Genesis 11
1 Now the earth was of one language and of the same speech.
At that time the whole world spoke just one language and used words with the same meaning.
2 And when they were advancing from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they dwelt in it.
As they moved east they discovered a plain in the land of Shinar so they settled there.
3 And each one said to his neighbor, “Come, let us make bricks, and bake them with fire.” And they had bricks instead of stones, and pitch instead of mortar.
They said to one another, “Come on, let's make some bricks and bake them with fire.” (They used brick instead of stone, and tar instead of cement).
4 And they said: “Come, let us make a city and a tower, so that its height may reach to heaven. And let us make our name famous before we are divided into all the lands.”
Then they said, “Now let's build a city for ourselves with a tower whose top reaches the heavens. That way we'll gain a great reputation and we won't end up being scattered all over the world.”
5 Then the Lord descended to see the city and the tower, which the sons of Adam were building.
But the Lord came down to take a look at the city and the tower that the people were building.
6 And he said: “Behold, the people are united, and all have one tongue. And since they have begun to do this, they will not desist from their plans, until they have completed their work.
The Lord said, “Look! These people are united and they all speak one language. If this is what they can do now when they're just getting started, nothing will be impossible for them when they all put their minds to it!
7 Therefore, come, let us descend, and in that place confound their tongue, so that they may not listen, each one to the voice of his neighbor.”
We need to go down and mix up their language and make it confused so they won't be able to understand what they're saying to one other.”
8 And so the Lord divided them from that place into all the lands, and they ceased to build the city.
The Lord sent them away from there and scattered them all over the world, and they gave up building the city.
9 And for this reason, its name was called ‘Babel,’ because in that place the language of the whole earth became confused. And from then on, the Lord scattered them across the face of every region.
That's why it was called Babel, because the Lord made the language of the world confused.
10 These are the generations of Shem. Shem was one hundred years old when he conceived Arphaxad, two years after the great flood.
The following is the genealogy of Shem. When Shem was 100, he had Arphaxad. This was two years after the flood.
11 And after he conceived Arphaxad, Shem lived for five hundred years, and he conceived sons and daughters.
Shem lived another 500 years after Arphaxad was born and had other sons and daughters.
12 Next, Arphaxad lived for thirty-five years, and then he conceived Shelah.
When Arphaxad was 35, he had Shelah.
13 And after he conceived Shelah, Arphaxad lived for three hundred and three years, and he conceived sons and daughters.
Arphaxad lived another 403 years after Shelah was born and had other sons and daughters.
14 Likewise, Shelah lived for thirty years, and then he conceived Eber.
When Shelah was 30, he had Eber.
15 And after he conceived Eber, Shelah lived for four hundred and three years, and he conceived sons and daughters.
Shelah lived another 403 years after Eber was born and had other sons and daughters.
16 Then Eber lived for thirty-four years, and he conceived Peleg.
When Eber was 34, he had Peleg.
17 And after he conceived Peleg, Eber lived for four hundred and thirty years, and he conceived sons and daughters.
Eber lived another 430 years after Peleg was born and had other sons and daughters.
18 Likewise, Peleg lived for thirty years, and then he conceived Reu.
When Peleg was 30, he had Reu.
19 And after he conceived Reu, Peleg lived for two hundred and nine years, and he conceived sons and daughters.
Peleg lived another 209 years after Reu was born and had other sons and daughters.
20 Then Reu lived for thirty-two years, and then he conceived Serug.
When Reu was 32, he had Serug.
21 Likewise, after he conceived Serug, Reu lived for two hundred and seven years, and he conceived sons and daughters.
Reu lived another 207 years after Serug was born and had other sons and daughters.
22 In truth, Serug lived for thirty years, and then he conceived Nahor.
When Serug was 30, he had Nahor.
23 And after he conceived Nahor, Serug lived for two hundred years, and he conceived sons and daughters.
Serug lived another 200 years after Nahor was born and had other sons and daughters.
24 And so Nahor lived for twenty-nine years, and then he conceived Terah.
When Nahor was 29, he had Terah.
25 And after he conceived Terah, Nahor lived for one hundred and nineteen years, and he conceived sons and daughters.
Nahor lived another 119 years after Terah was born and had other sons and daughters.
26 And Terah lived for seventy years, and then he conceived Abram, and Nahor, and Haran.
When Terah was 70, he had Abram, Nahor, and Haran.
27 And these are the generations of Terah. Terah conceived Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Next Haran conceived Lot.
The following is the genealogy of Terah. Terah was the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran was the father of Lot.
28 And Haran died before his father Terah, in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldeans.
However, Haran died while his father, Terah, was still alive, in Ur of the Chaldeans, the land of his birth.
29 Then Abram and Nahor took wives. 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, and the father of Iscah.
Abram and Nahor both got married. Abram's wife was named Sarai, and Nahor's wife was named Milcah. (She was the daughter of Haran, who was the father of both Milcah and Iscah).
30 But Sarai was barren and had no children.
Sarai wasn't able to become pregnant and so had no children.
31 And so Terah took his son Abram, and his grandson Lot, the son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of his son Abram, and he led them away from Ur of the Chaldeans, to go into the land of Canaan. And they approached as far as Haran, and they dwelt there.
Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot, (who was the son of Haran), his daughter-in-law Sarai, (the wife of his son Abram), and left Ur of the Chaldeans to move to the land of Canaan. They got as far as Haran and settled there.
32 And the days of Terah that passed were two hundred and five years, and then he died in Haran.
Terah lived for 205 years and died in Haran.
