Genesis — Chapter 8

King James Version (KJV)

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Genesis 8:1 And ^RGod remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all ^Rthe cattle that was with him in the ark: and God made ^Ra wind to pass over the earth, and the waters asswaged;

Genesis 8:2 The ^Rfountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained;

Genesis 8:3 And the waters returned from off the earth ^Tcontinually: and after the end of the ^Rhundred and fifty days the waters were abated.

Genesis 8:4 And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of ^RArarat.

Genesis 8:5 And the waters ^Tdecreased continually until the tenth month: in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, were the tops of the mountains seen.

Genesis 8:6 And it came to pass at the end of forty days, that Noah ^Ropened the window of the ark which he had made:

Genesis 8:7 And he sent forth ^Ra raven, which went forth ^Tto and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth.

Genesis 8:8 Also he sent forth ^Ra dove from him, to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground;

Genesis 8:9 But the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot, and she returned unto him into the ark, for the waters were on the face of the whole earth: then he put forth his hand, and took her, and ^Tpulled her in unto him into the ark.

Genesis 8:10 And he stayed yet other ^Rseven days; and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark;

Genesis 8:11 And the dove came in to him in the evening; and, lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf pluckt off: so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth.

Genesis 8:12 And he stayed yet other ^Rseven days; and sent forth the dove; which returned not again unto him any more.

Genesis 8:13 And it came to pass in the ^Rsix hundredth and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from off the earth: and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and, behold, the face of the ground was dry.

Genesis 8:14 And in the second month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, was the earth dried.

Genesis 8:15 And God spake unto Noah, saying,

Genesis 8:16 Go forth of the ark, thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons’ wives with thee.

Genesis 8:17 ^RBring forth with thee every living thing that is with thee, of all flesh, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth; that they may ^Rbreed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth.

Genesis 8:18 And Noah went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons’ wives with him:

Genesis 8:19 Every beast, every creeping thing, and every fowl, and whatsoever creepeth upon the earth, after their ^Tkinds, went forth out of the ark.

Genesis 8:20 And Noah ^Rbuilded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every ^Rclean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered ^Rburnt offerings on the altar.

Genesis 8:21 And the LORD ^Rsmelled ^Ta sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again ^Rcurse the ground any more for man’s sake; ^Tfor ^Rthe imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; ^Rneither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.

Genesis 8:22 ^TWhile the earth remaineth, ^Rseedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and ^Rday and night shall not cease.

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📖 What We’re Reading

Genesis 8:1–5 — God Remembers Noah

🌱 What These Verses Teach Us

God remembers Noah and every living thing with him in the ark. A wind passes over the earth, the waters begin to decrease, and the ark rests upon the mountains of Ararat.

Key Truth: God acts to bring the flood waters down while preserving Noah and the living creatures in the ark.

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📖 What We’re Reading

Genesis 8:6–12 — The Raven and the Dove

🌱 What These Verses Teach Us

Noah opens the ark’s window and sends out a raven. He later sends a dove to determine whether the waters have receded. On its second journey the dove returns with an olive leaf, showing Noah that the waters are abating. After another seven days the dove is sent again and does not return.

Key Truth: Noah patiently observes the signs that the earth is becoming habitable again.

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📖 What We’re Reading

Genesis 8:13–19 — Leaving the Ark

🌱 What These Verses Teach Us

After the ground dries, God commands Noah, his family, and the living creatures to leave the ark. The creatures are to be fruitful and multiply upon the earth, and Noah obeys God’s instruction.

Key Truth: Noah leaves the ark at God’s command, just as he had entered it according to God’s direction.

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📖 What We’re Reading

Genesis 8:20–22 — Noah Builds an Altar

🌱 What These Verses Teach Us

Noah builds an altar unto the LORD and offers burnt offerings from the clean animals and birds. The LORD declares that He will not again smite every living thing as He has done and states that the continuing rhythms of the earth will not cease while the earth remains.

Key Truth: Noah’s first recorded act after leaving the ark is worship, and the chapter closes with God’s declaration concerning the continuing order of the earth.

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