Genesis, 11

1. The whole world spoke the same language, with the same vocabulary.

1. Now the whole earth had one language and few words.

2. Now, as people moved eastwards they found a valley in the land of Shinar where they settled.

2. And as men migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there.

3. They said to one another, 'Come, let us make bricks and bake them in the fire.' For stone they used bricks, and for mortar they used bitumen.

3. And they said to one another, "Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly." And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar.

4. 'Come,' they said, 'let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top reaching heaven. Let us make a name for ourselves, so that we do not get scattered all over the world.'

4. Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth."

5. Now Yahweh came down to see the city and the tower that the people had built.

5. And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the sons of men had built.

6. 'So they are all a single people with a single language!' said Yahweh. 'This is only the start of their undertakings! Now nothing they plan to do will be beyond them.

6. And the LORD said, "Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language; and this is only the beginning of what they will do; and nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them.

7. Come, let us go down and confuse their language there, so that they cannot understand one another.'

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

8. Yahweh scattered them thence all over the world, and they stopped building the city.

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

9. That is why it was called Babel, since there Yahweh confused the language of the whole world, and from there Yahweh scattered them all over the world.

9. Therefore its name was called Ba'bel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth; and from there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.

10. These are Shem's descendants: When Shem was a hundred years old he fathered Arpachshad, two years after the flood.

10. These are the descendants of Shem. When Shem was a hundred years old, he became the father of Arpach'shad two years after the flood;

11. After the birth of Arpachshad, Shem lived five hundred years and fathered sons and daughters.

11. and Shem lived after the birth of Arpach'shad five hundred years, and had other sons and daughters.

12. When Arpachshad was thirty-five years old he fathered Shelah.

12. When Arpach'shad had lived thirty-five years, he became the father of Shelah;

13. After the birth of Shelah, Arpachshad lived four hundred and three years and fathered sons and daughters.

13. and Arpach'shad lived after the birth of Shelah four hundred and three years, and had other sons and daughters.

14. When Shelah was thirty years old he fathered Eber.

14. When Shelah had lived thirty years, he became the father of Eber;

15. After the birth of Eber, Shelah lived four hundred and three years and fathered sons and daughters.

15. and Shelah lived after the birth of Eber four hundred and three years, and had other sons and daughters.

16. When Eber was thirty-four years old he fathered Peleg.

16. When Eber had lived thirty-four years, he became the father of Peleg;

17. After the birth of Peleg, Eber lived four hundred and thirty years and fathered sons and daughters.

17. and Eber lived after the birth of Peleg four hundred and thirty years, and had other sons and daughters.

18. When Peleg was thirty years old he fathered Reu.

18. When Peleg had lived thirty years, he became the father of Re'u;

19. After the birth of Reu, Peleg lived two hundred and nine years and fathered sons and daughters.

19. and Peleg lived after the birth of Re'u two hundred and nine years, and had other sons and daughters.

20. When Reu was thirty-two years old he fathered Serug.

20. When Re'u had lived thirty-two years, he became the father of Serug;

21. After the birth of Serug, Reu lived two hundred and seven years and fathered sons and daughters.

21. and Re'u lived after the birth of Serug two hundred and seven years, and had other sons and daughters.

22. When Serug was thirty years old he fathered Nahor.

22. When Serug had lived thirty years, he became the father of Nahor;

23. After the birth of Nahor, Serug lived two hundred years and fathered sons and daughters.

23. and Serug lived after the birth of Nahor two hundred years, and had other sons and daughters.

24. When Nahor was twenty-nine years old he fathered Terah.

24. When Nahor had lived twenty-nine years, he became the father of Terah;

25. After the birth of Terah, Nahor lived a hundred and nineteen years and fathered sons and daughters.

25. and Nahor lived after the birth of Terah a hundred and nineteen years, and had other sons and daughters.

26. When Terah was seventy years old he fathered Abram, Nahor and Haran.

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

27. These are Terah's descendants: Terah fathered Abram, Nahor and Haran. Haran fathered Lot.

27. Now these are the descendants of Terah. Terah was the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran was the father of Lot.

28. Haran died in the presence of his father Terah in his native land, Ur of the Chaldaeans.

28. Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his birth, in Ur of the Chalde'ans.

29. Abram and Nahor both married: Abram's wife was called Sarai, Nahor's wife was called Milcah daughter of Haran, father of Milcah and Iscah.

29. And Abram and Nahor took wives; the name of Abram's wife was Sar'ai, and the name of Nahor's wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran the father of Milcah and Iscah.

30. Sarai was barren, having no child.

30. Now Sar'ai was barren; she had no child.

31. Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law the wife of Abram, and made them leave Ur of the Chaldaeans to go to the land of Canaan. But on arrival in Haran they settled there.

31. Terah took Abram his son and Lot the son of Haran, his grandson, and Sar'ai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram's wife, and they went forth together from Ur of the Chalde'ans to go into the land of Canaan; but when they came to Haran, they settled there.

32. Terah's life lasted two hundred and five years; then he died at Haran.

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