1Now the whole earth had one language and one speech. 2And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land #Gen. 10:10; 14:1; Dan. 1:2of Shinar, and they dwelt there. 3Then they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for mortar. 4And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower #Deut. 1:28; 9:1; Ps. 107:26whose top is in the heavens; let us make a #Gen. 6:4; 2 Sam. 8:13name for ourselves, lest we #Deut. 4:27be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.”

5#Gen. 18:21; Ex. 3:8; 19:11, 18, 20But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. 6And the Lord said, “Indeed #Gen. 9:19; Acts 17:26the people are one and they all have #Gen. 11:1one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they #Deut. 31:21; Ps. 2:1propose to do will be withheld from them. 7Come, #Gen. 1:26let Us go down and there #Gen. 42:23; Ex. 4:11; Deut. 28:49; Is. 33:19; Jer. 5:15confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.” 8So #Gen. 11:4; Deut. 32:8; Ps. 92:9; (Luke 1:51)the Lord scattered them abroad from there #Gen. 10:25, 32over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city. 9Therefore its name is called Babel, #1 Cor. 14:23because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.

Shem’s Descendants

10#Gen. 10:22–25; 1 Chr. 1:17This is the genealogy of Shem: Shem was one hundred years old, and begot Arphaxad two years after the flood. 11After he begot Arphaxad, Shem lived five hundred years, and begot sons and daughters.

12Arphaxad lived thirty-five years, #Luke 3:35and begot Salah. 13After he begot Salah, Arphaxad lived four hundred and three years, and begot sons and daughters.

14Salah lived thirty years, and begot Eber. 15After he begot Eber, Salah lived four hundred and three years, and begot sons and daughters.

16#1 Chr. 1:19Eber lived thirty-four years, and begot #Luke 3:35Peleg. 17After he begot Peleg, Eber lived four hundred and thirty years, and begot sons and daughters.

18Peleg lived thirty years, and begot Reu. 19After he begot Reu, Peleg lived two hundred and nine years, and begot sons and daughters.

20Reu lived thirty-two years, and begot #Luke 3:35Serug. 21After he begot Serug, Reu lived two hundred and seven years, and begot sons and daughters.

22Serug lived thirty years, and begot Nahor. 23After he begot Nahor, Serug lived two hundred years, and begot sons and daughters.

24Nahor lived twenty-nine years, and begot #Gen. 11:31; Josh. 24:2; Luke 3:34Terah. 25After he begot Terah, Nahor lived one hundred and nineteen years, and begot sons and daughters.

26Now Terah lived seventy years, and #Josh. 24:2; 1 Chr. 1:26begot Abram, Nahor, and Haran.

Terah’s Descendants

27This is the genealogy of Terah: Terah begot #Gen. 11:31; 17:5Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran begot Lot. 28And Haran died before his father Terah in his native land, in Ur of the Chaldeans. 29Then Abram and Nahor took wives: the name of Abram’s wife was #Gen. 17:15; 20:12Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife, #Gen. 22:20, 23; 24:15Milcah, the daughter of Haran the father of Milcah and the father of Iscah. 30But#Gen. 16:1, 2; Luke 1:36 Sarai was barren; she had no child.

31And Terah #Gen. 12:1took his son Abram and his grandson Lot, the son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, his son Abram’s wife, and they went out with them from #Gen. 15:7; Neh. 9:7; Acts 7:4Ur of the Chaldeans to go to #Gen. 10:19the land of Canaan; and they came to Haran and dwelt there. 32So the days of Terah were two hundred and five years, and Terah died in Haran.

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Genesis 11

1 The whole earth was of one language and of one speech. 2As they travelled east,#11:2 LXX reads “from the east”. they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they lived there. 3They said to one another, “Come, let’s make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” They had brick for stone, and they used tar for mortar. 4They said, “Come, let’s build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top reaches to the sky, and let’s make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad on the surface of the whole earth.”

5 The LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men built. 6The LORD said, “Behold, they are one people, and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do. Now nothing will be withheld from them, which they intend to do. 7Come, let’s go down, and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.” 8So the LORD scattered them abroad from there on the surface of all the earth. They stopped building the city. 9Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth. From there, the LORD scattered them abroad on the surface of all the earth.

10 This is the history of the generations of Shem: Shem was one hundred years old when he became the father of Arpachshad two years after the flood. 11Shem lived five hundred years after he became the father of Arpachshad, and became the father of more sons and daughters.

12 Arpachshad lived thirty-five years and became the father of Shelah. 13Arpachshad lived four hundred and three years after he became the father of Shelah, and became the father of more sons and daughters.

14 Shelah lived thirty years, and became the father of Eber. 15Shelah lived four hundred and three years after he became the father of Eber, and became the father of more sons and daughters.

16 Eber lived thirty-four years, and became the father of Peleg. 17Eber lived four hundred and thirty years after he became the father of Peleg, and became the father of more sons and daughters.

18 Peleg lived thirty years, and became the father of Reu. 19Peleg lived two hundred and nine years after he became the father of Reu, and became the father of more sons and daughters.

20 Reu lived thirty-two years, and became the father of Serug. 21Reu lived two hundred and seven years after he became the father of Serug, and became the father of more sons and daughters.

22 Serug lived thirty years, and became the father of Nahor. 23Serug lived two hundred years after he became the father of Nahor, and became the father of more sons and daughters.

24 Nahor lived twenty-nine years, and became the father of Terah. 25Nahor lived one hundred and nineteen years after he became the father of Terah, and became the father of more sons and daughters.

26 Terah lived seventy years, and became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran.

27 Now this is the history of the generations of Terah. Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran became the father of Lot. 28Haran died in the land of his birth, in Ur of the Chaldees, while his father Terah was still alive. 29Abram and Nahor married wives. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife was Milcah, the daughter of Haran, who was also the father of Iscah. 30Sarai was barren. She had no child. 31Terah took Abram his son, Lot the son of Haran, his son’s son, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram’s wife. They went from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan. They came to Haran and lived there. 32The days of Terah were two hundred and five years. Terah died in Haran.

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Genesis 11

Genesis 11