Genesis 9:18-27

The Sons of Noah 18The sons of Noah who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham and Japheth. (Ham was the father of Canaan.)

19These were the three sons of Noah, and from them came the people who were scattered over the whole earth. 20Noah, a man of the soil, proceeded Or soil, was the first to plant a vineyard. 21When he drank some of its wine, he became drunk and lay uncovered inside his tent. 22Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father naked and told his two brothers outside.

23But Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it across their shoulders; then they walked in backward and covered their father’s naked body. Their faces were turned the other way so that they would not see their father naked. 24When Noah awoke from his wine and found out what his youngest son had done to him,

25he said, “Cursed be Canaan! The lowest of slaves will he be to his brothers.”

26He also said, “Praise be to the LORD, the God of Shem! May Canaan be the slave of Shem.

27May God extend Japheth’s Japheth sounds like the Hebrew for extend. territory; may Japheth live in the tents of Shem, and may Canaan be the slave of Japheth.”