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.

Learn More

Genesis 10

A List of Nations

1Here is the story of Shem, Ham and Japheth. They were Noah’s sons. After the flood, they also had sons.

The Sons of Japheth

2The sons of Japheth were

Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshek and Tiras.

3The sons of Gomer were

Ashkenaz, Riphath and Togarmah.

4The sons of Javan were

Elishah, Tarshish, the Kittites and the Rodanites. 5From these people came the families who lived near the Mediterranean Sea. Each tribe and nation then spread out into its own territory and had its own language.

The Sons of Ham

6The sons of Ham were

Cush, Egypt, Put and Canaan.

7The sons of Cush were

Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah and Sabteka.

The sons of Raamah were

Sheba and Dedan.

8Cush was the father of Nimrod. Nimrod became a mighty hero on the earth. 9He was a mighty hunter in the Lord’s eyes. That’s why people sometimes compare others with Nimrod. They say, “They are like Nimrod, who was a mighty hunter in the Lord’s eyes.” 10The first capital cities of Nimrod’s kingdom were Babylon, Uruk, Akkad and Kalneh. These cities were in the land of Babylon. 11From that land he went to Assyria. There he built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir and Calah. 12He also built Resen, which is between Nineveh and Calah. Nineveh is the most famous city.

13Egypt was the father of

the Ludites, Anamites, Lehabites, Naphtuhites, 14Pathrusites, Kasluhites and Caphtorites. The Philistines came from the Kasluhites.

15Canaan was the father of Sidon.

Sidon was his oldest son. Canaan was also the father of the Hittites, 16Jebusites, Amorites and Girgashites. 17And he was the father of the Hivites, Arkites, Sinites, 18Arvadites, Zemarites and Hamathites.

Later the Canaanite tribes scattered. 19The borders of Canaan reached from Sidon toward Gerar all the way to Gaza. Then they continued toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboyim all the way to Lasha.

20These are the sons of Ham. They are listed by their tribes and languages in their territories and nations.

The Sons of Shem

21Sons were also born to Shem, Japheth’s younger brother. All the sons of Eber belonged to Shem’s family line.

22The sons of Shem were

Elam, Ashur, Arphaxad, Lud and Aram.

23The sons of Aram were

Uz, Hul, Gether and Meshek.

24Arphaxad was the father of Shelah.

Shelah was the father of Eber.

25Eber had two sons.

One was named Peleg. That’s because the earth was divided up in his time. His brother was named Joktan.

26Joktan was the father of

Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, 27Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, 28Obal, Abimael, Sheba, 29Ophir, Havilah and Jobab. They were all sons of Joktan.

30The area where they lived stretched from Mesha toward Sephar. It was in the eastern hill country.

31These are the sons of Shem. They are listed by their tribes and languages in their territories and nations.

32These are the tribes of Noah’s sons. They are listed by their family lines within their nations. From them the nations spread out over the earth after the flood.

Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version®, NIrV®

Learn More

Choose your language

Genesis 10

Genesis 10