Genesis 11
1 The whole earth was of one language and of one speech.
At that time the whole world spoke just one language and used words with the same meaning.
2 It happened, as they traveled from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they settled there.
As they moved east they discovered a plain in the land of Shinar so they settled there.
3 And they said to one another, "Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly." They had brick for stone, and they used tar 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 They said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top reaches to the sky, and let us make ourselves a name, lest we be scattered abroad on the surface 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 God came down to see the city and the tower, that humankind was building.
But the Lord came down to take a look at the city and the tower that the people were building.
6 And God said, "Look, they are one people, and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do. So now nothing which they plan to do will be too difficult for them.
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 confuse 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 Then God scattered them abroad from there on the surface of all the earth; so they ceased 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 its name was called Babel, because there God confused the language of all the earth. From there he scattered them 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 one hundred years old and became the father of Arpachshad 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 Shem lived five hundred years after he became the father of Arpachshad, and fathered sons and daughters.
Shem lived another 500 years after Arphaxad was born and had other sons and daughters.
12 And Arpachshad lived one hundred and thirty-five years and became the father of Kenan.
When Arphaxad was 35, he had Shelah.
13 And Arpachshad lived four hundred and thirty years after he became the father of Kenan, and fathered sons and daughters. And Kenan lived one hundred and thirty years and became the father of Shelah. And Kenan lived three hundred and thirty years after he had become the father of Shelah, and fathered sons and daughters.
Arphaxad lived another 403 years after Shelah was born and had other sons and daughters.
14 Shelah lived one hundred and thirty years, and became the father of Eber:
When Shelah was 30, he had Eber.
15 and Shelah lived four hundred and three years after he became the father of Eber, and fathered sons and daughters.
Shelah lived another 403 years after Eber was born and had other sons and daughters.
16 Eber lived one hundred and thirty-four years, and became the father of Peleg.
When Eber was 34, he had Peleg.
17 Eber lived three hundred and seventy years after he became the father of Peleg, and fathered sons and daughters.
Eber lived another 430 years after Peleg was born and had other sons and daughters.
18 Peleg lived one hundred and thirty years, and became the father of Reu.
When Peleg was 30, he had Reu.
19 Peleg lived two hundred and nine years after he became the father of Reu, and fathered sons and daughters.
Peleg lived another 209 years after Reu was born and had other sons and daughters.
20 Reu lived one hundred and thirty-two years, and became the father of Serug.
When Reu was 32, he had Serug.
21 Reu lived two hundred and seven years after he became the father of Serug, and fathered sons and daughters.
Reu lived another 207 years after Serug was born and had other sons and daughters.
22 Serug lived one hundred and thirty years, and became the father of Nahor.
When Serug was 30, he had Nahor.
23 Serug lived two hundred years after he became the father of Nahor, and fathered sons and daughters.
Serug lived another 200 years after Nahor was born and had other sons and daughters.
24 Nahor lived seventy-nine years, and became the father of Terah.
When Nahor was 29, he had Terah.
25 Nahor lived one hundred and twenty-nine years after he became the father of Terah, and fathered sons and daughters.
Nahor lived another 119 years after Terah was born and had other sons and daughters.
26 Terah lived seventy years, and became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran.
When Terah was 70, he had Abram, Nahor, and Haran.
27 Now these are the generations of Terah. Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran. And Haran became the father of 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 birth, in Ur Kasdim.
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, the daughter of Haran who was also 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, Lot the son of Haran, his grandson, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram's wife, and with them he set out from Ur Kasdim to go into the land of Canaan. But when they came to Haran, they settled 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.
