Genesis 11
11
The Tower of Babel
1There was a time when the whole world spoke one language. Everyone used the same words. 2Then people began to move from the East. They found a plain in the land of Babylonia and stayed there to live. 3Then they said to each other, “Let’s make some bricks of clay and bake them in the fire.” Then they used these bricks as stones, and they used tar as mortar.
4Then the people said, “Let’s build ourselves a city and a tower that will reach to the sky. Then we will be famous. This will keep us together so that we will not be scattered all over the earth.”
5Then the Lord came down to see the city and the tower. 6The Lord said, “These people all speak the same language. And I see that they are joined together to do this work. This is only the beginning of what they can do. Soon they will be able to do anything they want. 7Let’s go down and confuse their language. Then they will not understand each other.”
8So people stopped building the city, and the Lord scattered them all over the earth. 9That is the place where the Lord confused the language of the whole world. That is why it is called Babel.#11:9 Babel Or “Babylon.” This is like a word meaning “confuse.” And it was from there that the Lord caused the people to spread out to all the other places on earth.
The History of Shem’s Family
10This is the history of Shem’s family. Two years after the flood, when Shem was 100 years old, his son Arphaxad was born. 11After that Shem lived 500 years. He had other sons and daughters.
12When Arphaxad was 35 years old, his son Shelah was born. 13After Shelah was born, Arphaxad lived 403 years. During that time he had other sons and daughters.
14After Shelah was 30 years old, his son Eber was born. 15After Eber was born, Shelah lived 403 years. During that time he had other sons and daughters.
16After Eber was 34 years old, his son Peleg was born. 17After Peleg was born, Eber lived another 430 years. During that time he had other sons and daughters.
18After Peleg was 30 years old, his son Reu was born. 19After Reu was born, Peleg lived another 209 years. During that time he had other sons and daughters.
20After Reu was 32 years old, his son Serug was born. 21After Serug was born, Reu lived another 207 years. During that time he had other sons and daughters.
22After Serug was 30 years old, his son Nahor was born. 23After Nahor was born, Serug lived another 200 years. During that time he had other sons and daughters.
24After Nahor was 29 years old, his son Terah was born. 25After Terah was born, Nahor lived another 119 years. During that time he had other sons and daughters.
26After Terah was 70 years old, his sons Abram, Nahor, and Haran were born.
The History of Terah’s Family
27This is the history of Terah’s family. Terah was the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran was the father of Lot. 28Haran died in his hometown, Ur of Babylonia,#11:28 Ur of Babylonia Literally, “Ur of the Chaldeans.” A city in southern Babylonia. Also in verse 31. while his father Terah was still alive. 29Abram and Nahor both married. Abram’s wife was named Sarai. Nahor’s wife was named Milcah. Milcah was the daughter of Haran. Haran was the father of Milcah and Iscah. 30Sarai did not have any children because she was not able to have children.
31Terah took his family and left Ur of Babylonia. They planned to travel to Canaan. Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot (Haran’s son), and his daughter-in-law Sarai (Abram’s wife). They traveled to the city of Haran and decided to stay there. 32Terah lived to be 205 years old. He died in Haran.
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© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
Bereshis 11
11
1And the kol HaAretz was of one language and of devarim achadim (common words).
2And it came to pass, as they migrated from the east, that they found a plain in Eretz Shinar; and they dwelt there.
3And they said one to another, Come, let us make brick, and bake them thoroughly. And they had brick for even (stone), and bitumen had they for mortar.
4And they said, Come, let us build us an Ir and a Migdal, whose rosh (top) may reach unto Shomayim; and let us make us a shem, otherwise we shall be scattered abroad upon the face of kol HaAretz.
5And Hashem came down to see the Ir and the Migdal, which Bnei HaAdam built.
6And Hashem said, See, the Am is echad and they have all one language; and this they begin to do; and now nothing will be impossible for them, which they have proposed to do.
7Come, let Us go down, and there confuse their sefat, that they may not understand one anotherʼs language.
8So Hashem scattered them abroad from there upon the face of kol Ha'Aretz; and they left off building the Ir.
9Therefore is the shem of it called Bavel; because Hashem did there confuse the language of kol Ha'Aretz; and from there did Hashem scatter them abroad upon the face of kol Ha'Aretz.
10These are the toldot of Shem: Shem was a hundred years old, and fathered Arpachshad two years after the mabbul;
11And Shem lived after he fathered Arpachshad five hundred shanah, and fathered banim and banot.
12And Arpachshad lived five and thirty shanah, and fathered Shelach;
13And Arpachshad lived after he fathered Shelach four hundred and three shanim, and fathered banim and banot.
14And Shelach lived thirty shanah, and fathered Ever;
15And Shelach lived after he fathered Ever four hundred and three shanah, and fathered banim and banot.
16And Ever lived four and thirty shanah, and fathered Peleg;
17And Ever lived after he fathered Peleg four hundred and thirty shanah, and fathered banim and banot.
18And Peleg lived thirty shanah, and fathered Reu;
19And Peleg lived after he fathered Reu two hundred and nine shanim, and fathered banim and banot.
20And Reu lived two and thirty shanah, and fathered Serug;
21And Reu lived after he fathered Serug two hundred and seven shanim, and fathered banim and banot.
22And Serug lived thirty shanah, and fathered Nachor;
23And Serug lived after he fathered Nachor two hundred shanah, and fathered banim and banot.
24And Nachor lived nine and twenty shanah, and fathered Terach;
25And Nachor lived after he fathered Terach a hundred and nineteen shanah, and fathered banim and banot.
26And Terach lived seventy shanah, and fathered Avram, Nachor, and Haran.
27Now these are the toldot Terach: Terach fathered Avram, Nachor, and Haran; and Haran fathered Lot.
28And Haran died before his av Terach in the land of his birth, in Ur Kasdim.
29And Avram and Nachor took them nashim: the shem eshet Avram was Sarai; and the shem eshet Nachor was Milcah, the bat Haran Avi Milcah, and Avi Yiskah.
30But Sarai was barren; she had no child.
31And Terach took Avram bno, and ben bno Lot ben Haran, and Sarai his kallah, eshet Avram bno; and they went forth with them from Ur Kasdim, to go into Eretz Kena'an; and they came unto Charan (Haran), and dwelt there.
32And the days of Terach were two hundred and five shanim; and Terach died in Charan (Haran).
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THE ORTHODOX JEWISH BIBLE
FOURTH EDITION © Artists For Israel Intl Inc., 2002-2011, 2021.