Genesis 8:20–9:9

²⁰Then 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. ²¹When the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma, ^mHe said to Himself, “I will never again curse the ground ⁿbecause of man, even though man’s inclination is evil from his youth. ^oAnd I will never again strike down every living thing as I have done. ^p

²²As 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

9God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. ^r2The 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. ^s3Every living creature will be food for you; ^tas I gave the green plants, I have given you everything. ^u4However, you must not eat meat with its lifeblood in it. ^v5I will require the life of every animal ^wand every man for your life and your blood. I will require the life of each man’s brother for a man’s life. ^x

⁶Whoever sheds man’s blood,

his blood will be shed by man, ^y

for God made man in His image. ^z

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

⁸Then God said to Noah and his sons with him, ⁹“Understand that I am confirming My covenant ^bwith you and your descendants after you,