Genesis 11

1 Now the whole world had one language and a common form of speech.

1 The whole earth was of one language and of one speech.

2 And as people journeyed eastward, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there.

2 As they traveled east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they lived there.

3 And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” So they used brick instead of stone, and tar instead of mortar.

3 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 “Come,” they said, “let us build for ourselves a city with a tower that reaches to the heavens, that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of all the earth.”

4 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 Then the LORD came down to see the city and the tower that the sons of men were building.

5 Yahweh came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men built.

6 And the LORD said, “If they have begun to do this as one people speaking the same language, then nothing they devise will be beyond them.

6 Yahweh 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 Come, let Us go down and confuse their language, so that they will not understand one another’s speech.”

7 Come, let’s go down, and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.”

8 So the LORD scattered them from there over the face of all the earth, and they stopped building the city.

8 So Yahweh scattered them abroad from there on the surface of all the earth. They stopped building the city.

9 That is why it is called Babel, for there the LORD confused the language of the whole world, and from that place the LORD scattered them over the face of all the earth.

9 Therefore its name was called Babel, because there Yahweh confused the language of all the earth. From there, Yahweh scattered them abroad on the surface of all the earth.

10 This is the account of Shem. Two years after the flood, when Shem was 100 years old, he became the father of Arphaxad.

10 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 And after he had become the father of Arphaxad, Shem lived 500 years and had other sons and daughters.

11 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 years old, he became the father of Shelah.

12 Arpachshad lived thirty-five years and became the father of Shelah.

13 And after he had become the father of Shelah, Arphaxad lived 403 years and had other sons and daughters.

13 Arpachshad lived four hundred three years after he became the father of Shelah, and became the father of more sons and daughters.

14 When Shelah was 30 years old, he became the father of Eber.

14 Shelah lived thirty years, and became the father of Eber.

15 And after he had become the father of Eber, Shelah lived 403 years and had other sons and daughters.

15 Shelah lived four hundred three years after he became the father of Eber, and became the father of more sons and daughters.

16 When Eber was 34 years old, he became the father of Peleg.

16 Eber lived thirty-four years, and became the father of Peleg.

17 And after he had become the father of Peleg, Eber lived 430 years and had other sons and daughters.

17 Eber lived four hundred thirty years after he became the father of Peleg, and became the father of more sons and daughters.

18 When Peleg was 30 years old, he became the father of Reu.

18 Peleg lived thirty years, and became the father of Reu.

19 And after he had become the father of Reu, Peleg lived 209 years and had other sons and daughters.

19 Peleg lived two hundred nine years after he became the father of Reu, and became the father of more sons and daughters.

20 When Reu was 32 years old, he became the father of Serug.

20 Reu lived thirty-two years, and became the father of Serug.

21 And after he had become the father of Serug, Reu lived 207 years and had other sons and daughters.

21 Reu lived two hundred seven years after he became the father of Serug, and became the father of more sons and daughters.

22 When Serug was 30 years old, he became the father of Nahor.

22 Serug lived thirty years, and became the father of Nahor.

23 And after he had become the father of Nahor, Serug lived 200 years and had other sons and daughters.

23 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 years old, he became the father of Terah.

24 Nahor lived twenty-nine years, and became the father of Terah.

25 And after he had become the father of Terah, Nahor lived 119 years and had other sons and daughters.

25 Nahor lived one hundred nineteen years after he became the father of Terah, and became the father of more sons and daughters.

26 When Terah was 70 years old, he became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran.

26 Terah lived seventy years, and became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran.

27 This is the account of Terah. Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran. And Haran became the father of Lot.

27 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 During his father Terah’s lifetime, Haran died in his native land, in Ur of the Chaldeans.

28 Haran died in the land of his birth, in Ur of the Chaldees, while his father Terah was still alive.

29 And Abram and Nahor took wives for themselves. 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.

29 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 But Sarai was barren; she had no children.

30 Sarai was barren. She had no child.

31 And Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai the wife of Abram, and they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans for the land of Canaan. But when they arrived in Haran, they settled there.

31 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 205 years, and he died in Haran.

32 The days of Terah were two hundred five years. Terah died in Haran.