20 And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard:

21 And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent.

22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without.

23 And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father's nakedness.

24 And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him.

25 And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.

26 And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.

27 God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.

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20 Noah, a man of the soil, proceeded[a] to plant a vineyard. 21 When he drank some of its wine,(A) he became drunk and lay uncovered inside his tent. 22 Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father naked(B) 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(C) be Canaan!(D)
    The lowest of slaves
    will he be to his brothers.(E)

26 He also said,

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

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Footnotes

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