Yanetha nyhani le mvula. Yanethiswa nguThixo kuba wayefuna ukubulala abantu ababesenza izinto ezimbi. Wathi kuNowa makakhe umkhombe oza kungena izilwanyana nabantu ababesenza izinto ezilungileyo, ukuze basinde. (Genesis 6:11-20) Sinesizathu sokukholelwa ukuba yanetha nyhani le mvula, kuba eli bali liseBhayibhileni, ‘ephemfumlelwe nguThixo.’​—2 Timoti 3:16.

•  Yanetha nyhani okanye yintsomi nje?

•  Yayinethela ntoni le mvula inkulu?

•  Babeyazi abantu ukuba iza kunetha le mvula?

•  Wawunjani umkhombe owakhiwa nguNowa?

•  Wawakha ixesha elingakanani?

•  Iintsomi ezibaliswayo ngebali likaNowa elingemvula enkulu.

IBhayibhile isichazela ukuba uNowa wakha waphila, ibe le mvula inkulu yanetha nyhani ayontsomi.

• Ababhali beBhayibhile bathi uNowa wakha waphila. Xa babebhala iBhayibhile, uEzra noLuka bamfaka uNowa kumnombo wamaSirayeli, loo nto ithetha ukuba uNowa ayingomntu wasentsomini. (1 Kronike 1:4; Luka 3:36) Kanti nababhali beencwadi zevangeli bayibhala into eyathethwa nguYesu ngoNowa nangemvula enkulu.—Mateyu 24:37-39; Luka 17:26, 27.

  Umprofeti uHezekile nompostile uPawulos bathi uNowa wayengumntu onokholo nowayelungile kwaye engumzekelo omhle wokuxeliswa. (Hezekile 14:14, 20; Hebhere 11:7) Ukuba uNowa ibingumntu wasentsomini ngaba bekunothiwa masimxelise? Icacile ukuba uNowa nabanye abantu ababenokholo abachazwe eBhayibhileni babekhe baphila.—Hebhere 12:1; Yakobi 5:17.

• IBhayibhile izicacisa kakuhle izinto ezenzekayo xa kwanetha le mvula. Akuqalwa ngamazwi athi “kwathi kaloku ngantsomi” eBhayibhileni xa sixelelwa ngezinto ezenzekayo. Xa kuthethwa ngokunetha kwemvula nezinye izinto ezenzekayo sichazelwa unyaka, inyanga nomhla. (Genesis 7:11; 8:4, 13, 14) Sichazelwa nokuba wawungakanani umkhombe owakhiwa nguNowa. (Genesis 6:15) Yonke le nto ibonisa ukuba iBhayibhile ayibalisi ntsomi xa ithetha ngemvula enkulu.

IBhayibhile ithi ‘abantu babesenza izinto ezimbi kakhulu’ ngaphambi kokuba uThixo anethise le mvula. (Genesis 6:5) Iphinda ithi abantu babeziphatha kakubi ngesondo kwaye besoloko besilwa, ibe ‘ezo zinto uThixo wayengazithandi.’—Genesis 6:11; Yuda 6, 7.

IBhayibhile ikwasibonisa ukuba obu bubi baqalwa ziingelosi ezayekayo ukuthobela uThixo zeza emhlabeni zalala neentombi. Ezi ntombi zaye zazala abantwana bezingelosi ababezizigebenga ezazihlupha abantu. (Genesis 6:1, 2, 4) UThixo waye wabulala bonke abantu abenza izinto ezimbi waza washiya abantu abenza izinto ezilungileyo.—Genesis 6:6, 7, 17.

Ewe babeyazi. UThixo wamxelela uNowa into eyayiza kwenzeka waza wathi makakhe umkhombe oza kusindisa intsapho yakhe nezilwanyana. (Genesis 6:13, 14; 7:1-4) UNowa wabalumkisa abantu kodwa bona zange bamhoye basuka bamhleka. (2 Petros 2:5) IBhayibhile ithi ‘zange bammamele de yafika imvula enkulu yababulala bonke.’—Mateyu 24:37-39.

Wawufana nebhokisi enkulu, ezimitha eziyi-133 ubude, ube zimitha eziyi-22 ububanzi, uze ube zimitha eziyi-13 ukuphakama. Wawenziwe ngamaplanga omthi onentlaka, uqatywe itela ngaphakathi nangaphandle. Wawunemigangatho emithathu ukuphakama namagumbi ahlukeneyo. Umnyango wawo wawusecaleni ibe iifestile zazisezantsi kophahla macala onke. Kubonakala ukuba uphahla lwawo lwalutsolo esiphakathini lwehlile emacaleni ukuze amanzi emvula achitheke lula.—Genesis 6:14-16.

IBhayibhile ayitsho ukuba wathatha ixesha elingakanani uNowa ukwakha umkhombe, kodwa singatsho sithi yabangamashumi eminyaka. Kaloku uNowa wayeneminyaka engaphezu kwe-500 ubudala xa kwazalwa unyana wakhe wokuqala, ibe imvula enkulu yona yanetha eneminyaka eyi-600. a—Genesis 5:32; 7:6

Xa uThixo wathi uNowa makakhe umkhombe babesele betshatile oonyana bakhe, loo nto inokuthetha ukuba babesele bephile iminyaka eyi-50 okanye eyi-60. (Genesis 6:14, 18) Yiloo nto ke sinokuthi ukwakha umkhombe kwathatha iminyaka eyi-40 okanye eyi-50.