Elishah, Tarshish, the Kittites, and the Rodanites.#10:4 SP and some MT manuscripts (see also LXX and 1 Chronicles 1:7); most MT manuscripts Dodanites 5From these, the maritime peoples separated into their territories, according to their languages, by clans within their nations.

The Hamites

6The sons of Ham:

Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.

7The sons of Cush:

Seba, Havilah, Sabtah,#10:7 Sabtah is a variant of Sabta; see 1 Chronicles 1:9. Raamah, and Sabteca.

And the sons of Raamah:

Sheba and Dedan.

8Cush was the father of Nimrod, who began to be a mighty one #10:8 Or who established himself as a mighty warrior or who became the first fearless leader on the earth. 9He was a mighty hunter before #10:9 Or in defiance of; twice in this verse the Lord; so it is said, “Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the Lord.” 10His kingdom began in Babylon, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.#10:10 That is, Babylonia 11From that land he went forth into Assyria, where he built Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir, Calah, 12and Resen, which is between Nineveh and the great city of Calah.

13Mizraim was the father of the Ludites, the Anamites, the Lehabites, the Naphtuhites, 14the Pathrusites, the Casluhites (from whom the Philistines came), and the Caphtorites.#10:14 Some translators adjust the Hebrew word order to the Casluhites, and the Caphtorites (from whom the Philistines came); see also Jeremiah 47:4 and Amos 9:7.

15And Canaan was the father of Sidon his firstborn,#10:15 Or of the Sidonians, the foremost and of the Hittites, 16the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, 17the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites, 18the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites.

Later the Canaanite clans were scattered, 19and the borders of Canaan extended from Sidon toward Gerar as far as Gaza, and then toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha.

20These are the sons of Ham according to their clans, languages, lands, and nations.

The Semites

21And sons were also born to Shem, the older brother of Japheth;#10:21 Or Shem, whose older brother was Japheth Shem was the forefather of all the sons of Eber.

22The sons of Shem:

Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram.

23The sons of Aram:

Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash.#10:23 Hebrew; LXX and 1 Chronicles 1:17 Meshech

24Arphaxad was the father of Shelah,#10:24 Hebrew; LXX (see also Luke 3:35–36) And Arphaxad was the father of Cainan, and Cainan was the father of Shelah, and Shelah was the father of Eber.

25Two sons were born to Eber: One was named Peleg,#10:25 Peleg means division. because in his days the earth was divided, and his brother was named Joktan.

26And Joktan was the father of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, 27Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, 28Obal, Abimael, Sheba, 29Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these were sons of Joktan. 30Their territory extended from Mesha to Sephar, in the eastern hill country.

31These are the sons of Shem, according to their clans, languages, lands, and nations.

32All these are the clans of Noah’s sons, according to their generations and nations. From these the nations of the earth spread out after the flood.

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Genesis 10

The Descendants of Noah

1After the flood Shem, Ham, and Japheth had many descendants.

The Descendants of Japheth

2-5Japheth's descendants had their own languages, tribes, and land. They were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras.

Gomer was the ancestor of Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah.

Javan was the ancestor of Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim,#10.2-5 Dodanim: Most Hebrew manuscripts; some Hebrew manuscripts and one ancient translation have “Rodanim.” who settled along the coast.

The Descendants of Ham

6-20Ham's descendants had their own languages, tribes, and land. They were Ethiopia,#10.6-20 Ethiopia: See the note at 2.13. Egypt, Put, and Canaan.

Cush#10.6-20 Cush: See the note at 2.13. was the ancestor of Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca.

Raamah was the ancestor of Sheba and Dedan.

Cush was also the ancestor of Nimrod, a mighty warrior whose strength came from the Lord. This is why people say: “You hunt like Nimrod with the strength of the Lord!” Nimrod first ruled in Babylon, Erech, and Accad, all of#10.6-20 and Accad, all of: Or “Accad, and Calneh.” which were in Babylonia.#10.6-20 Babylonia: The Hebrew text has “Shinar,” another name for Babylonia. From there Nimrod went to Assyria and built the great city of Nineveh. He also built Rehoboth-Ir and Calah, as well as Resen, which is between Nineveh and Calah.

Egypt was the ancestor of Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, Pathrusim, Casluhim, and Caphtorim, the ancestor of the Philistines.#10.6-20 Casluhim, and Caphtorim, the ancestor of the Philistines: Hebrew “Caphtorim, and Casluhim, the ancestor of the Philistines.” The Philistines were from Caphtor (see Jeremiah 47.4; Amos 9.7), better known as Crete.

Canaan's sons were Sidon and Heth. Canaan was also the ancestor of the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites, the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites.

Later the Canaanites spread from the territory of Sidon and settled as far away as Gaza in the direction of Gerar. They also went as far as Lasha in the direction of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim.

The Descendants of Shem

21-31Shem's descendants had their own languages, tribes, and land. He was the older brother of Japheth and the ancestor of the tribes of Eber.

Shem was the ancestor of Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram.

Aram was the ancestor of Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash.

Arpachshad was the father of Shelah and the grandfather of Eber, whose first son was named Peleg,#10.21-31 Peleg: In Hebrew “Peleg” means “divided.” because it was during his time that tribes divided up the earth. Eber's second son was Joktan.

Joktan was the ancestor of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, Obal, Abimael, Sheba, Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. Their land reached from Mesha in the direction of Sephar, the hill country in the east.

32This completes the list of Noah's descendants. After the flood their descendants became nations and spread all over the world.

Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)

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Genesis 10

Genesis 10