Man’s Dominion
1 God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, and replenish the earth. 2 The fear of you and the dread of you will be on every animal of the earth and on every bird of the sky. Everything that moves along the ground and all the fish of the sea are delivered into your hand.
3 Every moving thing that lives will be food for you. As I gave you the green herb, I have given everything to you. 4 But flesh with its life, that is, its blood in it, you shall not eat. 5 I will surely require accounting for your life’s blood. At the hand of every animal I will require it. At the hand of man, at the hand of every man’s brother, I will require the life of man.
6 Whoever sheds man’s blood,
his blood will be shed by man,
for God made man in his own image.
7 Be fruitful and multiply.
Increase abundantly on the earth,
and multiply in it.”
The Sign of the Covenant: a Rainbow
8 God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying, 9 “As for me, I am establishing my covenant with you, and with your offspring after you, 10 and with every living creature that is with you: the birds, the livestock, and every animal of the earth with you, of everything that comes out of the ark; every animal of the earth. 11 I will establish my covenant with you: All flesh will never again be destroyed from floodwaters. There will never again be a flood that destroys the earth.”
12 God said, “This is the sign of the covenant which I am making between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all generations forever: 13 I set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be a sign of a covenant between me and the earth. 14 When I bring a cloud over the earth, the rainbow will be seen in the clouds, and 15 I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature among all flesh: water will never again become a flood that destroys all flesh. 16 The rainbow will be in the clouds, and I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” 17 God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant which I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.”
Noah’s Sons
18 The sons of Noah who went out from the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Ham is the father of Canaan. 19 These three were the sons of Noah, and from these the whole earth was populated.
Guarding Noah’s Dignity
20 Noah, a man of the soil, planted a vineyard. 21 He drank of its wine and got drunk and was uncovered within his tent. 22 Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father and told his two brothers outside. 23 Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it on both their shoulders, went in backwards, and covered their father’s nakedness. Their faces were diverted so that they did not see their father’s nakedness.
24 Noah awoke from his wine and knew what his youngest son had done to him.
Noah’s Response
25 Noah said,
“Canaan is cursed.
He will be a servant of servants to his brothers.”
26 He said,
“Blessed be the Lord, the God of Shem.
Let Canaan be his servant.
27 May God enlarge Japheth.
Let him dwell in the tents of Shem.
Let Canaan be his servant.”
28 Noah lived 350 years after the flood. 29 All the days of Noah were 950 years, and then he died.