Genesis 9
A War-Bow Hung in the Cloud
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The Laws of Blood
9:1God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Increase, multiply, fill the earth, and exercise dominion over it.
9:2The dread and fear of you shall be upon all the wild animals of the earth, all the birds of the sky, everything that moves on the earth, and all the fish of the sea. I have given them under your hands.
9:3Every creeping thing that lives shall be food for you. As with the green plants, I have given you everything.
9:4But flesh with blood of life you shall not eat.
9:5For I will require your blood for your lives. From all the wild animals I will require it, and from a human brother I will require human life.
9:6The one who sheds human blood—in return for his blood it shall be shed, because in the image of God I made humankind.
9:7And you, increase and multiply; fill the earth and multiply upon it.”
The Rainbow Covenant
9:8God said to Noah and to his sons with him,
9:9“As for Me, behold, I establish My covenant with you and with your offspring after you,
9:10and with every living creature with you: the birds, the livestock, and all the wild animals of the earth with you, all that came out of the ark.
9:11I establish My covenant with you: never again shall all flesh die by the water of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood of water to destroy all the earth.”
9:12The Lord God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I give between Me and you and every living creature with you, for perpetual generations:
9:13I set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth.
9:14When I bring clouds over the earth, My bow shall be seen in the cloud,
9:15I will remember My covenant between Me and you and every living creature among all flesh. Never again shall the water become a flood to wipe out all flesh.
9:16My bow shall be in the cloud, and I will see it, to remember the everlasting covenant between Me and every living creature among all flesh upon the earth.”
9:17God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I have made between Me and all flesh upon the earth.”
Noah’s Vineyard
9:18The sons of Noah who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Ham was the father of Canaan.
9:19These three were Noah's sons; from these they dispersed over all the earth.
9:20Noah began to be a farmer of the earth, and he planted a vineyard.
9:21He drank some of the wine and became drunk, and he was uncovered in his house.
9:22Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father's nakedness; he went out and told his two brothers outside.
9:23Shem and Japheth took the garment and laid it on both their backs. They walked backward and covered their father's nakedness. Their faces were turned backward, and they did not see their father's nakedness.
Noah’s Blessing and Curse
9:24Noah sobered up from his wine and knew what his younger son had done to him.
9:25He said, “Cursed be Canaan! A household slave shall he be to his brothers.”
9:26He said, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Shem! Canaan shall be his slave.
9:27May God enlarge Japheth, and may he dwell in the houses of Shem; let Canaan be their slave.”
9:28Noah lived three hundred and fifty years after the flood.
9:29All the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years, and he died.
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Saints Translation · Liturgical reading edition · V1 · working draft awaiting specialist review.