Genesis 11
1 And the whole earth had one language, and the same words.
At that time the whole world spoke just one language and used words with the same meaning.
2 And it came to pass as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and dwelt there.
As they moved east they discovered a plain in the land of Shinar so they settled there.
3 And they said one to another, Come on, let us make bricks, and burn [them] thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for 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 on, let us build ourselves a city and a tower, the top of which [may reach] to the heavens; and let us make ourselves a name, lest we be scattered over the face of the whole earth.
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 And Jehovah came down to see the city and the tower which the children of men built.
But the Lord came down to take a look at the city and the tower that the people were building.
6 And Jehovah said, Behold, the people is one, and have all one language; and this have they begun to do. And now will they be hindered in nothing that they meditate doing.
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 Come, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.
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 Jehovah scattered them thence over the face of the whole earth. And they left off building the city.
The Lord sent them away from there and scattered them all over the world, and they gave up building the city.
9 Therefore was its name called Babel; because Jehovah there confounded the language of the whole earth. And Jehovah scattered them thence over the face of the whole earth.
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 a hundred years old, and begot Arphaxad two years after the flood.
The following is the genealogy of Shem. When Shem was 100, he had Arphaxad. This was two years after the flood.
11 And Shem lived after he had begotten Arphaxad five hundred years, and begot sons and daughters.
Shem lived another 500 years after Arphaxad was born and had other sons and daughters.
12 And Arphaxad lived thirty-five years, and begot Shelah.
When Arphaxad was 35, he had Shelah.
13 And Arphaxad lived after he had begotten Shelah four hundred and three years, and begot sons and daughters.
Arphaxad lived another 403 years after Shelah was born and had other sons and daughters.
14 And Shelah lived thirty years, and begot Eber.
When Shelah was 30, he had Eber.
15 And Shelah lived after he had begotten Eber four hundred and three years, and begot sons and daughters.
Shelah lived another 403 years after Eber was born and had other sons and daughters.
16 And Eber lived thirty-four years, and begot Peleg.
When Eber was 34, he had Peleg.
17 And Eber lived after he had begotten Peleg four hundred and thirty years, and begot sons and daughters.
Eber lived another 430 years after Peleg was born and had other sons and daughters.
18 And Peleg lived thirty years, and begot Reu.
When Peleg was 30, he had Reu.
19 And Peleg lived after he had begotten Reu two hundred and nine years, and begot sons and daughters.
Peleg lived another 209 years after Reu was born and had other sons and daughters.
20 And Reu lived thirty-two years, and begot Serug.
When Reu was 32, he had Serug.
21 And Reu lived after he had begotten Serug two hundred and seven years, and begot sons and daughters.
Reu lived another 207 years after Serug was born and had other sons and daughters.
22 And Serug lived thirty years, and begot Nahor.
When Serug was 30, he had Nahor.
23 And Serug lived after he had begotten Nahor two hundred years, and begot sons and daughters.
Serug lived another 200 years after Nahor was born and had other sons and daughters.
24 And Nahor lived twenty-nine years, and begot Terah.
When Nahor was 29, he had Terah.
25 And Nahor lived after he had begotten Terah a hundred and nineteen years, and begot sons and daughters.
Nahor lived another 119 years after Terah was born and had other sons and daughters.
26 And Terah lived seventy years, and begot Abram, Nahor, and Haran.
When Terah was 70, he had Abram, Nahor, and Haran.
27 And these are the generations of Terah: Terah begot Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran begot 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 the face of his father Terah in the land of his nativity at 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 And Abram and Nahor took wives: the name of Abram's wife was Sarai; and the name of Nahor's wife, Milcah, a 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 And Sarai was barren: she had no child.
Sarai wasn't able to become pregnant and so had no children.
31 And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son's son, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram's wife; and they went forth together out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to go into the land of Canaan, and came as far as Haran, and 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 were two hundred and five years; and Terah died in Haran.
Terah lived for 205 years and died in Haran.
