Jesse Tree Day 4: The Flood
Hello and welcome back to our Illustrated Jesse Tree for this year! For Day 4, we are taking a closer look at the story of Noah’s Ark and the Flood. This is really a popular story and almost everyone knows the vague plot of it — indeed, my kids have a special Noah’s Ark toy that they play with! However, because it’s such a popular story, even for the kids, that I find that a lot of people haven’t actually read the story as adults and only have a sort of childlike understanding of the story. So, this will be a long day with lots of scripture… but also I’ve illustrated it with a lot of beautiful artwork as well! I hope you enjoy it!
One quick note before we begin… I am using the Douay Rheims version of the bible, with a tiny modification! In the original text, it uses the Latin translation of the name, Noah, which is spelled “Noe.” I have chosen to Anglicize this name to Noah, since Noah is more in line with what we expect when we read this story. I have not changed anything else in text!
The Flood
A Reading from the Book of Genesis (Genesis 6:5-8, 13-22, Genesis 7:5-24, Genesis 8:2-21)
And God seeing that the wickedness of men was great on the earth, and that all the thought of their heart was bent upon evil at all times,
It repented him that he had made man on the earth. And being touched inwardly with sorrow of heart,
He said: I will destroy man, whom I have created, from the face of the earth, from man even to beasts, from the creeping thing even to the fowls of the air, for it repenteth me that I have made them.
But Noah found grace before the Lord.
He said to Noah: The end of all flesh is come before me, the earth is filled with iniquity through them, and I will destroy them with the earth.
Make thee an ark of timber planks: thou shalt make little rooms in the ark, and thou shalt pitch it within and without.
And thus shalt thou make it: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits: the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits.
Thou shalt make a window in the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish the top of it: and the door of the ark thou shalt set in the side: with lower, middle chambers, and third stories shalt thou make it.
Behold I will bring the waters of a great flood upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, under heaven. All things that are in the earth shall be consumed.
And I will establish my covenant with thee, and thou shalt enter into the ark, thou and thy sons, and thy wife, and the wives of thy sons with thee.
And of every living creature of all flesh, thou shalt bring two of a sort into the ark, that they may live with thee: of the male sex, and the female.
Of fowls according to their kind, and of beasts in their kind, and of every thing that creepeth on the earth according to its kind; two of every sort shall go in with thee, that they may live.
Thou shalt take unto thee of all food that may be eaten, and thou shalt lay it up with thee: and it shall be food for thee and them.
And Noah did all things which God commanded him.
And the Lord said to him: Go in thou and all thy house into the ark: for thee I have seen just before me in this generation.
Of all clean beasts take seven and seven, the male and the female.
But of the beasts that are unclean two and two, the male and the female. Of the fowls also of the air seven and seven, the male and the female: that seed may be saved upon the face of the whole earth.
For yet a while, and after seven days, I will rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and I will destroy every substance that I have made, from the face of the earth.
And Noah did all things which the Lord had commanded him.
And he was six hundred years old, when the waters of the flood overflowed the earth.
And Noah went in and his sons, his wife and the wives of his sons with him into the ark, because of the waters of the flood.
And of beasts clean and unclean, and of fowls, and of every thing that moveth upon the earth,
Two and two went in to Noah into the ark, male and female, as the Lord had commanded Noah.
And after the seven days were passed, the waters of the flood overflowed the earth.
In the six hundredth year of the life of Noah, in the second month, in the seventeenth day of the month, all the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the flood gates of heaven were opened:
And the rain fell upon the earth forty days and forty nights.
In the selfsame day Noah, and Sem, and Cham, and Japheth his sons: his wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, went into the ark:
They and every beast according to its kind, and all the cattle in their kind, and every thing that moveth upon the earth according to its kind, and every fowl according to its kind, all birds, and all that fly,
Went in to Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein was the breath of life.
And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and the Lord shut him in on the outside.
And the flood was forty days upon the earth, and the waters increased, and lifted up the ark on high from the earth.
For they overflowed exceedingly: and filled all on the face of the earth: and the ark was carried upon the waters.
And the waters prevailed beyond measure upon the earth: and all the high mountains under the whole heaven were covered.
The water was fifteen cubits higher than the mountains which it covered.
And all flesh was destroyed that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of beasts, and of all creeping things that creep upon the earth: and all men.
And all things wherein there is the breath of life on the earth, died.
And he destroyed all the substance that was upon the earth, from man even to beast, and the creeping things and fowls of the air: and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained, and they that were with him in the ark.
And the waters prevailed upon the earth a hundred and fifty days.
And God remembered Noah, and all the living creatures, and all the cattle which were with him in the ark, and brought a wind upon the earth, and the waters were abated.
The fountains also of the deep, and the flood gates of heaven were shut up, and the rain from heaven was restrained.
And the waters returned from off the earth going and coming: and they began to be abated after a hundred and fifty days.
And the ark rested in the seventh month, the seven and twentieth day of the month, upon the mountains of Armenia.
And the waters were going and decreasing until the tenth month: for in the tenth month, the first day of the month, the tops of the mountains appeared.
And after that forty days were passed, Noah, opening the window of the ark which he had made, sent forth a raven:
Which went forth and did not return, till the waters were dried up upon the earth.
He sent forth also a dove after him, to see if the waters had now ceased upon the face of the earth.
But she, not finding where her foot might rest, returned to him into the ark: for the waters were upon the whole earth: and he put forth his hand, and caught her, and brought her into the ark.
And having waited yet seven other days, he again sent forth the dove out of the ark.
And she came to him in the evening, carrying a bough of an olive tree, with green leaves, in her mouth. Noah therefore understood that the waters were ceased upon the earth.
And he stayed yet other seven days: and he sent forth the dove, which returned not any more unto him.
Therefore in the six hundredth and first year, the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were lessened upon the earth, and Noah opening the covering of the ark, looked, and saw that the face of the earth was dried.
In the second month, the seven and twentieth day of the month, the earth was dried.
And God spoke to Noah, saying:
Go out of the ark, thou and thy wife, thy sons, and the wives of thy sons with thee.
All living things that are with thee of all flesh, as well in fowls as in beasts, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, bring out with thee, and go ye upon the earth: increase and multiply upon it.
So Noah went out, he and his sons: his wife, and the wives of his sons with him.
And all living things, and cattle, and creeping things that creep upon the earth, according to their kinds, went out of the ark.
And Noah built an altar unto the Lord: and taking of all cattle and fowls that were clean, offered holocausts upon the altar.
And the Lord smelled a sweet savour, and said: I will no more curse the earth for the sake of man: for the imagination and thought of man’s heart are prone to evil from his youth: therefore I will no more destroy every living soul as I have done.
If you like tons of religious art and think the Rosary is awesome, you might like my Illustrated Rosary books, because they are gorgeous.
