductions to each book of the Bible, footnotes that provide historical and cultural context, and cross-references that help readers see connections between different parts of Scripture. Additionally, the NCV often employs gender-neutral language where appropriate, aiming to be inclusive and respectful of modern sensibilities while remaining faithful to the original texts.
Despite its strengths, the New Century Version has faced some criticism from those who prefer more traditional or literal translations. Critics argue that the dynamic equivalence approach can sometimes result in a loss of nuance and depth found in the original languages. Additionally, some theologians express concern that the simplified language may not fully capture the richness and complexity of certain theological concepts. Nonetheless, the NCV remains a valuable resource for many readers, particularly those seeking a clear and approachable version of the Bible that helps them connect with and understand its timeless messages.