Genesis 11
1 At that time the whole world spoke just one language and used words with the same meaning.
The whole earth was of one language and of one speech.
2 As they moved east they discovered a plain in the land of Shinar so they settled there.
As they travelled east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they lived there.
3 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).
They said to one another, “Come, let’s make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” They had brick for stone, and they used tar for mortar.
4 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.”
They said, “Come, let’s build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top reaches to the sky, and let’s make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad on the surface of the whole earth.”
5 But the Lord came down to take a look at the city and the tower that the people were building.
The LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men built.
6 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!
The LORD said, “Behold, they are one people, and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do. Now nothing will be withheld from them, which they intend to do.
7 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.”
Come, let’s go down, and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.”
8 The Lord sent them away from there and scattered them all over the world, and they gave up building the city.
So the LORD scattered them abroad from there on the surface of all the earth. They stopped building the city.
9 That's why it was called Babel, because the Lord made the language of the world confused.
Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth. From there, the LORD scattered them abroad on the surface of all the earth.
10 The following is the genealogy of Shem. When Shem was 100, he had Arphaxad. This was two years after the flood.
This is the history of the generations of Shem: Shem was one hundred years old when he became the father of Arpachshad two years after the flood.
11 Shem lived another 500 years after Arphaxad was born and had other sons and daughters.
Shem lived five hundred years after he became the father of Arpachshad, and became the father of more sons and daughters.
12 When Arphaxad was 35, he had Shelah.
Arpachshad lived thirty-five years and became the father of Shelah.
13 Arphaxad lived another 403 years after Shelah was born and had other sons and daughters.
Arpachshad lived four hundred and three years after he became the father of Shelah, and became the father of more sons and daughters.
14 When Shelah was 30, he had Eber.
Shelah lived thirty years, and became the father of Eber.
15 Shelah lived another 403 years after Eber was born and had other sons and daughters.
Shelah lived four hundred and three years after he became the father of Eber, and became the father of more sons and daughters.
16 When Eber was 34, he had Peleg.
Eber lived thirty-four years, and became the father of Peleg.
17 Eber lived another 430 years after Peleg was born and had other sons and daughters.
Eber lived four hundred and thirty years after he became the father of Peleg, and became the father of more sons and daughters.
18 When Peleg was 30, he had Reu.
Peleg lived thirty years, and became the father of Reu.
19 Peleg lived another 209 years after Reu was born and had other sons and daughters.
Peleg lived two hundred and nine years after he became the father of Reu, and became the father of more sons and daughters.
20 When Reu was 32, he had Serug.
Reu lived thirty-two years, and became the father of Serug.
21 Reu lived another 207 years after Serug was born and had other sons and daughters.
Reu lived two hundred and seven years after he became the father of Serug, and became the father of more sons and daughters.
22 When Serug was 30, he had Nahor.
Serug lived thirty years, and became the father of Nahor.
23 Serug lived another 200 years after Nahor was born and had other sons and daughters.
Serug lived two hundred years after he became the father of Nahor, and became the father of more sons and daughters.
24 When Nahor was 29, he had Terah.
Nahor lived twenty-nine years, and became the father of Terah.
25 Nahor lived another 119 years after Terah was born and had other sons and daughters.
Nahor lived one hundred and nineteen years after he became the father of Terah, and became the father of more sons and daughters.
26 When Terah was 70, he had Abram, Nahor, and Haran.
Terah lived seventy years, and became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran.
27 The following is the genealogy of Terah. Terah was the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran was the father of Lot.
Now this is the history of the generations of Terah. Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran became the father of Lot.
28 However, Haran died while his father, Terah, was still alive, in Ur of the Chaldeans, the land of his birth.
Haran died in the land of his birth, in Ur of the Chaldees, while his father Terah was still alive.
29 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).
Abram and Nahor married wives. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife was Milcah, the daughter of Haran, who was also the father of Iscah.
30 Sarai wasn't able to become pregnant and so had no children.
Sarai was barren. She had no child.
31 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.
Terah took Abram his son, Lot the son of Haran, his son’s son, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram’s wife. They went from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan. They came to Haran and lived there.
32 Terah lived for 205 years and died in Haran.
The days of Terah were two hundred and five years. Terah died in Haran.
