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.
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Genesis 9: CEB
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2011 Common English Bible. All rights reserved.
Genesis 9
9
1And God#GodHebrew: Elohim blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them, Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth. 2And let the fear of you and the dread of you be upon every animal of the earth, and upon all fowl of the heavens: upon all that moveth on the ground; and upon all the fishes of the sea: into your hand are they delivered. 3Every moving thing that liveth shall be food for you: as the green herb I give you everything. 4Only, the flesh with its life, its blood, ye shall not eat. 5And indeed your blood, the blood of your lives, will I require: at the hand of every animal will I require it, and at the hand of Man, at the hand of each the blood of his brother, will I require the life of Man. 6Whoso sheddeth Man's blood, by Man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God#GodHebrew: Elohim he hath made Man. 7And ye, be fruitful and multiply: swarm on the earth, and multiply on it.
8And God#GodHebrew: Elohim spoke to Noah, and to his sons with him, saying, 9And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you; 10and with every living soul which is with you, fowl as well as cattle, and all the animals of the earth with you, of all that has gone out of the ark — every animal of the earth. 11And I establish my covenant with you, neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood, and henceforth there shall be no flood to destroy the earth.
12And God#GodHebrew: Elohim said, This is the sign of the covenant that I set between me and you and every living soul that is with you, for everlasting generations: 13I set my bow in the clouds, and it shall be for a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14And it shall come to pass when I bring clouds over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud, 15and I will remember my covenant which is between me and you and every living soul of all flesh; and the waters shall not henceforth become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God#GodHebrew: Elohim and every living soul of all flesh that is upon the earth. 17And God#GodHebrew: Elohim said to Noah, This is the sign of the covenant which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth.
18And the sons of Noah who went out of the ark were Shem, and Ham, and Japheth. And Ham is the father of Canaan. 19These three are the sons of Noah; and from these was the population of the whole earth spread abroad. 20And Noah began to be a husbandman, and planted a vineyard. 21And he drank of the wine, and was drunken, and he uncovered himself in his tent. 22And Ham the father of Canaan saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren outside. 23And Shem and Japheth took the upper garment and both laid it upon their shoulders, and went backwards, and covered the nakedness of their father. And their faces were turned away, that they saw not their father's nakedness.
24And Noah awoke from his wine, and learned what his youngest son had done to him. 25And he said, Cursed be Canaan; Let him be a bondman of bondmen to his brethren. 26And he said, Blessed be Jehovah, the God#GodHebrew: Elohim of Shem, And let Canaan be his bondman. 27Let God#GodHebrew: Elohim enlarge Japheth, and let him dwell in the tents of Shem, And let Canaan be his bondman.
28And Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years. 29And all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years; and he died.
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First published in 1890. This edition is maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.