Genesis 11

1Now the whole earth had one language and few words. 2And as men migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. 3And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. 4Then 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.” 5And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the sons of men had built. 6And 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. 7Come, let us go down, and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.” 8So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. 9Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused#11.9 Compare Heb balal, confuse the language of all the earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.

10These are the descendants of Shem. When Shem was a hundred years old, he became the father of Arpachshad two years after the flood; 11and Shem lived after the birth of Arpachshad five hundred years, and had other sons and daughters.

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

14When Shelah had lived thirty years, he became the father of Eber; 15and Shelah lived after the birth of Eber four hundred and three years, and had other sons and daughters.

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

18When Peleg had lived thirty years, he became the father of Reu; 19and Peleg lived after the birth of Reu two hundred and nine years, and had other sons and daughters.

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

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

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

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

27Now these are the descendants of Terah. Terah was the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran was the father of Lot. 28Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his birth, in Ur of the Chaldeans. 29And 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 the father of Milcah and Iscah. 30Now Sarai was barren; she had no child.

31Terah took Abram his son and Lot the son of Haran, his grandson, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram's wife, and they went forth together from Ur of the Chaldeans to go into the land of Canaan; but when they came to Haran, they settled there. 32The days of Terah were two hundred and five years; and Terah died in Haran.

Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America

Learn More About Revised Standard Version Old Tradition 1952

Berĕshith (Genesis) 11

1And all the earth had one language#Hebrew lip. and one speech.

2And it came to be, as they set out from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shin‛ar,#Earlier name for Baḇel. and they dwelt there.

3And they said to each other, “Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for mortar.

4And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens, and make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered over all the face of the earth.”

5Then יהוה came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built.

6And יהוה said, “Look, they are one people and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do! And now, they are not going to be withheld from doing whatever they plan to do.

7“Come, let Us go there and confuse their language, so that they do not understand one another’s speech.”

8And יהוה scattered them from there, over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city.

9That is why its name was called Baḇel,#Baḇel is derived from a verb which means “to confuse.” because there יהוה confused the language of all the earth, and from there יהוה scattered them over the face of all the earth.

10This is the genealogy of Shĕm: Shĕm was a hundred years old and brought forth Arpaḵshaḏ, two years after the flood.

11And after he brought forth Arpaḵshaḏ, Shĕm lived five hundred years, and brought forth sons and daughters.

12And Arpaḵshaḏ lived thirty-five years, and brought forth Shelaḥ.

13And after he brought forth Shelaḥ, Arpaḵshaḏ lived four hundred and three years, and brought forth sons and daughters.

14And Shelaḥ lived thirty years, and brought forth Ěḇer.

15And after he brought forth Ěḇer, Shelaḥ lived four hundred and three years, and brought forth sons and daughters.

16And Ěḇer lived thirty-four years, and brought forth Peleḡ.

17And after he brought forth Peleḡ, Ěḇer lived four hundred and thirty years, and brought forth sons and daughters.

18And Peleḡ lived thirty years, and brought forth Re‛u.

19And after he brought forth Re‛u, Peleḡ lived two hundred and nine years, and brought forth sons and daughters.

20And Re‛u lived thirty-two years, and brought forth Seruḡ.

21And after he brought forth Seruḡ, Re‛u lived two hundred and seven years, and brought forth sons and daughters.

22And Seruḡ lived thirty years, and brought forth Naḥor.

23And after he brought forth Naḥor, Seruḡ lived two hundred years, and brought forth sons and daughters.

24And Naḥor lived twenty-nine years, and brought forth Teraḥ.

25And after he brought forth Teraḥ, Naḥor lived one hundred and nineteen years, and brought forth sons and daughters.

26And Teraḥ lived seventy years, and brought forth Aḇram, Naḥor, and Haran.

27And this is the genealogy of Teraḥ: Teraḥ brought forth Aḇram, Naḥor, and Haran. And Haran brought forth Lot.

28And Haran died before his father Teraḥ in the land of his birth, in Ur-kasdim.

29And Aḇram and Naḥor took wives: the name of Aḇram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Naḥor’s wife, Milkah, the daughter of Haran the father of Milkah and the father of Yiskah.

30And Sarai was barren, she had no child.

31And Teraḥ took his son Aḇram and his grandson Lot, son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, his son Aḇram’s wife, and they went out with them from Ur-kasdim to go to the land of Kena‛an. And they came to Ḥaran and dwelt there.

32And the days of Teraḥ came to be two hundred and five years, and Teraḥ died in Ḥaran.

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