Genesis 9:1-17
God
blessed Noah and his sons and said, “Have many children, so that your
descendants will live all over the earth. All the animals, birds, and fish will
live in fear of you. They are all placed under your power. Now you can eat
them, as well as green plants; I give them all to you for food. The one thing
you must not eat is meat with blood still in it; I forbid this because the life
is in the blood. If anyone takes human life, he will be punished. I will punish
with death any animal that takes a human life. Man was made like God, so
whoever murders a man will himself be killed by his fellowman.
“You must have many children, so
that your descendants will live all over the earth.”
God said to Noah and his sons, “I am
now making my
covenant with you and with your descendants, and with all living
beings – all birds and all animals – everything that came out of the boat with
you. With these words I make my covenant with you. I promise that never again
will all living things be destroyed by a flood; never again will a flood
destroy the earth. As a sign of this everlasting covenant which I am making
with you and with all living beings. I am putting my bow in the
clouds. It will
be the sign of my covenant with the world. Whenever I cover the sky with clouds
and the rainbow appears, I will remember my promise to you and to all the
animals that a flood will never again destroy all living things. When the
rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting
covenant between me and all living beings on earth. That is the sign of the
promise which I am making to all living beings.”