Genesis  ◦   Chapter 9

1God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, “Have children, increase in number and repopulate the earth. 2You don’t need to worry: the animals will now be afraid and terrified of humans. All the land animals, great and small; the birds of the air and all the fish of the sea – they are all subject to your power. 3Everything that lives and moves may now be used for food. Just as I gave you green plants (some of which are good for food and others are not), so now I give you everything. 4But humanity must never again become bloodthirsty, therefore you must not eat meat with the blood still in it. 5Worldwide indiscriminate violence must never again arise; therefore animals that kill humans must be put down, and any human who kills another human must be held accountable. 6Whoever commits murder, by human authorities they are to be killed; for God made humans in his image.

7As for you, I want you to flourish, to have many children, increase in number and repopulate the earth.”

8Then God said to Noah and his sons: 9“Look and be encouraged: I am giving my pledge to you and all your descendants 10and to every living creature that was with you – the birds, tame and wild animals, all those that came out of the boat with you – to every living creature on the earth. 11I give all of you my pledge to never again wipe out all living creatures by a flood; never again will there be a flood that destroys the entire earth.”

12And God said, “This is the sign of the pledge I am giving you and every living creature with you and all future generations to come: 13I will put my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be a sign of my pledge to the earth. 14You don’t need to fear the rain, for when the clouds come, my rainbow will also be there to reassure you of my pledge. 15I will not forget my pledge to you and to all the living creatures on the earth. Never again will the waters become a worldwide flood and wipe out all life.16Rest assured that whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember my everlasting pledge to you and to all the living creatures of every kind on the earth.”

17God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the pledge I have given you and all life on the earth.”

18The sons of Noah who came out of the boat were Shem, Ham and Japheth. (Ham was the father of Canaan.) 19These were Noah’s three sons, and from them came all the people who populate the earth.

20Noah began farming and planted a vineyard. 21Some of the grape juice had fermented, and when Noah drank the wine, he became drunk, took off his clothes and laid naked inside his tent. 22When Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father lying drunk and naked, he ridiculed him; and rather than respecting his father and protecting his reputation, he went out and mocked him to his two brothers.23But Shem and Japheth respected their father: they placed a robe on their shoulders and then walked backward into the tent and covered their father’s nakedness. As they did this, they turned their faces away and did not see their father naked.

24When Noah awoke from his stupor and found out what his youngest son had done, 25he said, “Your disrespectful, critical and contemptuous ways will be a curse to your descendants, starting with Canaan – your youngest, who is still young enough to be molded by your example! Abusive, exploitive and selfish, your descendants will not be trusted members of the family but will become like servants – no closer than slaves – to their brothers.”

26Then Noah said, “Praise and adore the Creator God of Shem! But Ham’s descendants, beginning with Canaan, will not be trusted members of the family; they will be like servants – no closer than slaves – to their brothers. 27God will increase Japheth and his descendants, and they will get along well with Shem and his descendants; but Ham’s descendants, beginning with Canaan, will not be trusted members of the family; they will be like servants – no closer than slaves – to their brothers.”

28Noah lived another 350 years after the flood. 29Noah lived a total of 950 years, and then he died.