Jehovah unto Noah said:—

"I will destroy the earth,

For violence is in the land,

And wickedness and mirth.

"Men's hearts are full of laughter wild,

Their lives are full of sin;

And I will send destruction swift,

And show my power divine.

"I'll rain upon the earth a flood,

And drown men in the storm,

And they shall find no arm to save,

Amid their fearful gloom.

"But thee I have found true and good,

A follower of my ways;

And I will save thee from the flood,

And lengthen out thy days.

"Now therefore build thyself an ark,

According to my word;

To save thyself and family,

For ye have fear'd the Lord.

"For every thing that now has life,

And all things that have breath,

Even for the wickedness of man,

I do devote to death.

"I am the Lord, the mighty one,

I, even I, do speak;

The flood upon the earth I'll bring,

And nought my word shall break."

Noah prepared to build the ark,

The tidings did him grieve;

Yet it was just, and every word

He did at once believe.