Genesis 11

Genesis 11

The Tower of Babel

1Now all the earth #11.1: Lit was one lipused the same language and #11.1: Or few or one set of wordsthe same words. 2And it came about, as they journeyed #11.2: Or from the easteast, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar and #11.2: Lit dweltsettled there. 3Then they said to one another, “Come, let’s make bricks and #11.3: I.e., in a kiln to harden themfire them thoroughly.” And they used brick for stone, and they used tar for mortar. 4And they said, “Come, let’s build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let’s make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered abroad over the face of all the earth.” 5Now the Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the #11.5: Lit sons of mankindmen had built. 6And the Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they all have #11.6: Lit one lipthe same language. And this is what they have started to do, and now nothing which they plan to do will be #11.6: Lit inaccessible toimpossible for them. 7Come, #11.7: I.e., indicating united action, not a requestlet Us go down and there confuse their #11.7: Lit liplanguage, so that they will not understand one another’s #11.7: Lit lipspeech.” 8So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth; and they stopped building the city. 9Therefore it was named #11.9: Or Babylon; cf. Heb balal, confuseBabel, because there the Lord confused the #11.9: Lit liplanguage of all the earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.

Descendants of Shem

10These are the records of the generations of Shem. Shem was a hundred years old when he fathered Arpachshad, two years after the flood; 11and Shem lived five hundred years after he fathered Arpachshad, and he fathered other sons and daughters.

12Arpachshad lived thirty-five years, and fathered Shelah; 13and Arpachshad lived 403 years after he fathered Shelah, and he fathered other sons and daughters.

14Shelah lived thirty years, and fathered Eber; 15and Shelah lived 403 years after he fathered Eber, and he fathered other sons and daughters.

16Eber lived thirty-four years, and fathered Peleg; 17and Eber lived 430 years after he fathered Peleg, and he fathered other sons and daughters.

18Peleg lived thirty years, and fathered Reu; 19and Peleg lived 209 years after he fathered Reu, and he fathered other sons and daughters.

20Reu lived thirty-two years, and fathered Serug; 21and Reu lived 207 years after he fathered Serug, and he fathered other sons and daughters.

22Serug lived thirty years, and fathered Nahor; 23and Serug lived two hundred years after he fathered Nahor, and he fathered other sons and daughters.

24Nahor lived twenty-nine years, and fathered Terah; 25and Nahor lived 119 years after he fathered Terah, and he fathered other sons and daughters.

26Terah lived seventy years, and fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran.

27Now these are the records of the generations of Terah. Terah fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran fathered Lot. 28Haran died #11.28: Lit before the face ofduring the lifetime of his father Terah in the land of his birth, in Ur of the Chaldeans. 29Abram and Nahor took wives for themselves. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife was Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah #11.29: Lit and the father ofand Iscah. 30Sarai was unable to conceive; she did not have a child.

31Now Terah took his son Abram, and Lot the son of Haran, his grandson, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, his son Abram’s wife, and they departed #11.31: Lit with themtogether from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan; and they went as far as Haran and #11.31: Lit dweltsettled there. 32The days of Terah were 205 years; and Terah died in Haran.

Genesis 11

1Now the whole earth had one language and few words. 2And as men migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. 3And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. 4Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.” 5And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the sons of men had built. 6And the Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language; and this is only the beginning of what they will do; and nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. 7Come, let us go down, and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.” 8So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. 9Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused#11.9 Compare Heb balal, confuse the language of all the earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.

10These are the descendants of Shem. When Shem was a hundred years old, he became the father of Arpachshad two years after the flood; 11and Shem lived after the birth of Arpachshad five hundred years, and had other sons and daughters.

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

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

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

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

20When Reu had lived thirty-two years, he became the father of Serug; 21and Reu lived after the birth of Serug two hundred and seven years, and had other sons and daughters.

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

24When Nahor had lived twenty-nine years, he became the father of Terah; 25and Nahor lived after the birth of Terah a hundred and nineteen years, and had other sons and daughters.

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

27Now these are the descendants of Terah. Terah was the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran was the father of Lot. 28Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his birth, in Ur of the Chaldeans. 29And Abram and Nahor took wives; the name of Abram's wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor's wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran the father of Milcah and Iscah. 30Now Sarai was barren; she had no child.

31Terah took Abram his son and Lot the son of Haran, his grandson, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram's wife, and they went forth together from Ur of the Chaldeans to go into the land of Canaan; but when they came to Haran, they settled there. 32The days of Terah were two hundred and five years; and Terah died in Haran.

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Genesis 11