Genesis 9:18–27

¹⁸The sons of Noah who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. And Ham was the father of Canaan. ¹⁹These three were the sons of Noah, and from them the whole earth was populated.

²⁰Now Noah, a man of the soil, proceeded^a to plant a vineyard. ²¹But when he drank some of its wine, he became drunk and uncovered himself inside his tent. ²²And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father’s nakedness and told his two brothers outside.

²³Then Shem and Japheth took a garment and placed it across their shoulders, and walking backward, they covered their father’s nakedness. Their faces were turned away so that they did not see their father’s nakedness.

²⁴When Noah awoke from his drunkenness and learned what his youngest son had done to him, ²⁵he said,

“Cursed be Canaan!

A servant of servants

shall he be to his brothers.”

²⁶He also declared:

“Blessed be the LORD, the God of Shem!

May Canaan be the servant of Shem.

²⁷May God expand the territory of Japheth;^b

may he dwell in the tents of Shem,

and may Canaan be his servant.”