Genesis 8:20–9:28

20 Then Noah built an altar to the Lord. He took some of every kind of * clean animal and every kind of clean bird and offered * burnt offerings on the altar. 21 When the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma, m He said to Himself, “I will never again curse the ground n because of man, even though man’s inclination is evil from his youth. o And I will never again strike down every living thing as I have done. p

22 As long as the earth endures,

seedtime and harvest, cold and heat,

summer and winter, and day and night

will not cease.” q

God’s Covenant with Noah

9 God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. r 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. s 3 Every living creature will be food for you; t as I gave the green plants, I have given you everything. u 4 However, you must not eat meat with its lifeblood in it. v 5 I will require the life of every animal w and every man for your life and your blood. I will require the life of each man’s brother for a man’s life. x

6 Whoever sheds man’s blood,

his blood will be shed by man, y

for God made man in His image. z

7 But you, be fruitful and multiply; spread out over the earth and multiply on it.” a

8 Then God said to Noah and his sons with him, 9 “Understand that I am confirming My covenant b 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.” c

12 And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant d 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, e 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 f between Me and you and all the living creatures: g 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 h between God and all the living creatures i 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. j

20 Noah, a man of the soil, was the first to plant k 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. l 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 will be cursed. m

He will be the lowest of slaves to his brothers. n

26 He also said:

Praise the Lord, the God of Shem;

Canaan will be o his slave.

27 God will extend p Japheth;

he will dwell in the tents of Shem;

Canaan will be his slave.

28 Now Noah lived 350 years after the flood.