⁵ The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth,^(A) and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.^(B)

²¹ The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma^(A) and said in his heart: “Never again will I curse the ground^(B) because of humans, even though^[a] every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood.^(C) And never again will I destroy^(D) all living creatures,^(E) as I have done.

¹⁹ When such a person hears the words of this oath and they invoke a blessing^(A) on themselves, thinking, “I will be safe, even though I persist in going my own way,”^(B) they will bring disaster on the watered land as well as the dry.

²⁰ The Lord will never be willing to forgive^(A) them; his wrath and zeal^(B) will burn^(C) against them. All the curses written in this book will fall on them, and the Lord will blot^(D) out their names from under heaven.

⁹ “And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion^(A) and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart^(B) and understands every desire and every thought. If you seek him,^(C) he will be found by you; but if you forsake^(D) him, he will reject^(E) you forever.