6 After 40 more days Noah opened the window he had made in the ship 7 and sent out a raven. It kept flying back and forth until the water on the land had dried up. 8 Next, he sent out a dove to see if the water was gone from the surface of the ground. 9 The dove couldn't find a place to land because the water was still all over the earth. So it came back to Noah in the ship. He reached out and brought the dove back into the ship. 10 He waited seven more days and again sent the dove out of the ship. 11 The dove came to him in the evening, and in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf. Then Noah knew that the water was gone from the earth. 12 He waited seven more days and sent out the dove again, but it never came back to him.

13 By the first day of the first month of Noah's six hundred and first year, the water on the land had dried up. Noah opened the top of the ship, looked out, and saw the surface of the ground. 14 By the twenty-seventh day of the second month the land was dry.

15 Then Elohim spoke to Noah, 16 "Come out of the ship with your wife, your sons, and your sons' wives. 17 Bring out every animal that's with you: birds, domestic animals, and every creature that crawls on the earth. Be fertile, increase in number, and spread over the earth."

18 So Noah came out with his sons, his wife, and his sons' wives. 19 Every animal, crawling creature, and bird-everything that moves on the earth-came out of the ship, one kind after another.

20 Noah built an altar to Yahweh. On it he made a burnt offering of each type of cleana animal and clean bird. 21 Yahweh smelled the soothing aroma. Yahweh said to himself, "I will never again curse the ground because of humans, even though from birth their hearts are set on nothing but evil. I will never again kill every living creature as I have just done.

22 As long as the earth exists, planting and harvesting, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never stop."

God Blesses Noah and His Sons 9 1 Elohim blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, "Be fertile, increase in number, and fill the earth. 2 All the wild animals and all the birds will fear you and be terrified of you. Every creature that crawls on the ground and all the fish in the sea have been put under your control. 3 Everything that lives and moves will be your food. I gave you green plants as food; I now give you everything else.

4 "But you are not to eat meat with blood in it. (Blood is life.) 5 In addition, I will demand your blood for your life. I will demand it from any animal or from any person. I will demand the life of any person who kills another person.

6 Whoever sheds human blood, by humans his blood will be shed, because in his image, Elohim made humans.

7 Be fertile, and increase in number. Spread over the earth, and increase."

God's Promise-The Sign of the Rainbow 8 Elohim also said to Noah and his sons, 9 "I am going to make my promisea to you, your descendants, 10 and every living being that is with you-birds, domestic animals, and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ship-every living thing on earth. 11 I am making my promise to you. Never again will all life be killed by floodwaters. Never again will there be a flood that destroys the earth."

12 Elohim said, "This is the sign of the promise I am giving to you and every living being that is with you for generations to come. 13 I will put my rainbow in the clouds to be a sign of my promise to the earth. 14 Whenever I form clouds over the earth, a rainbow will appear in the clouds. 15 Then I will remember my promise to you and every living animal. Never again will water become a flood to destroy all life. 16 Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember my everlasting promise to every living animal on earth."

17 So Elohim said to Noah, "This is the sign of the promise I am making to all life on earth."

Noah Curses Canaan but Blesses Shem and Japheth 18 Noah's sons, who came out of the ship, were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. 19 These were Noah's three sons. From them the whole earth was populated. Ham was the father of Canaan.b 20 Noah, a farmer, was the first person to plant a vineyard. 21 He drank some wine, got drunk, and lay naked inside his tent. 22 Ham, father of Canaan, saw his father naked. So he went outside and told his two brothers.

23 Shem and Japheth took a blanket and laid it over their shoulders. Then they walked in backwards and covered their father's naked body. They turned their faces away so that they didn't see their father naked.

24 When Noah sobered up, he found out what his youngest son had done to him. 25 So he said, "Canaan is cursed!

He will be the lowest slave to his brothers.

26 Praise Yahweh , the Elohim of Shem!

Canaan will be his slave.

27 May Elohim expand the territory of Japheth.a May he live in the tents of Shem.

Canaan will be his slave."

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

The 14 Descendants of Japheth-1 Chronicles 1:4-7 10 1 This is the account of Noah's sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and their descendants. Shem, Ham and Japheth had children after the flood.

2 Japheth's descendants were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras.

3 Gomer's descendants were Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah.

4 Javan's descendants were the people from Elishah, Tarshish, Cyprus, and Rhodes.b 5 From these descendants the people of the coastlands spread into their own countries. Each nation had its own language and families.

The 30 Descendants of Ham-1 Chronicles 1:8-16 6 Ham's descendants were Cush, Egypt, Put, and Canaan.

7 Cush's descendants were Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca.

Raamah's descendants were Sheba and Dedan.

8 Cush was the father of Nimrod, the first mighty warrior on the earth. 9 He was a mighty hunter whom Yahweh blessed. That's why people used to say, "He's like Nimrod, a mighty hunter whom Yahweh blessed." 10 The first cities in his kingdom were Babylon, Erech, Accad, and Calneh in Shinar [Babylonia]. 11 He went from that land to Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah, 12 and Resen, the great city between Nineveh and Calah.

13 Egypt was the ancestor of the Ludites, Anamites, Lehabites, Naphtuhites, 14 Pathrusites, Casluhites (from whom the Philistines came), and the Caphtorites.

15 Canaan was the father of Sidon his firstborn, then Heth, 16 also the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, 17 the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites, 18 the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites.

Later the Canaanite families scattered. 19 The border of the Canaanites extended from Sidon toward Gerar as far as Gaza and then toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim as far as Lasha.

20 These were Ham's descendants by families and languages within their countries and nations.

The 26 Descendants of Shem-1 Chronicles 1:17-23 21 Shem, Japheth's older brother, also had children. Shem was the ancestor of all the sons of Eber.

22 Shem's descendants were Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram.

23 Aram's descendants were Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash.

24 Arpachshad was the father of Shelah, and Shelah was the father of Eber.

25 Two sons were born to Eber.

The name of the one was Peleg [Division], because in his day the earth was divided.

His brother's name was Joktan.

26 Joktan was the father of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, 27 Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, 28 Obal, Abimael, Sheba, 29 Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. These were Joktan's sons. 30 The region where they lived extended from Mesha toward Sephar in the eastern mountains.

31 These were Shem's descendants by families and languages within their countries according to their nations.

32 These were the families of Noah's sons listed by their genealogies, nation by nation. From these descendants the nations spread over the earth after the flood.

Noah

Noah was a good man surrounded by people whose thoughts were evil, all day and every day. In the midst of a corrupt world, Noah followed God and was able to hear his voice. He referred to God as Yahweh (Gen. 9:26) Elohim (Gen. 9:26)

The Tower of Babel 11 1 The whole world had one language with a common vocabulary. 2 As people moved toward the east,a they found a plain in Shinar [Babylonia] and settled there.

3 They said to one another, "Let's make bricks and bake them thoroughly." They used bricks as stones and tarb as mortar.

4 Then they said, "Let's build a city for ourselves and a tower with its top in the sky. Let's make a name for ourselves so that we won't become scattered all over the face of the earth."

5 Yahweh came down to see the city and the tower that the descendants of Adam were building. 6 Yahweh said, "They are one people with one language. This is only the beginning of what they will do! Now nothing they plan to do will be too difficult for them. 7 Let us go down there and mix up their language so that they won't understand each other."

8 So Yahweh scattered them all over the face of the earth, and they stopped building the city. 9 This is why it was named Babel, because there Yahweh turned the language of the whole earth into babble. From that place Yahweh scattered them all over the face of the earth.

The Ten Descendants of Shem-Shem to Terah-1 Chronicles 1:17-23 10 This is the account of Shem and his descendants. Two years after the flood when Shem was 100 years old, he became the father of Arpachshad. 11 After he became the father of Arpachshad, Shem lived 500 years and had other sons and daughters.

12 Arpachshad was 35 years old when he became the father of Shelah. 13 After he became the father of Shelah, Arpachshad lived 403 years and had other sons and daughters.

14 Shelah was 30 years old when he became the father of Eber. 15 After he became the father of Eber, Shelah lived 403 years and had other sons and daughters.

16 Eber was 34 years old when he became the father of Peleg. 17 After he became the father of Peleg, Eber lived 430 years and had other sons and daughters.

18 Peleg was 30 years old when he became the father of Reu. 19 After he became the father of Reu, Peleg lived 209 years and had other sons and daughters.

20 Reu was 32 years old when he became the father of Serug. 21 After he became the father of Serug, Reu lived 207 years and had other sons and daughters.

22 Serug was 30 years old when he became the father of Nahor. 23 After he became the father of Nahor, Serug lived 200 years and had other sons and daughters.

24 Nahor was 29 years old when he became the father of Terah. 25 After he became the father of Terah, Nahor lived 119 years and had other sons and daughters.

26 Terah was 70 years old when he became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran.

Terah Moves to Haran 27 This is the account of Terah and his descendants. Terah was the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran was the father of Lot. 28 While his father Terah was still alive, Haran died in Ur of the Chaldeans, his native land. 29 Both Abram and Nahor married. The name of Abram's wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor's wife was Milcah, daughter of Haran. (Haran was the father of Milcah and Iscah.) 30 Sarai was not able to have children.

31 Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot (son of Haran), and his daughter-in-law Sarai, wife of his son Abram. They set out together from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan. When they came as far as Haran, they stayed there. 32 Terah lived 205 years and died in Haran.

The LORD'S First Promise to Abram 12 1 Yahweh said to Abram, "Leave your land, your relatives, and your father's home.

Go to the land that I will show you.

2 I will make you a great nation, I will bless you.

I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.

3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you, I will curse.

Through you every family on earth will be blessed."

The LORD'S Second Promise to Abram 4 So Abram left, as Yahweh had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was 75 years old when he left Haran. 5 Abram set out for Canaan. He took along his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all the possessions they had accumulated and the servants they had acquired in Haran.

6 They arrived in Canaan,a and Abram traveled through the land to the oak tree belonging to Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. 7 Then Yahweh appeared to Abram and said, "I'm going to give this land to your descendants." So he built an altar there to Yahweh, who had appeared to him.

8 He moved on to the hills east of Bethel, and he put up his tent-with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. He also built an altar to Yahweh there and worshiped Yahweh. 9 Abram kept moving toward the Negev.

Abram Deceives Pharaoh 10 There was a famine in the land. Abram went to Egypt to stay awhile because the famine was severe. 11 When he was about to enter Egypt, Abram said to his wife Sarai, "I know that you're a beautiful woman. 12 When the Egyptians see you, they'll say, 'This is his wife!' Then they'll kill me but let you live. 13 Please say that you're my sister. Then everything will be alright for me, and because of you I will live."

14 When Abram arrived in Egypt, the Egyptians saw how very beautiful his wife was. 15 When Pharaoh's officials saw her, they raved about her to Pharaoh, so Sarai was taken to Pharaoh's palace. 16 Everything went well for Abram because of her, and he was given sheep, cattle, donkeys, male and female slaves, and camels.

17 However, Yahweh struck Pharaoh and his household with terrible plagues because of Sarai, Abram's wife. 18 Then Pharaoh called for Abram. "What have you done to me?" he asked. "Why didn't you tell me that she's your wife? 19 Why did you say, 'She's my sister' and allow me to take her for my wife? Here's your wife! Take her and go!" 20 Pharaoh gave his men orders concerning Abram. They sent Abram away with his wife and everything that he had.

Abram and Lot Separate 13 1 Abram left Egypt with his wife and everything he had and went to the Negev. Lot was with him. 2 Abram was very rich because he had livestock, silver, and gold. 3 He traveled from place to place. He went from the Negev as far as Bethel, to the area between Bethel and Ai where his tent had been originally, 4 where he had first made an altar. There Abram worshiped Yahweh.

5 Lot, who had been traveling with Abram, also had his own sheep, cattle, and tents. 6 There wasn't enough pastureland for both of them. They had so many possessions that they were unable to remain together. 7 Quarrels broke out between Abram's herders and Lot's herders. (Canaanites and Perizzites were also living in that area.) 8 Abram said to Lot, "Please, let's not have any more quarrels between us or between our herders. After all, we're relatives. 9 Isn't all this land yours also? Let's separate. If you go to the left, I'll go to the right, and if you go to the right, I'll go to the left." 10 Then Lot looked in the direction of Zoar as far as he could see. He saw that the whole Jordan Plain was well-watered like Yahweh's garden or like Egypt. (This was before Yahweh destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) 11 Lot chose the whole Jordan Plain for himself. He moved toward the east. They each went their own way. 12 Abram lived in Canaan, while Lot lived among the cities of the plain, moving his tents as far as Sodom. 13 (The people who lived in Sodom were very wicked. They committed terrible sins against Yahweh.) The LORD'S Third Promise to Abram 14 After Lot left, Yahweh said to Abram, "Look north, south, east, and west of where you are. 15 I will give all the land you see to you and to your descendants for an indefinite period of time. 16 I will also give you as many descendants as the dust of the earth. If anyone could count the dust of the earth, then he could also count your descendants. 17 Go! Walk back and forth across the entire land because I will give it to you." 18 So Abram moved his tents and went to live by the oak trees belonging to Mamre at Hebron. There he built an altar for Yahweh .

Abram Rescues Lot 14 1 At that time four kings-King Amraphel of Shinar, King Arioch of Ellasar, King Chedorlaomer of Elam, and King Tidal of Goiim- 2 went to war against five kings-King Bera of Sodom, King Birsha of Gomorrah, King Shinab of Admah, King Shemeber of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar). 3 The five kings joined forces and met in the valley of Siddim (that is, the Dead Sea). 4 For 12 years they had been subject to Chedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled. 5 In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and his allies came and defeated the Rephaim at Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzim at Ham, the Emim at Shaveh Kiriathaim, 6 and the Horites in the hill country of Seir, going as far as El Paran on the edge of the desert. 7 On their way back, they came to En Mishpat (that is, Kadesh), and they conquered the whole territory of the Amalekites and also the Amorites who were living at Hazazon Tamar.

8 Then the kings of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Bela (that is, Zoar) marched out and prepared for battle in the valley of Siddim. 9 They fought against King Chedorlaomer of Elam, King Tidal of Goiim, King Amraphel of Shinar, and King Arioch of Ellasar-four kings against five. 10 The valley of Siddim was full of tar pits. As the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, they fell because of the tar pits, but the other kings fled to the hills. 11 So the four kings took all the possessions of Sodom and Gomorrah, as well as all their food, and left. 12 They also took Abram's nephew Lot and his possessions since he was living in Sodom.

13 Then a soldier who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew what had happened. He was living next to the oak trees belonging to Mamre the Amorite, a brother of Eshcol and Aner. (These men were Abram's allies.) 14 When Abram heard that his nephew had been captured, he armeda his 318 trained men, born in his own household, and pursued the four kings all the way to Dan. 15 He split up his men to attack them at night. He defeated them, pursuing them all the way to Hobah, which is north of Damascus. 16 He brought back everything they had, including women and soldiers. He also brought back his relative Lot and his possessions.

Melchizedek Blesses Abram 17 After Abram came back from defeating Chedorlaomer and his allies, the king of Sodom came out to meet him in the Shaveh Valley (that is, the King's Valley). 18 Then King Melchizedek of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was a priest of El Elyon . 19 He blessed Abram, and said, "Blessed is Abram by El Elyon , makera of heaven and earth.

20 Blessed is El Elyon , who has handed your enemies over to you."

Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

21 The king of Sodom said to Abram, "Give me the people, and keep everything else for yourself."

22 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I now raise my hand and solemnly swear to Yahweh El Elyon, maker of heaven and earth, 23 that I won't take a thread or a sandal strap. I won't take anything that is yours so that you will never be able to say, 'I made Abram rich.' 24 I won't take one single thing except what my men have eaten. But let my allies Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre take their share."