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God’s Agreement with Noah

God made good come to Noah and his sons, and said to them, “Have many children, and cover the earth. Every animal of the earth, every bird of the sky, everything that moves on the ground, and all the fish of the sea will be afraid of you. They are given into your hand. Every moving thing that lives will be food for you. I give all to you as I gave you the green plants. But you must not eat meat with blood in it because that is its life. For sure, I will take the life of every animal and every person for taking a life. I will punish every man’s brother for taking the life of man. Whoever takes the life of a man will have his life taken. For God made man to be like Him. As for you, have many children. Cover the earth with many people.”

Then God said to Noah and his sons, “See, I make My agreement with you, and with your children after you, 10 and with every living thing that is with you, the birds, the cattle, and every animal of the earth, of all that came out of the large boat, every living thing on earth. 11 I make My agreement with you, that never again will all flesh be destroyed by the water of a flood. There will never again be a flood to destroy the earth.” 12 Then God said, “This is something special to see for all time, because of the agreement that I am making between Me and you and every living thing that is with you: 13 I will set My rain-bow in the cloud, and it will be something special to see because of an agreement between Me and the earth. 14 When I bring clouds over the earth and the rain-bow is seen in the clouds, 15 I will remember My agreement that is between Me and you and every living thing of all flesh. Never again will the water become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16 When the rain-bow is in the cloud, I will look upon it to remember the agreement that will last forever between God and every living thing of all flesh that is on the earth.” 17 God said to Noah, “This is the special thing to see because of the agreement I have made between Me and all flesh upon the earth.”

Noah and His Sons

18 The sons of Noah who came out of the large boat were Shem, Ham and Japheth. Ham was the father of Canaan. 19 These three were the sons of Noah. And all the people of the earth came from them.

20 Then Noah became a farmer and planted a grape-field. 21 And he drank of the wine, and drank too much, and lay without covering himself in his tent. 22 Then Ham, the father of Canaan, saw that his father was without clothes. And he told his two brothers outside. 23 But Shem and Japheth took a coat and laid it upon their shoulders and walked in with their backs toward their father and covered him. Their faces were turned away, so that they did not see their father without clothes. 24 When Noah awoke from his wine, he knew what his youngest son had done to him. 25 So he said, “May Canaan be cursed! He will be a servant of servants to his brothers.” 26 He also said, “Honor and thanks be to the Lord, the God of Shem. Let Canaan be his servant. 27 May God make Japheth great. Let him live in the tents of Shem. And let Canaan be his servants.”

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

God’s Covenant With Noah

Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth.(A) The fear and dread of you will fall on all the beasts of the earth, and on all the birds in the sky, on every creature that moves along the ground, and on all the fish in the sea; they are given into your hands.(B) Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you.(C) Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything.(D)

“But you must not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it.(E) And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting.(F) I will demand an accounting from every animal.(G) And from each human being, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of another human being.(H)

“Whoever sheds human blood,
    by humans shall their blood be shed;(I)
for in the image of God(J)
    has God made mankind.

As for you, be fruitful and increase in number; multiply on the earth and increase upon it.”(K)

Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him: “I now establish my covenant with you(L) and with your descendants after you 10 and with every living creature that was with you—the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you—every living creature on earth. 11 I establish my covenant(M) with you:(N) Never again will all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.(O)

12 And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant(P) I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come:(Q) 13 I have set my rainbow(R) in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow(S) appears in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant(T) between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life.(U) 16 Whenever the rainbow(V) appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant(W) between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.”

17 So God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant(X) I have established between me and all life on the earth.”

The Sons of Noah

18 The sons of Noah who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham and Japheth.(Y) (Ham was the father of Canaan.)(Z) 19 These were the three sons of Noah,(AA) and from them came the people who were scattered over the whole earth.(AB)

20 Noah, a man of the soil, proceeded[a] to plant a vineyard. 21 When he drank some of its wine,(AC) he became drunk and lay uncovered inside his tent. 22 Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father naked(AD) and told his two brothers outside. 23 But Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it across their shoulders; then they walked in backward and covered their father’s naked body. Their faces were turned the other way so that they would not see their father naked.

24 When Noah awoke from his wine and found out what his youngest son had done to him, 25 he said,

“Cursed(AE) be Canaan!(AF)
    The lowest of slaves
    will he be to his brothers.(AG)

26 He also said,

“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Shem!(AH)
    May Canaan be the slave(AI) of Shem.
27 May God extend Japheth’s[b] territory;(AJ)
    may Japheth live in the tents of Shem,(AK)
    and may Canaan be the slave of Japheth.”

28 After the flood Noah lived 350 years. 29 Noah lived a total of 950 years, and then he died.(AL)

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 9:20 Or soil, was the first
  2. Genesis 9:27 Japheth sounds like the Hebrew for extend.