Genesis 9

Covenant of the Rainbow

1Then God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth. 2The fear of you and the terror of you will be on every animal of the earth and on every bird of the sky; on everything that crawls on the ground, and on all the fish of the sea. They are handed over to you. 3Every moving thing that is alive shall be food for you; I have given everything to you, as I gave the green plant. 4But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. 5I certainly will require #9:5 Lit your blood of your livesyour lifeblood; #9:5 Lit from the hand offrom every animal I will require it. And #9:5 Lit from the hand offrom every person, #9:5 Lit from the hand offrom every man as his brother I will require the life of a person.

6“Whoever sheds human blood,

By man his blood shall be shed,

For in the image of God

He made mankind.

7“As for you, be fruitful and multiply;

# 9:7 Lit Swarm in the earth Populate the earth abundantly and multiply in it.”

8Then God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying, 9“Now behold, I Myself am establishing My covenant with you, and with your #9:9 Lit seeddescendants after you; 10and with every living creature that is with you: the birds, the livestock, and every animal of the earth with you; of all that comes out of the ark, every animal of the earth. 11I establish My covenant with you; and all flesh shall never again be eliminated by the waters of a flood, nor shall there again be a flood to destroy the earth.” 12God said, “This is the sign of the covenant which I am making between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for #9:12 Or everlasting generationsall future generations; 13I have set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall #9:13 Lit be forserve as a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth. 14It shall come about, when I make a cloud appear over the earth, that the rainbow will be seen in the cloud, 15and I will remember My covenant, which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and never again shall the water become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16When the rainbow is in the cloud, then I will look at it, to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” 17And God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant which I have established between Me and all flesh that is on the earth.”

18Now the sons of Noah who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth; and Ham was the father of Canaan. 19These three were the sons of Noah, and from these the whole earth was #9:19 Lit scatteredpopulated.

20Then Noah began #9:20 Lit to be a farmerfarming and planted a vineyard. 21He drank some of the wine and became drunk, and uncovered himself inside his tent. 22Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside. 23But Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it on both their shoulders and walked backward and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were #9:23 Lit backwardturned away, so that they did not see their father’s nakedness. 24When Noah awoke from his wine, he knew what his youngest son had done to him. 25So he said,

“Cursed be Canaan;

# 9:25 I.e., The lowest of servants A servant of servants

He shall be to his brothers.”

26He also said,

“Blessed be the Lord,

The God of Shem;

And may Canaan be #9:26 Or theirhis servant.

27“May God enlarge Japheth,

And may he live in the tents of Shem;

And may Canaan be #9:27 Or theirhis servant.”

28Noah lived 350 years after the flood. 29So all the days of Noah were 950 years, and he died.

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Berĕshith (Genesis) 9

1And Elohim blessed Noaḥ and his sons, and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase, and fill the earth.

2“And the fear of you and the dread of you is on every beast of the earth, on every bird of the heavens, on all that creeps on the ground, and on all the fish of the sea – into your hand they have been given.

3“Every creeping creature that lives is food for you. I have given you all, as I gave the green plants.

4“But do not eat flesh with its life, its blood.

5“But only your blood for your lives I require, from the hand of every beast I require it, and from the hand of man. From the hand of every man’s brother I require the life of man.

6“Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood is shed, for in the image of Elohim has He made man.

7“As for you, be fruitful and increase, bring forth teemingly in the earth and increase in it.”

8And Elohim spoke to Noaḥ and to his sons with him, saying,

9“And I, see, I establish My covenant with you and with your seed after you,

10and with every living being that is with you: of the birds, of the cattle, and of every beast of the earth with you, of all that go out of the ark, every beast of the earth.

11“And I shall establish My covenant with you, and never again is all flesh cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again is there a flood to destroy the earth.”

12And Elohim said, “This is the sign of the covenant which I make between Me and you, and every living being that is with you, for all generations to come:

13“I shall set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth.

14“And it shall be, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow shall be seen in the cloud,

15and I shall remember My covenant which is between Me and you and every living being of all flesh, and never again let the waters become a flood to destroy all flesh.

16“And the rainbow shall be in the cloud, and I shall see it, to remember the everlasting covenant between Elohim and every living being of all flesh that is on the earth.

17And Elohim said to Noaḥ, “This is the sign of the covenant which I have established between Me and all flesh that is on the earth.”

18And the sons of Noaḥ who went out of the ark were Shĕm and Ḥam and Yapheth. And Ḥam was the father of Kena‛an.

19These three were the sons of Noaḥ, and all the earth was overspread from them.

20And Noaḥ, a man of the soil, began and planted a vineyard.

21And he drank of the wine and was drunk, and became uncovered in his tent.

22And Ḥam, the father of Kena‛an, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside.

23So Shĕm and Yapheth took a garment, laid it on both their shoulders, and went backward and covered the nakedness of their father, but their faces were turned away, and they did not see their father’s nakedness.

24And Noaḥ awoke from his wine, and he knew what his younger son had done to him,

25and he said, “Cursed is Kena‛an, let him become a servant of servants to his brothers.”

26And he said, “Blessed be יהוה, the Elohim of Shĕm, and let Kena‛an become his servant.

27“Let Elohim enlarge Yapheth, and let him dwell in the tents of Shĕm. And let Kena‛an become his servant.”

28And Noaḥ lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years.

29So all the days of Noaḥ were nine hundred and fifty years, and he died.

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