Karaite Noahide Faith and a new translation of the 'Rainbow Bible' (Genesis 1 - 11:9)
daniel
http://karaitenoahide.angelfire.com
Email: danielthoma...@hotmail.com
Beliefs
Karaite Noahides believe in the Jewish Bible – the Tenakh – the Mikra
– the Kara.
There are differing ways of looking at the inspiration of the Tenakh,
potentially as diverse as the number of children of Noah, which is
currently 100% of mankind.
There are Covenants, known as ‘B’rit’s’ in Hebrew, in the Tenkah.
Abraham has 2 covenants, one in Genesis 15 and one in Genesis 17.
Ishmael and his offspring are under these covenants and are
‘Abramides’. Esau and his offspring (The Edomites) are under these
covenants and are ‘Abramides’ also. The children of Keturah,
Abraham’s second wife are under these covenants and are also
‘Abramides’. Isaac and his offspring through Jacob are also under the
covenants until the time of Moses generation and the giving of
Israel’s covenant, as shown in Exodus 24, the sign of that covenant
being the blood of bulls. The sign of Abraham’s covenant, the second
one, is the circumcision. Before Abraham were the Hebrew’s, and Abram
was a Hebrew. Hebrews are from Eber, the 14th in the line of Adam.
Hebrew was invented following Babel, as it says in scripture that in
the time of Eber’s two sons, the world was divided – ie people
separated and different languages brought forth.
Of course, before the Hebrews were the Noahides. And all mankind
today are offspring of Noah.
Karaite Noahides must follow the ‘Rainbow Bible’ as a minimum. The
Rainbow Bible is that section of scripture known as Genesis 1 – 11:9.
This is from Adam and Eve until the end of the tower of Babel
incident, the scriptural section which involves the ancestors of ALL
mankind today. Thus ALL of us are obligated by its principles and
teachings. That can not really be disputed.
The further key sections of scripture which are to be ‘Considered’ by
Noahides (And I only suggest consideration) are Leviticus 18 & 20 and
Deuteronomy 18:9-13. These seem to be directly relevant to Egyptians
and Canaanites, perhaps almost to be understood as law for them,
especially considering the 12 tribes of Israel had and Egyptian wife
called Asenath for Joseph and Canaanite wives for the other sons.
They are thus kin with Israel and have obligations as such. But for
the rest of mankind, those sections of Torah are for consideration –
it is up to them what they do with them.
But all of us are obligated by the Rainbow Bible, and here it is.
“The Rainbow Bible”
Free Translation
(Translating the Meaning of the original Hebrew in general syntax
rather than word for word translation, and also amplified )
© 2010, 2011
by
Haven Noahide Fellowship
Creation
I
In the beginning, at the time Earth was ready to be sculpted, moulded
and worked upon to bring forth God’s desired design, when the God’s
had already created the physical matter of the heaven and earth, the
earth was without any real designed form or structure and unoccupied,
and darknesses were upon the face of the ocean; and so the Spirit of
the God’s came to the waters. And the God’s said, “We will make
light.” And light became. And the God’s saw the light, that it was
good; and so he divided the light from the darknesses. And he called
the light, ‘Day,’ and the darknesses, ‘Night.’ And it became evening
and morning, one day. The God’s said on the second day, “We will make
a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide waters from
waters.” And the God’s made a firmament, and he divided the waters
that were under the firmament, from those that were above the
firmament. And so it became. And the God’s called the firmament
‘Heaven.’ And it became evening and morning, the second day. Truly
the God’s said: “We will make the waters that are under heaven be
gathered together into one place; and let the dry land appear.” And so
it became. And the God’s called the dry land, ‘Earth,’ and he called
the gathering of the waters, ‘Seas.’ And the God’s saw that it was
good. And he said, “We will make the land spring forth green plants,
both those producing seed, and fruit-bearing trees, producing fruit
according to their kind, whose seed is within itself, over all the
earth.” And so it became. And the land brought forth green plants,
both those producing seed, according to their kind, and trees
producing fruit, with each having its own way of sowing, according to
its species. And the God’s saw that it was good. And it became
evening and the morning, the third day. Then the God’s said: “We will
make lights in the firmament of heaven. And let them divide day from
night, and let them become signs, both of the seasons, and of the days
and years. Let them shine in the firmament of heaven and illuminate
the earth.” And so it became. And the God’s made two great lights: a
greater light, to rule over the day, and a lesser light, to rule over
the night, along with the stars which had already been made to rule as
well. And he set them in the firmament of heaven, to give light over
all the earth, and to rule over the day as well as the night, and to
divide light from darkness. And the God’s saw that it was good. And
it became evening and morning, the fourth day. And then the God’s
said, “We will make the waters produce animals with a living soul, and
flying creatures above the earth, under the firmament of heaven.” And
the God’s created the great sea creatures, and everything with a
living soul and the ability to move that the waters produced,
according to their species, and all the flying creatures, according to
their kind. And the God’s saw that it was good. And he blessed them,
saying: “Increase and multiply, and fill the waters of the sea. And
let the birds be multiplied above the land.” And it became evening
and morning, the fifth day. The God’s also said, “We will make the
land produce living souls in their kind: cattle, and animals, and wild
beasts of the earth, according to their species.” And so it became.
And the God’s made the wild beasts of the earth according to their
species, and the cattle, and every animal on the land, according to
its kind. And the God’s saw that it was good. And he said: “Let us
make Man to our image and likeness. And let him rule over the fish of
the sea, and the flying creatures of the air, and the wild beasts, and
the entire earth, and every animal that moves on the earth.” And the
God’s created man to his own image; to the image of the God’s he
created him; male and female, he created them. And the God’s blessed
them, and he said, “Increase and multiply, and fill the earth, and
subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and the flying
creatures of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the
earth.” And the God’s said: “Behold, I have given you every seed-
bearing plant upon the earth, and all the trees that have in
themselves the ability to sow their own kind, to be food for you, and
for all the animals of the land, and for all the flying things of the
air, and for everything that moves upon the earth and in which there
is a living soul, so that they may have these on which to feed.” And
so it became. And the God’s saw everything that he had made. And they
were very good. And it became evening and morning, the sixth day.
And so the heavens and the earth were completed, with all their
adornment. And on the seventh day, the God’s fulfilled his work, which
he had made. And on the seventh day he rested from all his work, which
he had accomplished. And he blessed the seventh day and sanctified
it. For in it, he had ceased from all his work: the work whereby the
God’s created whatever he should make.
Adam and Eve
II
These are the generations of heaven and earth, when they were created,
in the day when the Lord God made heaven and earth, and every sapling
of the field, before it would rise up in the land, and every wild
plant, before it would germinate. For the Lord God had not brought
rain upon the earth, and there was no man to work the land. But a
fountain ascended from the earth, irrigating the entire surface of the
land. And then the Lord God formed man from the clay of the earth,
and he breathed into his face the breath of life, and man became a
living soul. Now the Lord God had planted a Paradise of enjoyment
from the beginning. In it, he placed the man whom he had formed. And
from the soil the Lord God produced every tree that was beautiful to
behold and pleasant to eat. And even the tree of life was in the midst
of Paradise, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. And a
river went forth from the place of enjoyment so as to irrigate
Paradise, which is divided from there into four heads. The name of one
is the Phison; it is that which runs through all the land of Hevilath,
where gold is born; and the gold of that land is the finest. In that
place is found bdellium and the onyx stone. And the name of the
second river is the Gehon; it is that which runs through all the land
of Kush. Truly, the name of the third river is the Tigris; it advances
opposite the Assyrians. But the fourth river, it is the Euphrates.
Thus, the Lord God brought the man, and put him into the Paradise of
enjoyment, so that it would be attended and preserved by him. And he
instructed him, saying: “From every tree of Paradise, you shall eat.
But from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not
eat. For in whatever day you will eat from it, you will die a death.”
The Lord God also said: “It is not good for the man to be alone. Let
us make a helper for him similar to himself.” Therefore, the Lord
God, having formed from the soil all the animals of the earth and all
the flying creatures of the air, brought them to Adam, in order to see
what he would call them. For whatever Adam would call any living
creature, that would be its name. And Adam called each of the living
things by their names: all the flying creatures of the air, and all
the wild beasts of the land. Yet truly, for Adam, there was not found
a helper similar to himself. And so the Lord God sent a deep sleep
upon Adam. And when he was fast asleep, he took one of his ribs, and
he completed it with flesh for it. And the Lord God built up the rib,
which he took from Adam, into a woman. And he led her to Adam. And
Adam said: “Now this is bone from my bones, and flesh from my flesh.
This one shall be called woman, because she was taken from man.” For
this reason, a man shall leave behind his father and mother, and he
shall cling to his wife; and the two shall be as one flesh. Now they
were both naked: Adam, of course, and his wife. And they were not
ashamed.
The Temptation
III
However, the serpent was craftier than any of the creatures of the
earth that the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Why has
God instructed you, that you should not eat from every tree of
Paradise?” The woman responded to him: “From the fruit of the trees
which are in Paradise, we eat. Yet truly, from the fruit of the tree
which is in the middle of Paradise, God has instructed us that we
should not eat, and that we should not touch it, lest perhaps we may
die.” Then the serpent said to the woman: “By no means will you die a
death. For God knows that, on whatever day you will eat from it, your
eyes will be opened; and you will be like gods, knowing good and
evil.” And so the woman saw that the tree was good to eat, and
beautiful to the eyes, and delightful to consider. And she took from
its fruit, and she did eat. And she gave to her husband, who ate. And
the eyes of them both were opened. And when they realized themselves
to be naked, they joined together fig leaves and made coverings for
themselves. And when they had heard the voice of the Lord God taking a
walk in Paradise in the afternoon breeze, Adam and his wife hid
themselves from the face of the Lord God in the midst of the trees of
Paradise. And the Lord God called Adam and said to him: “Where are
you?” And he said, “I heard your voice in Paradise, and I was afraid,
because I was naked, and so I hid myself.” He said to him, “Then who
told you that you were naked, if you have not eaten of the tree from
which I instructed you that you should not eat?” And Adam said, “The
woman, whom you gave to me as a companion, gave to me from the tree,
and I ate.” And the Lord God said to the woman, “Why have you done
this?” And she responded, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” And
the Lord God said to the serpent: “Because you have done this, you are
cursed among all living things, even the wild beasts of the earth.
Upon your breast shall you travel, and the ground shall you eat, all
the days of your life. I will put enmities between you and the woman,
between your offspring and her offspring. She will crush your head,
and you will lie in wait for her heel.” To the woman, he also said: “I
will multiply your labors and your conceptions. In pain shall you give
birth to sons, and you shall be under your husband’s power, and he
shall have dominion over you.” Yet truly, to Adam, he said: “Because
you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten of the
tree, from which I instructed you that you should not eat, cursed is
the land that you work. In hardship shall you eat from it, all the
days of your life. Thorns and thistles shall it produce for you, and
you shall eat the plants of the earth. By the sweat of your face shall
you eat bread, until you return to the earth from which you were
taken. For dust you are, and unto dust you shall return.” And Adam
called the name of his wife, ‘Eve,’ because she was the mother of all
the living. The Lord God also made for Adam and his wife garments
from skins, and he clothed them. And he said: “Behold, Adam has become
like one of us, knowing good and evil. Therefore, now perhaps he may
put forth his hand and also take from the tree of life, and eat, and
live in eternity.” And so the Lord God sent him away from the Paradise
of enjoyment, in order to work the earth from which he was taken. And
he cast out Adam. And in front of the Paradise of enjoyment, he placed
the Cherubim with a flaming sword, turning together, to guard the way
to the tree of life.
Cain and Abel
IV
Truly, Adam knew his wife Eve, who conceived and gave birth to Cain,
saying, “I have obtained a man through God.” And again she gave birth
to his brother Abel. But Abel was a pastor of sheep, and Cain was a
farmer. Then it happened, after many days, that Cain offered gifts to
the Lord, from the fruits of the earth. Abel likewise offered from
the firstborn of his flock, and from their fat. And the Lord looked
with favor on Abel and his gifts. Yet in truth, he did not look with
favor on Cain and his gifts. And Cain was vehemently angry, and his
countenance fell. And the Lord said to him: “Why are you angry? And
why is your face fallen? If you behave well, will you not receive? But
if you behave badly, will not sin at once be present at the door? And
so its desire will be within you, and you will be dominated by it.”
And Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let us go outside.” And when they
were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel, and he put
him to death. And the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”
And he responded: “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” And he
said to him: “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood
cries out to me from the land. Now, therefore, you will be cursed upon
the land, which opened its mouth and received the blood of your
brother at your hand. When you work it, it will not give you its
fruit; a vagrant and a fugitive shall you be upon the land.” And Cain
said to the Lord: “My iniquity is too great to deserve kindness.
Behold, you have cast me out this day before the face of the earth,
and from your face I will be hidden; and I will be a vagrant and a
fugitive on the earth. Therefore, anyone who finds me will kill me.”
And the Lord said to him: “By no means will it be so; rather, whoever
would kill Cain, will be punished sevenfold.” And the Lord placed a
seal upon Cain, so that anyone who found him would not put him to
death. And so Cain, departing from the face of the Lord, lived as a
fugitive on the earth, toward the eastern region of Eden. Then Cain
knew his wife, and she conceived and gave birth to Enoch. And he built
a city, and he called its name by the name of his son, Enoch.
Thereafter, Enoch conceived Irad, and Irad conceived Mahujael, and
Mahujael conceived Mathusael, and Mathusael conceived Lamech. Lamech
took two wives: the name of one was Adah, and the name of the other
was Zillah. And Adah conceived Jabel, who was the father of those who
live in tents and are shepherds. And the name of his brother was
Jubal; he was the father of those who sing to the harp and the organ.
Zillah also conceived Tubalcain, who was a hammerer and artisan in
every work of brass and iron. In fact, the sister of Tubalcain was
Noema. And Lamech said to his wives Adah and Zillah: “Listen to my
voice, you wives of Lamech, pay attention to my speech. For I have
killed a man to my own harm, and an adolescent to my own bruising.
Sevenfold vengeance will be given for Cain, but for Lamech, seventy-
seven times.” Adam also knew his wife again, and she gave birth to a
son, and she called his name Seth, saying, “God has given me another
offspring, in place of Abel, whom Cain killed.” But to Seth also was
born a son, whom he called Enos. This one began to invoke the name of
the Lord.
The First Genealogy
V
This is the book of the lineage of Adam. In the day that God created
man, he made him to the likeness of God. He created them, male and
female; and he blessed them. And he called their name Adam, in the day
when they were created. Then Adam lived for one hundred and thirty
years. And then he conceived a son in his own image and likeness, and
he called his name Seth. And after he conceived Seth, the days of Adam
that passed were eight hundred years. And he conceived sons and
daughters. And all the time that passed while Adam lived was nine
hundred and thirty years, and then he died. Seth likewise lived for
one hundred and five years, and then he conceived Enos. And after he
conceived Enos, Seth lived for eight hundred and seven years, and he
conceived sons and daughters. And all the days of Seth that passed
were nine hundred and twelve years, and then he died. In truth, Enos
lived ninety years, and then he conceived Cainan. After his birth, he
lived eight hundred and fifteen years, and he conceived sons and
daughters. And all the days of Enos that passed were nine hundred and
five years, and then he died. Likewise, Cainan lived seventy years,
and then he conceived Mahalalel. And after he conceived Mahalalel,
Cainan lived for eight hundred and forty years, and he conceived sons
and daughters. And all the days of Cainan that passed were nine
hundred and ten years, and then he died. And Mahalalel lived sixty-
five years, and then he conceived Jared. And after he conceived
Jared, Mahalalel lived for eight hundred and thirty years, and he
conceived sons and daughters. And all the days of Mahalalel that
passed were eight hundred and ninety-five years, and then he died. And
Jared lived for one hundred and sixty-two years, and then he conceived
Enoch. And after he conceived Enoch, Jared lived for eight hundred
years, and he conceived sons and daughters. And all the days of Jared
that passed were nine hundred and sixty-two years, and then he died.
Now Enoch lived for sixty-five years, and then he conceived
Methuselah. And Enoch walked with God. And after he conceived
Methuselah, he lived for three hundred years, and he conceived sons
and daughters. And all the days of Enoch that passed were three
hundred and sixty-five years. And he walked with God, and then he was
seen no more, because God took him. Likewise, Methuselah lived for one
hundred and eighty-seven years, and then he conceived Lamech. And
after he conceived Lamech, Methuselah lived for seven hundred and
eighty-two years, and he conceived sons and daughters. And all the
days of Methuselah that passed were nine hundred and sixty-nine years,
and then he died. Then Lamech lived for one hundred and eighty-two
years, and he conceived a son. And he called his name Noah, saying,
“This one will console us from the works and hardships of our hands,
in the land that the Lord has cursed.” And after he conceived Noah,
Lamech lived for five hundred and ninety-five years, and he conceived
sons and daughters. And all the days of Lamech that passed were seven
hundred and seventy-seven years, and then he died. In truth, when Noah
was five hundred years old, he conceived Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
The Sons of God
VI
And when men began to be multiplied upon the earth, and daughters were
born to them, the sons of God, seeing that the daughters of men were
beautiful, took to themselves wives from all whom they chose. And God
said: “My spirit shall not remain in man forever, because he is flesh.
And so his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.” Now giants
were upon the earth in those days. For after the sons of God went in
to the daughters of men, and they conceived, these became the powerful
ones of ancient times, men of renown. Then God, seeing that the
wickedness of men was great upon the earth and that every thought of
their heart was intent upon evil at all times, repented that he had
made man on the earth. And being touched inwardly with a sorrow of
heart, he said, “I will eliminate man, whom I have created, from the
face of the earth, from man to other living things, from animals even
to the flying things of the air. For it grieves me that I have made
them.” Yet truly, Noah found grace before the Lord.
Noah
VII
These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a just man, and yet he was
predominate among his generations, for he walked with God. And he
conceived three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Yet the earth was
corrupted before the eyes of God, and it was filled with iniquity. And
when God had seen that the earth had been corrupted, (indeed, all
flesh had corrupted its way upon the earth) he said to Noah: “The end
of all flesh has arrived in my sight. The earth has been filled with
iniquity by their presence, and I will destroy them, along with the
earth. Make yourself an ark from smoothed wood. You shall make little
dwelling places in the ark, and you shall smear pitch on the interior
and exterior. And thus shall you make it: The length of the ark shall
be three hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty
cubits. You shall make a window in the ark, and you shall complete it
within a cubit of the top. Then you shall set the door of the ark at
its side. You shall make in it: a lower part, upper rooms, and a third
level. Behold, I shall bring the waters of a great flood upon the
earth, so as to put to death all flesh in which there is the breath of
life under heaven. All things that are on the earth shall be consumed.
And I shall establish my covenant with you, and you shall enter the
ark, you and your sons, your wife and the wives of your sons with you.
And from every living thing of all that is flesh, you shall lead pairs
into the ark, so that they may survive with you: from the male sex and
the female, from birds, according to their kind, and from beasts, in
their kind, and from among all animals on earth, according to their
kind; pairs from each shall enter with you, so that they may be able
to live. Therefore, you shall take with you from all the foods that
are able to be eaten, and you shall carry these with you. And these
shall be used as food, some for you, and the rest for them.” And so
Noah did all things just as God had instructed him.
The Flood
VIII
And the Lord said to him: “Enter the ark, you and all your house. For
I have seen you to be just in my sight, within this generation. From
all the clean animals, take seven and seven, the male and the female.
Yet truly, from animals that are unclean, take two and two, the male
and the female. But also from the birds of the air, take seven and
seven, the male and the female, so that offspring may be saved upon
the face of the whole earth. For from that point, and after seven
days, I will rain upon the earth for forty days and forty nights. And
I will wipe away every substance that I have made, from the surface of
the earth.” Therefore, Noah did all things just as the Lord had
commanded him. And he was six hundred years old when the waters of the
great flood inundated the earth. And Noah entered into the ark, and
his sons, his wife, and the wives of his sons with him, because of the
waters of the great flood. And from the animals both clean and
unclean, and from the birds, and from everything that moves upon the
earth, two by two they were brought into the ark to Noah, male and
female, just as the Lord had instructed Noah. And when seven days had
passed, the waters of the great flood inundated the earth. In the six
hundredth year of the life of Noah, in the second month, in the
seventeenth day of the month, all the fountains of the great abyss
were released, and the floodgates of heaven were opened. And rain came
upon the earth for forty days and forty nights. On the very same day,
Noah and his sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and his wife and the three
wives of his sons with them, entered the ark. They and every animal
according to its kind, and all the cattle in their kind, and
everything that moves upon the earth in their kind, and every flying
thing according to its kind, all the birds and all that can fly,
entered the ark to Noah, two by two out of all that is flesh, in which
there was the breath of life. And those that entered went in male and
female, from all that is flesh, just as God had instructed him. And
then the Lord closed him in from the outside. And the great flood
occurred for forty days upon the earth. And the waters were increased,
and they lifted the ark high above the land. For they overflowed
greatly, and they filled everything on the surface of the earth. And
then the ark was carried across the waters. And the waters prevailed
beyond measure across the earth. And all the lofty mountains under the
whole heaven were covered. The water was fifteen cubits higher than
the mountains which it covered. And all flesh was consumed which moved
upon the earth: flying things, animals, wild beasts, and all moving
things that crawl upon the ground. And all men, and everything in
which there is the breath of life on earth, died. And he wiped away
all substance that was upon the earth, from man to animal, the
crawling things just as much as the flying things of the air. And they
were wiped away from the earth. But only Noah remained, and those who
were with him in the ark. And the waters possessed the earth for one
hundred and fifty days.
Redemption
IX
Then God remembered Noah, and all living things, and all the cattle,
which were with him in the ark, and he brought a wind across the
earth, and the waters were diminished. And the fountains of the abyss
and the floodgates of heaven were closed. And the rain from heaven was
restrained. And the waters were restored to their coming and going
from the earth. And they began to diminish after one hundred and fifty
days. And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the twenty-seventh
day of the month, upon the mountains of Armenia. Yet in truth, the
waters were departing and decreasing until the tenth month. For in the
tenth month, on the first day of the month, the tips of the mountains
appeared. And when forty days had passed, Noah, opening the window
that he had made in the ark, sent forth a raven, which went forth and
did not return, until the waters were dried up across the earth.
Likewise, he sent forth a dove after him, in order to see if the
waters had now ceased upon the face of the earth. But when she did not
find a place where her foot might rest, she returned to him in the
ark. For the waters were upon the whole earth. And he extended his
hand and caught her, and he brought her into the ark. And then, having
waited a further seven days, he again sent forth the dove out of the
ark. And she came to him in the evening, carrying in her mouth an
olive branch with green leaves. Noah then understood that the waters
had ceased upon the earth. And nevertheless, he waited another seven
days. And he sent forth the dove, which no longer returned to him.
Therefore, in the six hundred and first year, in the first month, on
the first day of the month, the waters were diminished upon the earth.
And Noah, opening the cover of the ark, gazed out and saw that the
surface of the earth had become dry. In the second month, on the
twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth was made dry. Then God
spoke to Noah, saying: “Go out of the ark, you and your wife, your
sons and the wives of your sons with you. Bring out with you all the
living things that are with you, all that is flesh: as with the birds,
so also with the wild beasts and all the animals that move upon the
earth. And enter upon the land: increase and multiply upon it.” And so
Noah and his sons went out, and his wife and the wives of his sons
with him. Then also all living things, and the cattle, and the animals
that move upon the earth, according to their kinds, departed from the
ark. Then Noah built an altar to the Lord. And, taking from each of
the cattle and birds that were clean, he offered holocausts upon the
altar. And the Lord smelled the sweet odor and said: “I will no longer
curse the earth because of man. For the feelings and thoughts of the
heart of man are prone to evil from his youth. Therefore, I will no
longer pierce every living soul as I have done. All the days of the
earth, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, night
and day, will not cease.” And God blessed Noah and his sons. And he
said to them: “Increase, and multiply, and fill the earth. And let the
fear and trembling of you be upon all the animals of the earth, and
upon all the birds of the air, along with all that moves across the
earth. All the fish of the sea have been delivered into your hand. And
everything that moves and lives will be food for you. Just as with the
edible plants, I have delivered them all to you, except that flesh
with blood you shall not eat. For I will examine the blood of your
lives at the hand of every beast. So also, at the hand of mankind, at
the hand of each man and his brother, I will examine the life of
mankind. Whoever will shed human blood, his blood will be poured out.
For man was indeed made to the image of God. But as for you: increase
and multiply, and go forth upon the earth and fulfill it.”
The Covenant
X
To Noah and to his sons with him, God also said this: “Behold, I will
establish my covenant with you, and with your offspring after you, and
with every living soul that is with you: as much with the birds as
with the cattle and all the animals of the earth that have gone forth
from the ark, and with all the wild beasts of the earth. I will
establish my covenant with you, and no longer will all that is flesh
be put to death by the waters of a great flood, and, henceforth, there
will not be a great flood to utterly destroy the earth.” And God said:
“This is the sign of the pact that I grant between me and you, and to
every living soul that is with you, for perpetual generations. I will
place my arc in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the pact
between myself and the earth. And when I obscure the sky with
clouds, my arc will appear in the clouds. And I will remember my
covenant with you, and with every living soul that enlivens flesh. And
there will no longer be waters from a great flood to wipe away all
that is flesh. And the arc will be in the clouds, and I will see it,
and I will remember the everlasting covenant that was enacted between
God and every living soul of all that is flesh upon the earth.” And
God said to Noah, “This will be the sign of the covenant that I have
established between myself and all that is flesh upon the earth.” And
so the sons of Noah, who came out of the ark, were Shem, Ham, and
Japheth. Now Ham himself is the father of Canaan. These three are the
sons of Noah. And from these all the family of mankind was spread over
the whole earth. And Noah, a good farmer, began to cultivate the land,
and he planted a vineyard. And by drinking its wine, he became
inebriated and was naked in his tent. Because of this, when Ham, the
father of Canaan, had indeed seen the privates of his father to be
naked, he reported it to his two brothers outside. And truly, Shem and
Japheth put a cloak upon their arms, and, advancing backwards, covered
the privates of their father. And their faces were turned away, so
that they did not see their father’s manhood. Then Noah, awaking from
the wine, when he had learned what his younger son had done to him, he
said, “Cursed be Canaan, a servant of servants will he be to his
brothers.” And he said: “Blessed be the Lord God of Shem, let Canaan
be his servant. May God enlarge Japheth, and may he live in the tents
of Shem, and let Canaan be his servant.” And after the great flood,
Noah lived for three hundred and fifty years. And all his days were
completed in nine hundred and fifty years, and then he died.
The Second Genealogy
XI
These are the generations of the sons of Noah: Shem, Ham, and Japheth,
and of the sons who were born to them after the great flood.
The sons of Japheth were Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and
Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras. And then the sons of Gomer were
Ashkenaz, and Riphath, and Togarmah. And the sons of Javan were
Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Rodanim. The islands of the
Gentiles were divided by these into their regions, each one according
to his tongue, and their families in their nations. And the Sons of
Ham were Cush, and Mizraim, and Put, and Canaan. And the sons of Cush
were Seba, and Havilah, and Sabtah, and Raamah, and Sabteca. The sons
of Raamah were Sheba and Dadan. And then Cush conceived Nimrod; he
began to be powerful on the earth. And he was an able hunter before
the Lord. From this, a proverb came forth: ‘Just like Nimrod, an able
hunter before the Lord.’ And so, the beginning of his kingdom was
Babylon, and Erech, and Accad, and Chalanne, in the land of Shinar.
From that land, Assur came forth, and he built Nineveh, and the
streets of the city, and Calah, and also Resen, between Nineveh and
Calah. This is a great city. And truly, Mizraim conceived Ludim, and
Anamim, and Lehabim, Naphtuhim, and Pathrusim, and Casluhim, from whom
came forth the Philistines and the Caphtorim. Then Canaan conceived
Sidon his firstborn, the Hittite, and the Jebusite, and the Amorite,
the Girgashite,
the Hivite, and the Arkite: the Sinite, and the Arvadian, the
Samarite, and the Hamathite. And after this, the peoples of the
Canaanites became widespread. And the borders of Chanaan went, as one
travels, from Sidon to Gerar, even to Gaza, until one enters Sodom and
Gomorrah, and from Admah and Zeboiim, even to Lesa. These are the sons
of Ham in their kindred, and tongues, and generations, and lands, and
nations. Likewise, from Shem, the father of all the sons of Heber,
the elder brother of Japheth, sons were born. The sons of Shem were
Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram. The sons of Aram
were Uz, and Hul, and Gether, and Mash. But truly, Arphaxad conceived
Shelah, from whom was born Eber. And to Eber were born two sons: the
name of the one was Peleg, for in his days the earth became divided,
and his brother’s name was Joktan. This Joktan conceived Almodad, and
Sheleph, and Hazarmaveth, Jerah and Hadoram, and Uzal and Diklah, and
Obal and Abimael, Sheba and Ophir, and Havilah and Jobab. All these
were the sons of Joktan. And their habitation extended from Messa, as
one sojourns, even to Sephar, a mountain in the east. These are the
sons of Shem according to their kindred, and tongues, and the regions
within their nations. These are the families of Noah, according to
their peoples and nations. The nations became divided according to
these, on the earth after the great flood.
The Tower of Babel
XII
Now the earth was of one language and of the same speech. And when
they were advancing from the east, they found a plain in the land of
Shinar, and they dwelt in it. And each one said to his neighbor,
“Come, let us make bricks, and bake them with fire.” And they had
bricks instead of stones, and pitch instead of mortar. And they
said: “Come, let us make a city and a tower, so that its height may
reach to heaven. And let us make our name famous before we are divided
into all the lands.” Then the Lord descended to see the city and the
tower, which the sons of Adam were building. And he said: “Behold, the
people are united, and all have one tongue. And since they have begun
to do this, they will not desist from their plans, until they have
completed their work.} Therefore, come, let us descend, and in that
place confound their tongue, so that they may not listen, each one to
the voice of his neighbor.” And so the Lord divided them from that
place into all the lands, and they ceased to build the city. And for
this reason, its name was called ‘Babel,’ because in that place the
language of the whole earth became confused. And from then on, the
Lord scattered them across the face of every region.
The End of the Rainbow Bible