Kuliqiniso sibili ukuthi uZamcolo wabakhona. UNkulunkulu waletha uZamcolo ukuze abhubhise abantu ababi kodwa watshela uNowa ukuthi akhe umkhumbi ukuze asindise abantu abalungileyo kanye lezinyamazana. (UGenesisi 6:11-20) Siyakholwa sibili ukuthi lokhu kwenzakala ngoba kubhalwe eMibhalweni ‘ephefumulelwe nguNkulunkulu.’—2 KuThimothi 3:16.

•  Kwenzakala yini kumbe yinganekwane nje?

•  Kungani kwaba loZamcolo?

•  Abantu babekwazi yini ukuthi kuzakuba loZamcolo?

•  Wawunjani umkhumbi kaNowa?

•  Kwathatha isikhathi esinganani ukuthi uNowa aqede ukwakha umkhumbi?

•  Izinganekwane ezimayelana loZamcolo

 IBhayibhili liyatsho ukuthi uNowa wake waphila kanye lokuthi uZamcolo waba khona, yikho akusiyo nganekwane.

•   Abalobi beBhayibhili babekholwa ukuthi uNowa wake waphila. Ngokwesibonelo u-Ezra loLukha babhala ngaye ngesikhathi belandisa imbali yesizwe sako-Israyeli. (1 ImiLando 1:4; ULukha 3:36) UMathewu loLukha babhala lalokho okwatshiwo nguJesu ngoNowa langoZamcolo.—UMathewu 24:37-39; ULukha 17:26, 27.

   Kanti njalo umphrofethi uHezekheli lomphostoli uPhawuli labo babhala ukuthi uNowa wasitshiyela isibonelo esihle sokholo lokulunga. (UHezekheli 14:14, 20; KumaHebheru 11:7) Kambe babengathi uyisibonelo esihle yini nxa kuyikuthi wayengazange aphile? Kusegcekeni ukuthi uNowa labanye ababelokholo ngabantu sibili abake baphila okumele sibalingisele.—KumaHebheru 12:1; UJakhobe 5:17.

•   IBhayibhili lisinceda sizwisise okwenzakalayo ngesikhathi sikaZamcolo. IBhayibhili nxa likhuluma ngoZamcolo kaliqali ngokuthi, “Kuthiwa kwakukhona,” njengalokho okujayele ukutshiwo nxa abantu besetha inganekwane. Kodwa liqamba umnyaka, inyanga kanye losuku okwafika ngalo uZamcolo. (UGenesisi 7:11; 8:4, 13, 14) Liphinda litsho lezilinganiso okwakumele uNowa azisebenzise lapho esakha umkhumbi. (UGenesisi 6:15) IBhayibhili litshengisa ukuthi indaba kaZamcolo iliqiniso sibili, akusiyo nganekwane.

 IBhayibhili lisitshela ukuthi kungakabi loZamcolo “ukuxhwala kwabantu kwasekukukhulu.” (UGenesisi 6:5) Liphinda lithi ‘umhlaba wawusuxhwalile phambi kukaNkulunkulu’ ngoba wawusugcwele udlakela lokuziphatha okubi.—UGenesisi 6:11; UJuda 6, 7.

 Ububi lobu babubangelwe zingilosi ezimbi ezasuka ezulwini zazothatha abafazi emhlabeni. Izingilosi lezi zazala abantwana okwakuthiwa ngamaNefilimi futhi abantwana labo yibo abenza kwagcwala ububi lokuhlupheka emhlabeni. (UGenesisi 6:1, 2, 4) Yikho uNkulunkulu wakhetha ukubhubhisa abantu ababi ukuze abalungileyo baphile kuhle.—UGenesisi 6:6, 7, 17.

 Ye babekwazi. UNkulunkulu watshela uNowa okwakuzakwenzakala wasemtshela ukuthi akhe umkhumbi ukuze yena lemuli yakhe basinde ndawonye lezinyamazana. (UGenesisi 6:13, 14; 7:1-4) UNowa waxwayisa abantu ngokuza kukaZamcolo kodwa bephulela izigodo endlebeni. (2 UPhetro 2:5) IBhayibhili lithi: “Kabazange babe lendaba kwaze kwafika uZamcolo wabakhukhula bonke.”—UMathewu 24:37-39.

 Wawuyinkalakatha yebhokisi elalakhiwe ngamapulanka futhi wawungaba ngamamitha angu-13 ukuphakama, angu-22 ububanzi langu-133 ubude. Wawuhuqwe ngenhlaka phakathi langaphandle, ulamakelo njalo ulezitezi ezintathu. Umnyango wawufakelwe eceleni njalo kukhanya kwakulewindi eduzane khonapho. Kungenzakala ukuthi uphahla lwakhona lwaluphakeme phakathi laphakathi ukuze amanzi agelezele emaceleni angahlali ephahleni.—UGenesisi 6:14-16.

 IBhayibhili kalisitsheli ukuthi kwathatha isikhathi esinganani kodwa kukhanya kwakuyiminyaka eminengi sibili. UNowa wayeleminyaka engu-500 esiba lomntwana wokuqala futhi wayeselengu-600 ngesikhathi uZamcolo efika. a—UGenesisi 5:32; 7:6.

 UNowa wathi etshelwa ukuthi akhe umkhumbi, abantwabakhe basebekhulile futhi sebethethe. Kungenzakala ukuthi bathatha sebeleminyaka engu-50 kusiya kwengu-60. (UGenesisi 6:14, 18) Lokhu yikho okwenza sithi umkhumbi ungabe waphela ukwakhiwa ngemva kweminyaka engu-40 kumbe engu-50.