1Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. 2#Ge 10:10; 14:1As the people journeyed from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there.

3#Ge 14:10; Ex 1:14They said to each other, “Let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone and tar for mortar. 4#Dt 1:28; 9:1Then they said, “Come, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top will reach to heaven, and let us make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.”

5#Ge 18:21; Ex 19:11But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower that the sons of men built. 6#Ge 11:1The Lord said, “The people are one and they have one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do; now nothing that they propose to do will be impossible for them. 7#Ge 1:26; 42:23Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.”

8#Lk 1:51; Ge 10:25So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they stopped building the city. 9#Ge 10:10; 10:5Therefore the name of it was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth. From there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.

Shem’s Descendants

Ge 10:21–31; 1Ch 1:17–27

10#1Ch 1:17–27These are the generations of Shem.

Shem was a hundred years old, and two years after the flood he became the father of Arphaxad. 11Shem lived after the birth of Arphaxad five hundred years, and had other sons and daughters.

12Arphaxad lived thirty-five years, and became the father of Shelah. 13Arphaxad lived after the birth of Shelah four hundred and three years, and had other sons and daughters.

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

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

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

20#Lk 3:35Reu lived thirty-two years, and became the father of Serug. 21Reu lived after the birth of Serug two hundred and seven years, and had other sons and daughters.

22Serug lived thirty years, and became the father of Nahor. 23Serug lived after the birth of Nahor two hundred years, and had other sons and daughters.

24#Lk 3:34Nahor lived twenty-nine years, and became the father of Terah. 25Nahor lived after the birth of Terah one hundred and nineteen years, and had other sons and daughters.

26#Jos 24:2Now Terah lived seventy years, and became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran.

Terah’s Descendants

27#Ge 11:31; 12:4These are the generations of Terah.

Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran, and Haran became the father of Lot. 28#Ge 15:7Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his birth, in Ur of the Chaldeans. 29#Ge 17:15; 22:20Abram and Nahor took wives. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife, Milkah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milkah and the father of Iskah. 30But Sarai was barren; she had no child.

31#Ne 9:7; Ge 24:10Terah took his son Abram and his grandson Lot, son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, his son Abram’s wife, and they went out together from Ur of the Chaldeans to go into the land of Canaan; but when they came to Harran, they settled there.

32The days of Terah were two hundred and five years, and Terah died in Harran.

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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.

27Now 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