Add parallel Print Page Options

The Tower at Babylon

11 Now the whole earth used the same language and the same words. And as men traveled in the east, they found a valley in the land of Shinar and made their home there. They said to one another, “Come, let us make blocks and burn them until they are hard.” They used blocks for stone, and tar to hold them together. Then they said, “Come, let us build a city for ourselves, with a tower that touches the heavens. Let us make a name for ourselves, or else we may be sent everywhere over the whole earth.”

Then the Lord came down to see the city and the tower that the sons of men had built. And the Lord said, “See, they are one people, and they all have the same language. This is only the beginning of what they will do. Now all they plan to do will be possible for them. Come, let Us go down and mix up their language so they will not understand what each other says.” So the Lord sent them everywhere over the whole earth. And they stopped building the city. So the name of the city was Babel, because there the Lord mixed up the language of the whole earth. The Lord sent the people everywhere over the whole earth.

The Families after Shem

10 These are the children of Shem. When Shem had lived 100 years, he became the father of Arpachshad, two years after the flood. 11 Shem lived 500 years after the birth of Arpachshad. He had other sons and daughters.

12 When Arpachshad had lived thirty-five years, he became the father of Shelah. 13 Arpachshad lived 403 years after the birth of Shelah. He had other sons and daughters.

14 When Shelah had lived thirty years, he became the father of Eber. 15 Shelah lived 403 years after the birth of Eber. He had other sons and daughters.

16 When Eber had lived thirty-four years, he became the father of Peleg. 17 Eber lived 430 years after the birth of Peleg. He had other sons and daughters.

18 When Peleg had lived thirty years, he became the father of Reu. 19 Peleg lived 209 years after the birth of Reu. He had other sons and daughters.

20 When Reu had lived thirty-two years, he became the father of Serug. 21 Reu lived 207 years after the birth of Serug. He had other sons and daughters.

22 When Serug had lived thirty years, he became the father of Nahor. 23 Serug lived 200 years after the birth of Nahor. He had other sons and daughters.

24 When Nahor had lived twenty-nine years, he became the father of Terah. 25 Nahor lived 119 years after the birth of Terah. He had other sons and daughters.

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

27 Now these are the children of Terah. Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor and Haran. And Haran became the father of Lot. 28 Haran died with his father Terah beside him in the land of his birth, Ur of the Chaldeans. 29 Abram and Nahor both married. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai. The name of Nahor’s wife was Milcah, the daughter of Haran. Haran was the father of Milcah and Iscah. 30 But Sarai could not give birth. She had no child. 31 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 they went together from Ur of the Chaldeans to the land of Canaan. But when they went as far as Haran, they made their home there. 32 Terah lived 205 years, and he died in Haran.

The Tower of Babel

11 Now the whole world had one language(A) and a common speech. As people moved eastward,[a] they found a plain in Shinar[b](B) and settled there.

They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks(C) and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone,(D) and tar(E) for mortar. Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens,(F) so that we may make a name(G) for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered(H) over the face of the whole earth.”(I)

But the Lord came down(J) to see the city and the tower the people were building. The Lord said, “If as one people speaking the same language(K) they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. Come, let us(L) go down(M) and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.”(N)

So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth,(O) and they stopped building the city. That is why it was called Babel[c](P)—because there the Lord confused the language(Q) of the whole world.(R) From there the Lord scattered(S) them over the face of the whole earth.

From Shem to Abram(T)

10 This is the account(U) of Shem’s family line.

Two years after the flood, when Shem was 100 years old, he became the father[d] of Arphaxad.(V) 11 And after he became the father of Arphaxad, Shem lived 500 years and had other sons and daughters.

12 When Arphaxad had lived 35 years, he became the father of Shelah.(W) 13 And after he became the father of Shelah, Arphaxad lived 403 years and had other sons and daughters.[e]

14 When Shelah had lived 30 years, he became the father of Eber.(X) 15 And after he became the father of Eber, Shelah lived 403 years and had other sons and daughters.

16 When Eber had lived 34 years, he became the father of Peleg.(Y) 17 And after he became the father of Peleg, Eber lived 430 years and had other sons and daughters.

18 When Peleg had lived 30 years, he became the father of Reu.(Z) 19 And after he became the father of Reu, Peleg lived 209 years and had other sons and daughters.

20 When Reu had lived 32 years, he became the father of Serug.(AA) 21 And after he became the father of Serug, Reu lived 207 years and had other sons and daughters.

22 When Serug had lived 30 years, he became the father of Nahor.(AB) 23 And after he became the father of Nahor, Serug lived 200 years and had other sons and daughters.

24 When Nahor had lived 29 years, he became the father of Terah.(AC) 25 And after he became the father of Terah, Nahor lived 119 years and had other sons and daughters.

26 After Terah had lived 70 years, he became the father of Abram,(AD) Nahor(AE) and Haran.(AF)

Abram’s Family

27 This is the account(AG) of Terah’s family line.

Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor(AH) and Haran. And Haran became the father of Lot.(AI) 28 While his father Terah was still alive, Haran died in Ur of the Chaldeans,(AJ) in the land of his birth. 29 Abram and Nahor(AK) both married. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai,(AL) and the name of Nahor’s wife was Milkah;(AM) she was the daughter of Haran, the father of both Milkah and Iskah. 30 Now Sarai was childless because she was not able to conceive.(AN)

31 Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot(AO) son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law(AP) Sarai, the wife of his son Abram, and together they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans(AQ) to go to Canaan.(AR) But when they came to Harran,(AS) they settled there.

32 Terah(AT) lived 205 years, and he died in Harran.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 11:2 Or from the east; or in the east
  2. Genesis 11:2 That is, Babylonia
  3. Genesis 11:9 That is, Babylon; Babel sounds like the Hebrew for confused.
  4. Genesis 11:10 Father may mean ancestor; also in verses 11-25.
  5. Genesis 11:13 Hebrew; Septuagint (see also Luke 3:35, 36 and note at Gen. 10:24) 35 years, he became the father of Cainan. 13 And after he became the father of Cainan, Arphaxad lived 430 years and had other sons and daughters, and then he died. When Cainan had lived 130 years, he became the father of Shelah. And after he became the father of Shelah, Cainan lived 330 years and had other sons and daughters