Genesis 8:18–9:1

^18–19Noah disembarked with his sons and wife and his sons’ wives. Then all the animals, crawling creatures, birds—every creature on the face of the Earth—left the ship family by family.

^20–21Noah built an altar to God. He selected clean animals and birds from every species and offered them as burnt offerings on the altar. God smelled the sweet fragrance and thought to himself, “I’ll never again curse the ground because of people. I know they have this bent toward evil from an early age, but I’ll never again kill off everything living as I’ve just done.

²²For as long as Earth lasts,

planting and harvest, cold and heat,

Summer and winter, day and night

will never stop.”

^1–49God blessed Noah and his sons: He said, “Prosper! Reproduce! Fill the Earth!