Genesis 9
9
God’s covenant with all life
1God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fertile, multiply, and fill the earth. 2All of the animals on the earth will fear you and dread you—all the birds in the skies, everything crawling on the ground, and all of the sea’s fish. They are in your power. 3Everything that lives and moves will be your food. Just as I gave you the green grasses, I now give you everything. 4However, you must not eat meat with its life, its blood, in it.
5I will surely demand your blood for a human life,
from every living thing I will demand it.
From humans, from a man for his brother,
I will demand something for a human life.
6Whoever sheds human blood,
by a human his blood will be shed;
for in the divine image
God made human beings.
7As for you, be fertile and multiply. Populate the earth and multiply in it.” 8God said to Noah and to his sons with him, 9“I am now setting up my covenant with you, with your descendants, 10and with every living being with you—with the birds, with the large animals, and with all the animals of the earth, leaving the ark with you.#9.10 LXX; MT includes for all the animals of the earth. 11I will set up my covenant with you so that never again will all life be cut off by floodwaters. There will never again be a flood to destroy the earth.”
12God said, “This is the symbol of the covenant that I am drawing up between me and you and every living thing with you, on behalf of every future generation. 13I have placed my bow in the clouds; it will be the symbol of the covenant between me and the earth. 14When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow appears in the clouds, 15I will remember the covenant between me and you and every living being among all the creatures. Floodwaters will never again destroy all creatures. 16The bow will be in the clouds, and upon seeing it I will remember the enduring covenant between God and every living being of all the earth’s creatures.” 17God said to Noah, “This is the symbol of the covenant that I have set up between me and all creatures on earth.”
Shem’s blessing and Canaan’s curse
18Noah’s sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth came out of the ark. Now Ham was Canaan’s father. 19These were Noah’s three sons, and from them the whole earth was populated. 20Noah, a farmer, made a new start and planted a vineyard. 21He drank some of the wine, became drunk, and took off his clothes in his tent. 22Ham, Canaan’s father, saw his father naked and told his two brothers who were outside. 23Shem and Japheth took a robe, threw it over their shoulders, walked backward, and covered their naked father without looking at him because they turned away. 24When Noah woke up from his wine, he discovered what his youngest son had done to him. 25He said,
“Cursed be Canaan:
the lowest servant
he will be for his brothers.”
26He also said,
“Bless the LORD,
the God of Shem;
Canaan will be his servant.
27May God give space#9.27 Heb sounds like Japheth. to Japheth;
he will live in Shem’s tents,
and Canaan will be his servant.”
28After the flood, Noah lived 350 years. 29In all, Noah lived 950 years; then he died.
2011 Common English Bible. All rights reserved.
Genesis 9
9
1 AND GOD pronounced a blessing upon Noah and his sons and said to them, Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.
2 And the fear of you and the dread and terror of you shall be upon every beast of the land, every bird of the air, all that creeps upon the ground, and upon all the fish of the sea; they are delivered into your hand.
3 Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you; and as I gave you the green vegetables and plants, I give you everything.
4 But you shall not eat flesh with the life of it, which is its blood.
5 And surely for your lifeblood I will require an accounting; from every beast I will require it; and from man, from every man [who spills another's lifeblood] I will require a reckoning.
6 Whoever sheds man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God He made man.
7 And you, be fruitful and multiply; bring forth abundantly on the earth and multiply on it.
8 Then God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying,
9 Behold, I establish My covenant or pledge with you and with your descendants after you
10 And with every living creature that is with you–whether the birds, the livestock, or the wild beasts of the earth along with you, as many as came out of the ark–every animal of the earth.
11 I will establish My covenant or pledge with you: Never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood; neither shall there ever again be a flood to destroy the earth and make it corrupt.
12 And God said, This is the token of the covenant (solemn pledge) which I am making between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations:
13 I set My bow [rainbow] in the cloud, and it shall be a token or sign of a covenant or solemn pledge between Me and the earth.
14 And it shall be that when I bring clouds over the earth and the bow [rainbow] is seen in the clouds,
15 I will [earnestly] remember My covenant or solemn pledge which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters will no more become a flood to destroy and make all flesh corrupt.
16 When the bow [rainbow] is in the clouds and I look upon it, I will [earnestly] remember the everlasting covenant or pledge between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.
17 And God said to Noah, This [rainbow] is the token or sign of the covenant or solemn pledge which I have established between Me and all flesh upon the earth.
18 The sons of Noah who went forth from the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Ham was the father of Canaan [born later].
19 These are the three sons of Noah, and from them the whole earth was overspread and stocked with inhabitants.
20 And Noah began to cultivate the ground, and he planted a vineyard.
21 And he drank of the wine and became drunk, and he was uncovered and lay naked in his tent.
22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, glanced at and saw the nakedness of his father and told his two brothers outside.
23 So Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid it upon the shoulders of both, and went backward and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they did not see their father's nakedness.
24 When Noah awoke from his wine, and knew the thing which his youngest son had done to him,
25 He exclaimed, Cursed be Canaan! He shall be the servant of servants to his brethren! [Deut. 27:16.]
26 He also said, Blessed be the Lord, the God of Shem! And blessed by the Lord my God be Shem! And let Canaan be his servant.
27 May God enlarge Japheth; and let him dwell in the tents of Shem, and let Canaan be his servant.
28 And Noah lived after the flood 350 years.
29 All the days of Noah were 950 years, and he died.
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