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20 Noah built an altar to Yahweh, and took of every clean animal, and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 21 Yahweh smelled the pleasant aroma. Yahweh said in his heart, “I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake because the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth. I will never again strike every living thing, as I have done. 22 While the earth remains, seed time and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night will not cease.”

God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, and replenish the earth. The fear of you and the dread of you will be on every animal of the earth, and on every bird of the sky. Everything that moves along the ground, and all the fish of the sea, are delivered into your hand. Every moving thing that lives will be food for you. As I gave you the green herb, I have given everything to you. But flesh with its life, that is, its blood, you shall not eat. I will surely require accounting for your life’s blood. At the hand of every animal I will require it. At the hand of man, even at the hand of every man’s brother, I will require the life of man. Whoever sheds man’s blood, his blood will be shed by man, for God made man in his own image. Be fruitful and multiply. Increase abundantly in the earth, and multiply in it.”

God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying, “As for me, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your offspring after you, 10 and with every living creature that is with you: the birds, the livestock, and every animal of the earth with you, of all that go out of the ship, even every animal of the earth. 11 I will establish my covenant with you: All flesh will not be cut off any more by the waters of the flood. There will never again be a flood to destroy the earth.” 12 God said, “This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: 13 I set my rainbow in the cloud, and it will be a sign of a covenant between me and the earth. 14 When I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow will be seen in the cloud, 15 I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh, and the waters will no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16 The rainbow will be in the cloud. I will look at it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” 17 God said to Noah, “This is the token of the covenant which I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.”

God’s Covenant with Creation

20 Then Noah built an (A)altar to the Lord, and took of (B)every clean animal and of every clean bird, and offered (C)burnt offerings on the altar. 21 And the Lord smelled (D)a soothing aroma. Then the Lord said in His heart, “I will never again (E)curse the ground for man’s sake, although the (F)imagination[a] of man’s heart is evil from his youth; (G)nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done.

22 “While the earth (H)remains,
Seedtime and harvest,
Cold and heat,
Winter and summer,
And (I)day and night
Shall not cease.”

God’s Promise to Noah

So God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them: (J)“Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth. (K)And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be on every beast of the earth, on every bird of the air, on all that move on the earth, and on all the fish of the sea. They are given into your hand. (L)Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. I have given you (M)all things, even as the (N)green herbs. (O)But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. Surely for your lifeblood I will demand a reckoning; (P)from the hand of every beast I will require it, and (Q)from the hand of man. From the hand of every (R)man’s brother I will require the life of man.

“Whoever (S)sheds man’s blood,
By man his blood shall be shed;
(T)For in the image of God
He made man.
And as for you, (U)be fruitful and multiply;
Bring forth abundantly in the earth
And multiply in it.”

Then God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying: “And as for Me, (V)behold, I establish (W)My covenant with you and with your [b]descendants after you, 10 (X)and with every living creature that is with you: the birds, the cattle, and every beast of the earth with you, of all that go out of the ark, every beast of the earth. 11 Thus (Y)I establish My covenant with you: Never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood; never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.”

12 And God said: (Z)“This is the sign of the covenant which I make between Me and you, and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: 13 I set (AA)My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. 14 It shall be, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow shall be seen in the cloud; 15 and (AB)I will remember My covenant which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16 The rainbow shall be in the cloud, and I will look on it to remember (AC)the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” 17 And God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant which I have established between Me and all flesh that is on the earth.”

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 8:21 intent or thought
  2. Genesis 9:9 Lit. seed