B'resheet (Gen) 9

1God blessed Noach and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply and fill the earth. 2The fear and dread of you will be upon every wild animal, every bird in the air, every creature populating the ground, and all the fish in the sea; they have been handed over to you. 3Every moving thing that lives will be food for you; just as I gave you green plants before, so now I give you everything — 4only flesh with its life, which is its blood, you are not to eat. 5I will certainly demand an accounting for the blood of your lives: I will demand it from every animal and from every human being. I will demand from every human being an accounting for the life of his fellow human being. 6Whoever sheds human blood, by a human being will his own blood be shed; for God made human beings in his image. 7And you people, be fruitful, multiply, swarm on the earth and multiply on it.”

(v) 8God spoke to Noach and his sons with him; he said, 9“As for me — I am herewith establishing my covenant with you, with your descendants after you, 10and with every living creature that is with you — the birds, the livestock and every wild animal with you, all going out of the ark, every animal on earth. 11I will establish my covenant with you that never again will all living beings be destroyed by the waters of a flood, and there will never again be a flood to destroy the earth.” 12God added, “Here is the sign of the covenant I am making between myself and you and every living creature with you, for all generations to come: 13I am putting my rainbow in the cloud — it will be there as a sign of the covenant between myself and the earth. 14Whenever I bring clouds over the earth, and the rainbow is seen in the cloud; 15I will remember my covenant which is between myself and you and every living creature of any kind; and the water will never again become a flood to destroy all living beings. 16The rainbow will be in the cloud; so that when I look at it, I will remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of any kind on the earth.”

17God said to Noach, “This is the sign of the covenant which I have established between myself and every living creature on the earth.”

(vi) 18The sons of Noach who went out from the ark were Shem, Ham and Yefet. Ham is the father of Kena‘an. 19These three were the sons of Noach, and the whole earth was populated by them.

20Noach, a farmer, was the first to plant a vineyard. 21He drank so much of the wine that he got drunk and lay uncovered in his tent. 22Ham, the father of Kena‘an, saw his father shamefully exposed, went out and told his two brothers. 23Shem and Yefet took a cloak, put it over both their shoulders, and, walking backward, went in and covered their naked father. Their faces were turned away, so that they did not see their father lying there shamefully exposed.

24When Noach awoke from his wine, he knew what his youngest son had done to him. 25He said, “Cursed be Kena‘an; he will be a servant of servants to his brothers.” 26Then he said, “Blessed be Adonai, the God of Shem; Kena‘an will be their servant. 27May God enlarge Yefet; he will live in the tents of Shem, but Kena‘an will be their servant.”

28After the flood Noach lived 350 years. 29In all, Noach lived 950 years; then he died.

Genesis 9

1-4God blessed Noah and his sons: He said, “Prosper! Reproduce! Fill the Earth! Every living creature—birds, animals, fish—will fall under your spell and be afraid of you. You’re responsible for them. All living creatures are yours for food; just as I gave you the plants, now I give you everything else. Except for meat with its lifeblood still in it—don’t eat that.

5“But your own lifeblood I will avenge; I will avenge it against both animals and other humans.

6-7Whoever sheds human blood,

by humans let his blood be shed,

Because God made humans in his image

reflecting God’s very nature.

You’re here to bear fruit, reproduce,

lavish life on the Earth, live bountifully!”

8-11Then God spoke to Noah and his sons: “I’m setting up my covenant with you including your children who will come after you, along with everything alive around you—birds, farm animals, wild animals—that came out of the ship with you. I’m setting up my covenant with you that never again will everything living be destroyed by floodwaters; no, never again will a flood destroy the Earth.”

12-16God continued, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and everything living around you and everyone living after you. I’m putting my rainbow in the clouds, a sign of the covenant between me and the Earth. From now on, when I form a cloud over the Earth and the rainbow appears in the cloud, I’ll remember my covenant between me and you and everything living, that never again will floodwaters destroy all life. When the rainbow appears in the cloud, I’ll see it and remember the eternal covenant between God and everything living, every last living creature on Earth.”

17And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I’ve set up between me and everything living on the Earth.”

18-19The sons of Noah who came out of the ship were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Ham was the father of Canaan. These are the three sons of Noah; from these three the whole Earth was populated.

20-23Noah, a farmer, was the first to plant a vineyard. He drank from its wine, got drunk and passed out, naked in his tent. Ham, the father of Canaan, saw that his father was naked and told his two brothers who were outside the tent. Shem and Japheth took a cloak, held it between them from their shoulders, walked backward and covered their father’s nakedness, keeping their faces turned away so they did not see their father’s exposed body.

24-27When Noah woke up with his hangover, he learned what his youngest son had done. He said,

Cursed be Canaan! A slave of slaves,

a slave to his brothers!

Blessed be God, the God of Shem,

but Canaan shall be his slave.

God prosper Japheth,

living spaciously in the tents of Shem.

But Canaan shall be his slave.

28-29Noah lived another 350 years following the flood. He lived a total of 950 years. And he died.

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B'resheet (Gen) 9

Genesis 9