B'resheet (Gen) 11
11
1(S: vii) The whole earth used the same language, the same words. 2It came about that as they traveled from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shin‘ar and lived there. 3They said to one another, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them in the fire.” So they had bricks for building-stone and clay for mortar. 4Then they said, “Come, let’s build ourselves a city with a tower that has its top reaching up into heaven, so that we can make a name for ourselves and not be scattered all over the earth.”
5Adonai came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. 6Adonai said, “Look, the people are united, they all have a single language, and see what they’re starting to do! At this rate, nothing they set out to accomplish will be impossible for them! 7Come, let’s go down and confuse their language, so that they won’t understand each other’s speech.” 8So from there Adonai scattered them all over the earth, and they stopped building the city. 9For this reason it is called Bavel [confusion] — because there Adonai confused the language of the whole earth, and from there Adonai scattered them all over the earth.
10Here is the genealogy of Shem. Shem was 100 years old when he fathered Arpakhshad two years after the flood. 11After Arpakhshad was born, Shem lived another 500 years and had sons and daughters.
12Arpakhshad lived thirty-five years and fathered Shelach. 13After Shelach was born, Arpakhshad lived another 403 years and had sons and daughters.
14Shelach lived thirty years and fathered ‘Ever. 15After ‘Ever was born, Shelach lived another 403 years and had sons and daughters.
16‘Ever lived thirty-four years and fathered Peleg. 17After Peleg was born, ‘Ever lived another 430 years and had sons and daughters.
18Peleg lived thirty years and fathered Re‘u. 19After Re‘u was born, Peleg lived another 209 years and had sons and daughters.
20Re‘u lived thirty-two years and fathered S’rug. 21After S’rug was born, Re‘u lived another 207 years and had sons and daughters.
22S’rug lived thirty years and fathered Nachor. 23After Nachor was born, S’rug lived another 200 years and had sons and daughters.
24Nachor lived twenty-nine years and fathered Terach. 25After Terach was born, Nachor lived another 119 years and had sons and daughters.
26Terach lived seventy years and fathered Avram, Nachor and Haran. 27Here is the genealogy of Terach. Terach fathered Avram, Nachor and Haran; and Haran fathered Lot. 28Haran died before his father Terach in the land where he was born, in Ur of the Kasdim.
(Maftir) 29Then Avram and Nachor took wives for themselves. The name of Avram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nachor’s wife was Milkah the daughter of Haran. He was the father of Milkah and of Yiskah. 30Sarai was barren — she had no child. 31Terach took his son Avram, his son Haran’s son Lot, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Avram’s wife; and they left Ur of the Kasdim to go to the land of Kena‘an. But when they came to Haran, they stayed there. 32Terach lived 205 years, and he died in Haran.
Haftarah Noach: Yesha‘yahu (Isaiah) 54:1–55:5 (A); 54:1–10 (S)
[Messianic adaptation: commence the reading at 52:13]
B’rit Hadashah suggested readings for Parashah Noach: Mattityahu (Matthew) 24:36–44; Luke 17:26–37; Acts 2:1–16; 1 Kefa (1 Peter) 3:18–22; 2 Kefa (2 Peter) 2:5
For more information and to purchase a hard copy of the Complete Jewish Bible,
Learn More About Complete Jewish BibleGenesis 11
11
The Tower of Babel
1At first everyone spoke the same language, 2but after some of them moved from the east#11.2 from the east: Or “to the east.” and settled in Babylonia,#11.2 Babylonia: See the note at 10.6-20. 3-4they said:
Let's build a city with a tower that reaches to the sky! We'll use hard bricks and tar instead of stone and mortar. We'll become famous, and we won't be scattered all over the world.
5But when the Lord came down to look at the city and the tower, 6he said:
These people are working together because they all speak the same language. This is just the beginning. Soon they will be able to do anything they want. 7Let's go down and confuse them! We'll make them speak different languages, and they won't be able to understand each other.
8-9So the people had to stop building the city, because the Lord confused their language and scattered them all over the earth. That's how the city of Babel#11.8,9 Babel: In Hebrew “Babel” sounds like “confused.” got its name.
The Descendants of Shem
10-11Two years after the flood, when Shem was 100, he had a son named Arpachshad. He had more children and died at the age of 600. This is a list of his descendants:
12When Arpachshad was 35, he had a son named Shelah. 13Arpachshad had more children and died at the age of 438.
14When Shelah was 30, he had a son named Eber. 15Shelah had more children and died at the age of 433.
16When Eber was 34, he had a son named Peleg. 17Eber had more children and died at the age of 464.
18When Peleg was 30, he had a son named Reu. 19Peleg had more children and died at the age of 239.
20When Reu was 32 he had a son named Serug. 21Reu had more children and died at the age of 239.
22When Serug was 30, he had a son named Nahor. 23Serug had more children and died at the age of 230.
24When Nahor was 29, he had a son named Terah. 25Nahor had more children and died at the age of 148.
The Descendants of Terah
26-28After Terah was 70 years old, he had three sons: Abram, Nahor, and Haran, who became the father of Lot. Terah's sons were born in the city of Ur in Chaldea,#11.26-28 Ur in Chaldea: Chaldea was a region at the head of the Persian Gulf. Ur was on the main trade routes from Mesopotamia to the Mediterranean Sea. and Haran died there before the death of his father. The following is the story of Terah's descendants.
29-30Abram married Sarai, but she was not able to have children. And Nahor married Milcah, who was the daughter of Haran and the sister of Iscah.
31Terah decided to move from Ur to the land of Canaan. He took along Abram and Sarai and his grandson Lot, the son of Haran. But when they came to the city of Haran,#11.31 Haran: About 885 kilometers northwest of Ur. they settled there instead. 32Terah lived to be 205 years old and died in Haran.
Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.