God’s Covenant with Noah

God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.(A) 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.[a] Every living creature will be food for you;(B) as I gave the green plants, I have given you everything.(C) However, you must not eat meat with its lifeblood in it.(D) I will require the life of every animal(E) and every man for your life and your blood. I will require the life of each man’s brother for a man’s life.(F)

Whoever sheds man’s blood,
his blood will be shed by man,(G)
for God made man in His image.(H)

But you, be fruitful and multiply; spread out over the earth and multiply on it.”(I)

Then God said to Noah and his sons with him, “Understand that I am confirming My covenant(J) 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.”(K)

12 And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant(L) 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,(M) 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(N) between Me and you and all the living creatures:[b] 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(O) between God and all the living creatures[c] 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.(P)

20 Noah, a man of the soil, was the first to plant[d] 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.(Q) 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.(R)
He will be the lowest of slaves to his brothers.(S)

26 He also said:

Praise the Lord, the God of Shem;
Canaan will be[e] his slave.
27 God will extend[f] Japheth;
he will dwell in the tents of Shem;
Canaan will be his slave.

28 Now Noah lived 350 years after the flood. 29 So Noah’s life lasted 950 years; then he died.

The Table of Nations

10 These are the family records(T) of Noah’s sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. They also had sons after the flood.

Japheth’s sons:(U) Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. Gomer’s sons: Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah. And Javan’s sons: Elishah, Tarshish,(V) Kittim, and Dodanim.[g] The coastland peoples spread out into their lands. These are Japheth’s sons by their clans, in their nations. Each group had its own language.

Ham’s sons:(W) Cush, Egypt, Put, and Canaan. Cush’s sons: Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. And Raamah’s sons: Sheba and Dedan.

Cush fathered Nimrod, who was the first powerful man on earth. He was a powerful hunter in the sight of the Lord. That is why it is said, “Like Nimrod, a powerful hunter in the sight of the Lord.” 10 His kingdom started with Babylon,(X) Erech,[h] Accad,[i] and Calneh,[j] in the land of Shinar.[k](Y) 11 From that land he went to Assyria(Z) and built Nineveh, Rehoboth-ir, Calah, 12 and Resen, between Nineveh and the great city Calah.

13 Mizraim[l](AA) fathered Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, 14 Pathrusim, Casluhim (the Philistines came from them), and Caphtorim.(AB)

15 Canaan fathered Sidon his firstborn, then Heth, 16 the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites,(AC) 17 the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites, 18 the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites. Afterward the Canaanite clans scattered. 19 The Canaanite border went from Sidon going toward Gerar as far as Gaza, and going toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim as far as Lasha.

20 These are Ham’s sons, by their clans, according to their languages, in their own lands and their nations.

21 And Shem, Japheth’s older brother, also had sons. Shem was the father of all the sons of Eber.(AD) 22 Shem’s sons(AE) were Elam, Asshur,[m] Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram.

23 Aram’s sons: Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash.

24 Arpachshad fathered[n] Shelah,(AF) and Shelah fathered Eber. 25 Eber had two sons. One was named Peleg, for during his days the earth was divided;(AG) his brother was named Joktan. 26 And Joktan fathered Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, 27 Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, 28 Obal, Abimael, Sheba, 29 Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these were Joktan’s sons. 30 Their settlements extended from Mesha to Sephar, the eastern hill country.

31 These are Shem’s sons by their clans, according to their languages, in their lands and their nations.

32 These are the clans of Noah’s sons, according to their family records, in their nations. The nations on earth spread out from these after the flood.(AH)

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 9:2 Lit are given in your hand
  2. Genesis 9:15 Lit and creatures of all flesh
  3. Genesis 9:16 Lit creatures of all flesh
  4. Genesis 9:20 Or Noah began to be a farmer and planted
  5. Genesis 9:26 As a prophecy; others interpret the verbs in vv. 26-27 as a wish or prayer: let Canaan be . . .
  6. Genesis 9:27 In Hb, the name Japheth sounds like the word “extend.”
  7. Genesis 10:4 Some Hb mss, Sam, LXX read Rodanim; 1Ch 1:7
  8. Genesis 10:10 Or Uruk
  9. Genesis 10:10 Or Akkad
  10. Genesis 10:10 Or and all of them
  11. Genesis 10:10 Or in Babylonia
  12. Genesis 10:13 = Egypt
  13. Genesis 10:22 Or Assyria
  14. Genesis 10:24 LXX reads fathered Cainan, and Cainan fathered; Gn 11:12-13; Lk 3:35-36

God’s Covenant With Noah

Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth.(A) The fear and dread of you will fall on all the beasts of the earth, and on all the birds in the sky, on every creature that moves along the ground, and on all the fish in the sea; they are given into your hands.(B) Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you.(C) Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything.(D)

“But you must not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it.(E) And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting.(F) I will demand an accounting from every animal.(G) And from each human being, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of another human being.(H)

“Whoever sheds human blood,
    by humans shall their blood be shed;(I)
for in the image of God(J)
    has God made mankind.

As for you, be fruitful and increase in number; multiply on the earth and increase upon it.”(K)

Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him: “I now establish my covenant with you(L) and with your descendants after you 10 and with every living creature that was with you—the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you—every living creature on earth. 11 I establish my covenant(M) with you:(N) Never again will all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.(O)

12 And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant(P) I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come:(Q) 13 I have set my rainbow(R) in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow(S) appears in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant(T) between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life.(U) 16 Whenever the rainbow(V) appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant(W) between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.”

17 So God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant(X) I have established between me and all life on the earth.”

The Sons of Noah

18 The sons of Noah who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham and Japheth.(Y) (Ham was the father of Canaan.)(Z) 19 These were the three sons of Noah,(AA) and from them came the people who were scattered over the whole earth.(AB)

20 Noah, a man of the soil, proceeded[a] to plant a vineyard. 21 When he drank some of its wine,(AC) he became drunk and lay uncovered inside his tent. 22 Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father naked(AD) and told his two brothers outside. 23 But Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it across their shoulders; then they walked in backward and covered their father’s naked body. Their faces were turned the other way so that they would not see their father naked.

24 When Noah awoke from his wine and found out what his youngest son had done to him, 25 he said,

“Cursed(AE) be Canaan!(AF)
    The lowest of slaves
    will he be to his brothers.(AG)

26 He also said,

“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Shem!(AH)
    May Canaan be the slave(AI) of Shem.
27 May God extend Japheth’s[b] territory;(AJ)
    may Japheth live in the tents of Shem,(AK)
    and may Canaan be the slave of Japheth.”

28 After the flood Noah lived 350 years. 29 Noah lived a total of 950 years, and then he died.(AL)

The Table of Nations

10 This is the account(AM) of Shem, Ham and Japheth,(AN) Noah’s sons,(AO) who themselves had sons after the flood.

The Japhethites(AP)

The sons[c] of Japheth:

Gomer,(AQ) Magog,(AR) Madai, Javan,(AS) Tubal,(AT) Meshek(AU) and Tiras.

The sons of Gomer:

Ashkenaz,(AV) Riphath and Togarmah.(AW)

The sons of Javan:

Elishah,(AX) Tarshish,(AY) the Kittites(AZ) and the Rodanites.[d] (From these the maritime peoples spread out into their territories by their clans within their nations, each with its own language.)(BA)

The Hamites(BB)

The sons of Ham:

Cush,(BC) Egypt, Put(BD) and Canaan.(BE)

The sons of Cush:

Seba,(BF) Havilah,(BG) Sabtah, Raamah(BH) and Sabteka.

The sons of Raamah:

Sheba(BI) and Dedan.(BJ)

Cush was the father[e] of Nimrod,(BK) who became a mighty warrior on the earth. He was a mighty(BL) hunter(BM) before the Lord; that is why it is said, “Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the Lord.” 10 The first centers of his kingdom were Babylon,(BN) Uruk,(BO) Akkad and Kalneh,(BP) in[f] Shinar.[g](BQ) 11 From that land he went to Assyria,(BR) where he built Nineveh,(BS) Rehoboth Ir,[h] Calah 12 and Resen, which is between Nineveh and Calah—which is the great city.

13 Egypt was the father of

the Ludites, Anamites, Lehabites, Naphtuhites, 14 Pathrusites, Kasluhites (from whom the Philistines(BT) came) and Caphtorites.(BU)

15 Canaan(BV) was the father of

Sidon(BW) his firstborn,[i](BX) and of the Hittites,(BY) 16 Jebusites,(BZ) Amorites,(CA) Girgashites,(CB) 17 Hivites,(CC) Arkites, Sinites, 18 Arvadites,(CD) Zemarites and Hamathites.(CE)

Later the Canaanite(CF) clans scattered 19 and the borders of Canaan(CG) reached from Sidon(CH) toward Gerar(CI) as far as Gaza,(CJ) and then toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboyim,(CK) as far as Lasha.

20 These are the sons of Ham by their clans and languages, in their territories and nations.

The Semites(CL)

21 Sons were also born to Shem, whose older brother was[j] Japheth; Shem was the ancestor of all the sons of Eber.(CM)

22 The sons of Shem:

Elam,(CN) Ashur,(CO) Arphaxad,(CP) Lud and Aram.(CQ)

23 The sons of Aram:

Uz,(CR) Hul, Gether and Meshek.[k]

24 Arphaxad was the father of[l] Shelah,

and Shelah the father of Eber.(CS)

25 Two sons were born to Eber:

One was named Peleg,[m] because in his time the earth was divided; his brother was named Joktan.

26 Joktan was the father of

Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, 27 Hadoram, Uzal,(CT) Diklah, 28 Obal, Abimael, Sheba,(CU) 29 Ophir,(CV) Havilah and Jobab. All these were sons of Joktan.

30 The region where they lived stretched from Mesha toward Sephar, in the eastern hill country.

31 These are the sons of Shem by their clans and languages, in their territories and nations.

32 These are the clans of Noah’s sons,(CW) according to their lines of descent, within their nations. From these the nations spread out over the earth(CX) after the flood.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 9:20 Or soil, was the first
  2. Genesis 9:27 Japheth sounds like the Hebrew for extend.
  3. Genesis 10:2 Sons may mean descendants or successors or nations; also in verses 3, 4, 6, 7, 20-23, 29 and 31.
  4. Genesis 10:4 Some manuscripts of the Masoretic Text and Samaritan Pentateuch (see also Septuagint and 1 Chron. 1:7); most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text Dodanites
  5. Genesis 10:8 Father may mean ancestor or predecessor or founder; also in verses 13, 15, 24 and 26.
  6. Genesis 10:10 Or Uruk and Akkad—all of them in
  7. Genesis 10:10 That is, Babylonia
  8. Genesis 10:11 Or Nineveh with its city squares
  9. Genesis 10:15 Or of the Sidonians, the foremost
  10. Genesis 10:21 Or Shem, the older brother of
  11. Genesis 10:23 See Septuagint and 1 Chron. 1:17; Hebrew Mash.
  12. Genesis 10:24 Hebrew; Septuagint father of Cainan, and Cainan was the father of
  13. Genesis 10:25 Peleg means division.