God’s Covenant with Humankind through Noah

9:1 Then God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. 9:2 Every living creature of the earth and every bird of the sky will be terrified of you.1 Everything that creeps on the ground and all the fish of the sea are under your authority.2 9:3 You may eat any moving thing that lives.3 As I gave you4 the green plants, I now give5 you everything.

9:4 But6 you must not eat meat7 with its life (that is,8 its blood) in it.9 9:5 For your lifeblood10 I will surely exact punishment,11 from12 every living creature I will exact punishment. From each person13 I will exact punishment for the life of the individual14 since the man was his relative.15

9:6 “Whoever sheds human blood,16

by other humans17

must his blood be shed;

for in God’s image18

God19 has made humankind.”

9:7 But as for you,20 be fruitful and multiply; increase abundantly on the earth and multiply on it.”

9:8 God said to Noah and his sons,21 9:9 “Look! I now confirm22 my covenant with you and your descendants after you23 9:10 and with every living creature that is with you, including the birds, the domestic animals, and every living creature of the earth with you, all those that came out of the ark with you—every living creature of the earth.24 9:11 I confirm25 my covenant with you: Never again will all living things26 be wiped out27 by the waters of a flood;28 never again will a flood destroy the earth.”

9:12 And God said, “This is the guarantee29 of the covenant I am making30 with you31 and every living creature with you, a covenant32 for all subsequent33 generations: 9:13 I will place34 my rainbow35 in the clouds, and it will become36 a guarantee of the covenant between me and the earth. 9:14 Whenever37 I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, 9:15 then I will remember my covenant with you38 and with all living creatures of all kinds.39 Never again will the waters become a flood and destroy40 all living things.41 9:16 When the rainbow is in the clouds, I will notice it and remember42 the perpetual covenant between God and all living creatures of all kinds that are on the earth.”

9:17 So God said to Noah, “This is the guarantee of the covenant that I am confirming between me and all living things43 that are on the earth.”