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.(A)

20 Noah, as a man of the soil, began by planting[a] 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.(B) 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:

Canaan is cursed.(C)
He will be the lowest of slaves to his brothers.(D)

26 He also said:

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Shem;
Let Canaan be[b] Shem’s slave.
27 Let God extend Japheth;[c]
let Japheth dwell in the tents of Shem;
let Canaan be Shem’s slave.

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

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Footnotes

  1. 9:20 Or Noah began to be a farmer and planted
  2. 9:26 As a wish or prayer; others interpret the verbs in vv. 26–27 as prophecy: Canaan will be...
  3. 9:27 In Hb, the name Japheth sounds like the word “extend.”

Noah's Descendants

18 The sons of Noah who went forth from the ark were (A)Shem, Ham, and Japheth. (Ham was the father of Canaan.) 19 These three were the sons of Noah, and (B)from these the people of the whole earth were dispersed.[a]

20 Noah began to be a man of the soil, and he planted a vineyard.[b] 21 He drank of the wine and became drunk and 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 backward, and they did not see their father's nakedness. 24 When Noah awoke from his wine (C)and knew what his youngest son had done to him, 25 he said,

(D)“Cursed be Canaan;
    (E)a servant of servants shall he be to his brothers.”

26 He also said,

“Blessed be the Lord, the God of Shem;
    and let Canaan be his servant.
27 May God enlarge Japheth,[c]
    and let him dwell in the tents of Shem,
    and let Canaan be his servant.”

28 After the flood Noah lived 350 years. 29 All the days of Noah were 950 years, and he died.

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Footnotes

  1. Genesis 9:19 Or from these the whole earth was populated
  2. Genesis 9:20 Or Noah, a man of the soil, was the first to plant a vineyard
  3. Genesis 9:27 Japheth sounds like the Hebrew for enlarge