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
1And God blessed Noe and his sons. And he said to them: Increase and multiply, and fill the earth.
2And let the fear and dread of you be upon all the beasts of the earth, and upon all the fowls of the air, and all that move upon the earth: all the fishes of the sea are delivered into your hand.
3And every thing that moveth and liveth shall be meat for you: even as the green herbs have I delivered them all to you:
4Saving that flesh with blood you shall not eat.
5For I will require the blood of your lives at the hand of every beast, and at the hand of man. At the hand of every man, and of his brother, will I require the life of man.
6Whosoever shall shed man's blood, his blood shall be shed: for man was made to the image of God.
7But increase you and multiply:, and go upon the earth, and fill it.
8This also said God to Noe, and to his sons with him:
9Behold, I will establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you.
10And with every living soul that is with you, as well in all birds as in cattle and beasts of the earth, that are come forth out of the ark: and in all the beasts of the earth.
11I will establish my covenant with you; and all flesh shall be no more destroyed with the waters of a flood: neither shall there be from henceforth a flood to waste the earth.
12And God said: This is the sign of the covenant which I will give between me and you, and to every living soul that is with you, for perpetual generations.
13I will set my bow in the clouds, and it shall be the sign of a covenant between me, and between the earth.
14And when I shall cover the sky with clouds, my bow shall appear in the clouds:
15And I will remember my covenant with you, and with every living soul that beareth flesh: and there shall no more be waters of a flood to destroy all flesh.
16And the bow shall be in the clouds, and I shall see it, and shall remember the everlasting covenant, that was made between God and every living soul of all flesh which is upon the earth.
17And God said to Noe: This shall be the sign of the covenant which I have established between me and all flesh upon the earth.
18And the sons of Noe who came out of the ark, were Sem, Cham, and Japheth: and Cham is the father of Chanaan.
19These three are the sons of Noe: and from these was all mankind spread over the whole earth.
20And Noe, a husbandman, began to till the ground, and planted a vineyard,
21And drinking of the wine was made drunk, and was uncovered in his tent.
22Which when Cham the father of Chaanan had seen, to wit, that his father's nakedness was uncovered, he told it to his two brethren without.
23But Sem and Japheth put a cloak upon their shoulders, and going backward covered the nakedness of their father: and their faces were turned away, and they saw not their father's nakedness.
24And Noe awaking from the wine, when he had learned what his younger son had done to him,
25He said: Cursed be Chaanan; a servant of servant shall he be unto his brethren.
26And he said: Blessed be the Lord God of Sem; be Chanaan his servant.
27May God enlarge Japheth, and may he dwell in the tents of Sem; and Chanaan be his servant.
28And Noe lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years.
29And all his days were in the whole nine hundred and fifty years: and he died.
An historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.