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 God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, and replenish the earth. 2The fear of you and the dread of you will be on every animal of the earth, and on every bird of the sky. Everything that moves along the ground, and all the fish of the sea, are delivered into your hand. 3Every moving thing that lives will be food for you. As I gave you the green herb, I have given everything to you. 4But flesh with its life, that is, its blood, you shall not eat. 5I will surely require accounting for your life’s blood. At the hand of every animal I will require it. At the hand of man, even at the hand of every man’s brother, I will require the life of man. 6Whoever sheds man’s blood, his blood will be shed by man, for God made man in his own image. 7Be fruitful and multiply. Increase abundantly in the earth, and multiply in it.”
8 God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying, 9“As for me, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your offspring 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 go out of the ship, even every animal of the earth. 11I will establish my covenant with you: All flesh will not be cut off any more by the waters of the flood. There will never again be a flood to destroy the earth.” 12God said, “This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: 13I set my rainbow in the cloud, and it will be a sign of a covenant between me and the earth. 14When I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow will be seen in the cloud, 15I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh, and the waters will no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16The rainbow will be in the cloud. I will look at it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” 17God said to Noah, “This is the token of the covenant which I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.”
18 The sons of Noah who went out from the ship were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Ham is the father of Canaan. 19These three were the sons of Noah, and from these the whole earth was populated.
20 Noah began to be a farmer, and planted a vineyard. 21He drank of the wine and got drunk. He was uncovered within his tent. 22Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside. 23Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it on both their shoulders, went in backwards, and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were backwards, and they didn’t see their father’s nakedness. 24Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his youngest son had done to him. 25He said,
“Canaan is cursed.
He will be a servant of servants to his brothers.”
26 He said,
“Blessed be the LORD, the God of Shem.
Let Canaan be his servant.
27 May God enlarge Japheth.
Let him dwell in the tents of Shem.
Let Canaan be his servant.”
28 Noah lived three hundred and fifty years after the flood. 29All the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years, and then he died.
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