Genesis 9
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
The 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 dread of you shall rest on every animal of the earth and on every bird of the air, on everything that creeps on the ground and on all the fish of the sea; into your hand they are delivered. 3 Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you, and just as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything.(B) 4 Only, you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood.(C) 5 For your own lifeblood I will surely require a reckoning: from every animal I will require it and from human beings, each one for the blood of another, I will require a reckoning for human life.(D)
6 Whoever sheds the blood of a human,
by a human shall that person’s blood be shed,
for in his own image
God made humans.(E)
7 “And you, be fruitful and multiply, abound on the earth and have dominion over[a] it.”(F)
8 Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, 9 “As for me, I am establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you(G) 10 and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the domestic animals, and every animal of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark.[b](H) 11 I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.”(I) 12 God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations:(J) 13 I have set my bow in the clouds, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.(K) 14 When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh, and the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh.(L) 16 When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.”(M) 17 God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.”
Noah and His Sons
18 The sons of Noah who went out of the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Ham was the father of Canaan.(N) 19 These three were the sons of Noah, and from these the whole earth was peopled.(O)
20 Noah, a man of the soil, was the first to plant a vineyard. 21 He drank some of the wine and became drunk, and he lay uncovered in his tent. 22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father and told his two brothers outside. 23 Then Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid it on both their shoulders, and walked backward and covered the nakedness of their father; their faces were turned away, and they did not see their father’s nakedness.(P) 24 When Noah awoke from his wine and knew what his youngest son had done to him, 25 he said,
“Cursed be Canaan;
lowest of slaves shall he be to his brothers.”(Q)
26 He also said,
“Blessed by the Lord my God be Shem,
and let Canaan be his slave.(R)
27 May God make space for Japheth,[c]
and let him live in the tents of Shem,
and let Canaan be his slave.”(S)
28 After the flood Noah lived three hundred fifty years. 29 All the days of Noah were nine hundred fifty years, and he died.
Genesis 9
Holman Christian Standard Bible
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:
Praise the Lord, the God of Shem;
Canaan will be[e] his slave.
27 God will extend[f] Japheth;
he will dwell in the tents of Shem;
Canaan will be his slave.
28 Now Noah lived 350 years after the flood. 29 So Noah’s life lasted 950 years; then he died.
Footnotes
- Genesis 9:2 Lit are given in your hand
- Genesis 9:15 Lit and creatures of all flesh
- Genesis 9:16 Lit creatures of all flesh
- Genesis 9:20 Or Noah began to be a farmer and planted
- Genesis 9:26 As a prophecy; others interpret the verbs in vv. 26-27 as a wish or prayer: let Canaan be . . .
- Genesis 9:27 In Hb, the name Japheth sounds like the word “extend.”
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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