Psalm 8

God’s Glory, Man’s Dignity

For the choir director: on the Gittith.^(A) A Davidic psalm.

God’s Covenant with Noah

9 God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.^{(A) 2} The fear and terror of you will be in every living creature on the earth, every bird of the sky, every creature that crawls on the ground, and all the fish of the sea. They are placed under your authority.^{[a] 3} Every living creature will be food for you;^(B) as I gave the green plants, I have given you everything.^{(C) 4} However, you must not eat meat with its lifeblood in it.^{(D) 5} I will require the life of every animal^(E) and every man for your life and your blood. I will require the life of each man’s brother for a man’s life.^(F)

⁷ But you, be fruitful and multiply; spread out over the earth and multiply on it.”^(I)

⁸ Then God said to Noah and his sons with him, ⁹ “Understand that I am confirming My covenant^(J) with you and your descendants after you, ¹⁰ and with every living creature that is with you—birds, livestock, and all wildlife of the earth that are with you—all the animals of the earth that came out of the ark. ¹¹ I confirm My covenant with you that never again will every creature be wiped out by the waters of a flood; there will never again be a flood to destroy the earth.”^(K)

¹² And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant^(L) I am making between Me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all future generations: ¹³ I have placed My bow in the clouds,^(M) and it will be a sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. ¹⁴ Whenever I form clouds over the earth and the bow appears in the clouds, ¹⁵ I will remember My covenant^(N) between Me and you and all the living creatures:^[b] water will never again become a flood to destroy every creature. ¹⁶ The bow will be in the clouds, and I will look at it and remember the everlasting covenant^(O) between God and all the living creatures^[c] on earth.” ¹⁷ God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I have confirmed between Me and every creature on earth.”

Prophecies about Noah’s Family

¹⁸ Noah’s sons who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Ham was the father of Canaan. ¹⁹ These three were Noah’s sons, and from them the whole earth was populated.^(P)

²⁰ Noah, a man of the soil, was the first to plant^[d] a vineyard. ²¹ He drank some of the wine, became drunk, and uncovered himself inside his tent. ²² Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father naked and told his two brothers outside.^{(Q) 23} Then Shem and Japheth took a cloak and placed it over both their shoulders, and walking backward, they covered their father’s nakedness. Their faces were turned away, and they did not see their father naked.

²⁴ When Noah awoke from his drinking and learned what his youngest son had done to him, ²⁵ he said:

²⁶ He also said:

²⁸ Now Noah lived 350 years after the flood. ²⁹ So Noah’s life lasted 950 years; then he died.

The Table of Nations

10 These are the family records^(T) of Noah’s sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. They also had sons after the flood.

² Japheth’s sons:^(U) Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. ³ Gomer’s sons: Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah. ⁴ And Javan’s sons: Elishah, Tarshish,^(V) Kittim, and Dodanim.^{[g] 5} The coastland peoples spread out into their lands. These are Japheth’s sons by their clans, in their nations. Each group had its own language.

⁶ Ham’s sons:^(W) Cush, Egypt, Put, and Canaan. ⁷ Cush’s sons: Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. And Raamah’s sons: Sheba and Dedan.

⁸ Cush fathered Nimrod, who was the first powerful man on earth. ⁹ He was a powerful hunter in the sight of the Lord. That is why it is said, “Like Nimrod, a powerful hunter in the sight of the Lord.” ¹⁰ His kingdom started with Babylon,^(X) Erech,^[h] Accad,^[i] and Calneh,^[j] in the land of Shinar.^{[k](Y) 11} From that land he went to Assyria^(Z) and built Nineveh, Rehoboth-ir, Calah, ¹² and Resen, between Nineveh and the great city Calah.

¹³ Mizraim^[l](AA) fathered Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, ¹⁴ Pathrusim, Casluhim (the Philistines came from them), and Caphtorim.^(AB)

¹⁵ Canaan fathered Sidon his firstborn, then Heth, ¹⁶ the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites,^{(AC) 17} the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites, ¹⁸ the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites. Afterward the Canaanite clans scattered. ¹⁹ The Canaanite border went from Sidon going toward Gerar as far as Gaza, and going toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim as far as Lasha.

²⁰ These are Ham’s sons, by their clans, according to their languages, in their own lands and their nations.

²¹ And Shem, Japheth’s older brother, also had sons. Shem was the father of all the sons of Eber.^{(AD) 22} Shem’s sons^(AE) were Elam, Asshur,^[m] Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram.

²³ Aram’s sons: Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash.

²⁴ Arpachshad fathered^[n] Shelah,^(AF) and Shelah fathered Eber. ²⁵ Eber had two sons. One was named Peleg, for during his days the earth was divided;^(AG) his brother was named Joktan. ²⁶ And Joktan fathered Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, ²⁷ Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, ²⁸ Obal, Abimael, Sheba, ²⁹ Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these were Joktan’s sons. ³⁰ Their settlements extended from Mesha to Sephar, the eastern hill country.

³¹ These are Shem’s sons by their clans, according to their languages, in their lands and their nations.

³² These are the clans of Noah’s sons, according to their family records, in their nations. The nations on earth spread out from these after the flood.^(AH)

5 Therefore, be imitators of God, as dearly loved children. ² And walk in love, as the Messiah also loved us and gave Himself for us,^(A) a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God. ³ But sexual immorality^(B) and any impurity^(C) or greed^(D) should not even be heard of^[a] among you, as is proper for saints. ⁴ Coarse and foolish talking or crude joking are not suitable, but rather giving thanks. ⁵ For know and recognize this: Every sexually immoral^(E) or impure^(F) or greedy^(G) person, who is an idolater, does not have an inheritance in the kingdom^(H) of the Messiah and of God.

Light versus Darkness

⁶ Let no one deceive you with empty arguments, for God’s wrath^(I) is coming on the disobedient because of these things.^{[b] 7} Therefore, do not become their partners. ⁸ For you were once darkness, but now you are light^(J) in the Lord. Walk as children of light^(K)— ⁹ for the fruit of the light^[c] results in all goodness, righteousness, and truth^(L)— ¹⁰ discerning^(M) what is pleasing^(N) to the Lord. ¹¹ Don’t participate in the fruitless^(O) works of darkness, but instead expose them. ¹² For it is shameful even to mention what is done by them in secret. ¹³ Everything exposed by the light is made clear,^{(P) 14} for what makes everything clear is light. Therefore it is said:

Consistency in the Christian Life

¹⁵ Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk—not as unwise people but as wise— ¹⁶ making the most of the time,^[e](T) because the days are evil. ¹⁷ So don’t be foolish, but understand^(U) what the Lord’s will^(V) is. ¹⁸ And don’t get drunk^(W) with wine,^(X) which leads to reckless actions, but be filled by the Spirit:^(Y)

Wives and Husbands

²² Wives,^(AA) submit^[f](AB) to your own husbands^(AC) as to the Lord, ²³ for the husband is the head of the wife^(AD) as Christ is the head^(AE) of the church. He is the Savior of the body.^{(AF) 24} Now as the church submits to Christ, so wives are to submit to their husbands in everything. ²⁵ Husbands, love your wives,^(AG) just as Christ loved^(AH) the church and gave Himself^(AI) for her ²⁶ to make her holy, cleansing^[g] her with the washing of water by the word. ²⁷ He did this to present the church to Himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or anything like that, but holy and blameless.^{(AJ) 28} In the same way, husbands are to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹ For no one ever hates his own flesh but provides and cares for it, just as Christ does for the church, ³⁰ since we are members of His body.^[h]

³² This mystery^(AM) is profound, but I am talking about Christ and the church. ³³ To sum up, each one of you is to love his wife as himself, and the wife is to respect her husband.