2The sons of Japheth — Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras — were the ancestors of the peoples who bear their names. 3The descendants of Gomer were the people of Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah. 4The descendants of Javan were the people of Elishah, Spain, Cyprus, and Rhodes; 5they were the ancestors of the people who live along the coast and on the islands. These are the descendants of Japheth, living in their different tribes and countries, each group speaking its own language.

6The sons of Ham — Cush, Egypt, Libya and Canaan — were the ancestors of the peoples who bear their names. 7The descendants of Cush were the people of Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. The descendants of Raamah were the people of Sheba and Dedan. 8Cush had a son named Nimrod, who became the world's first great conqueror. 9By the LORD's help he was a great hunter, and that is why people say, “May the LORD make you as great a hunter as Nimrod!” 10At first his kingdom included Babylon, Erech, and Accad, all three of them in Babylonia. 11From that land he went to Assyria and built the cities of Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah, 12and Resen, which is between Nineveh and the great city of Calah.

13The descendants of Egypt were the people of Lydia, Anam, Lehab, Naphtuh, 14Pathrus, Casluh, and of Crete, from whom the Philistines are descended.#10.14 Probable text and of Crete… descended; Hebrew from whom the Philistines are descended, and Crete.

15Canaan's sons — Sidon, the eldest, and Heth — were the ancestors of the peoples who bear their names. 16Canaan was also the ancestor of the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, 17the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites, 18the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites. The different tribes of the Canaanites spread out, 19until the Canaanite borders reached from Sidon southwards to Gerar near Gaza, and eastwards to Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim near Lasha. 20These are the descendants of Ham, living in their different tribes and countries, each group speaking its own language.

21Shem, the elder brother of Japheth, was the ancestor of all the Hebrews. 22Shem's sons — Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram — were the ancestors of the peoples who bear their names. 23The descendants of Aram were the people of Uz, Hul, Gether, and Meshek. 24Arpachshad was the father of Shelah, who was the father of Eber. 25Eber had two sons: one was named Peleg,#10.25 Peleg: This name sounds like the Hebrew for “divide”. because during his time the people of the world were divided; and the other was named Joktan. 26The descendants of Joktan were the people of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, 27Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, 28Obal, Abimael, Sheba, 29Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All of them were descended from Joktan. 30The land in which they lived extended from Mesha to Sephar in the eastern hill country. 31These are the descendants of Shem, living in their different tribes and countries, each group speaking its own language.

32All these peoples are the descendants of Noah, nation by nation, according to their different lines of descent. After the flood all the nations of the earth were descended from the sons of Noah.

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Genesis 10

Nations Grow and Spread

1This is the history of the families of Shem, Ham, and Japheth. They are Noah’s sons. These men had children after the flood.

Japheth’s Descendants

2Japheth’s sons were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras.

3Gomer’s sons were Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah.

4Javan’s sons were Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.#10:4 Dodanim Or “Rodanim, the people of Rhodes.”

5All the people who lived in the area around the Mediterranean Sea came from these sons of Japheth. The people separated and went to different countries according to languages, families, and nations.

Ham’s Descendants

6Ham’s sons were Cush,#10:6 Cush Another name for Ethiopia. Mizraim,#10:6 Mizraim Another name for Egypt. Also in verse 13. Put, and Canaan.

7Cush’s sons were Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca.

Raamah’s sons were Sheba and Dedan.

8Cush also had a son named Nimrod who became a very powerful man on earth. 9He was a great hunter before the Lord. That is why people compare other men to him and say, “That man is like Nimrod, a great hunter before the Lord.”

10Nimrod’s kingdom spread from Babylon to Erech, to Akkad, and then to Calneh in the land of Babylonia.#10:10 Babylonia Literally, “Shinar,” which may be a form of the name Sumer. Also in 11:2; 14:1. 11Nimrod also went into Assyria. In Assyria, Nimrod built the cities of Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah, and 12Resen. (Resen is the city between Nineveh and Calah, the big city.)

13Mizraim was the father of the people of Lud, Anam, Lehab, Naphtuh, 14Pathrus, Casluh, and Caphtor. (The Philistine people came from Casluh.)

15Canaan was the father of Sidon. Sidon was Canaan’s first son. Canaan was also the father of the Hittites, 16Jebusites, Amorites, Girgashites, 17Hivites, Arkites, the Sinites, 18Arvadites, Zemarites, and Hamathites.

The families of Canaan spread to different parts of the world. 19The land where the Canaanites lived went from Sidon down along the coast to Gerar and from Gaza as far east as Sodom and Gomorrah and from Admah and Zeboiim as far north as Laish.

20All these people were descendants of Ham. They are arranged by families, languages, countries, and nations.

Shem’s Descendants

21Shem was Japheth’s older brother. One of Shem’s descendants was Eber, the father of all the Hebrew people.#10:21 One … Hebrew people Literally, “To Shem was born the father of Eber’s sons.”

22Shem’s sons were Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram.

23Aram’s sons were Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash.

24Arphaxad was the father of Shelah.

Shelah was the father of Eber.

25Eber was the father of two sons. One son was named Peleg.#10:25 Peleg This name means “division.” He was given this name because the earth was divided during his life. The other son was named Joktan.

26Joktan was the father of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, 27Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, 28Obal, Abimael, Sheba, 29Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these people were Joktan’s sons. 30They lived in the area between Mesha and the hill country in the East.#10:30 East This usually means the area between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers as far east as the Persian Gulf. Also in 11:2. Mesha was toward the country of Sephar.

31These are the people from the family of Shem. They are arranged by families, languages, countries, and nations.

32This is the list of the families from Noah’s sons. They are arranged according to their nations. From these families came all the people who spread across the earth after the flood.

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Genesis 10

Genesis 10