The Tower of Babel

1Now the whole earth [†]had the same language and [†]the same words. 2And it happened as they journeyed east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar and [†]settled there. 3Then they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, and they had tar for mortar. 4And they said, “Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name, lest we be scattered over the face of the whole earth.” 5Then Yahweh came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. 6And Yahweh said, “Behold, they are one people, and they all have [†]the same language. And this is what they have begun to do. So now nothing which they purpose to do will be [†]impossible for them. 7Come, let Us go down and there confuse their [†]language, so that they will not understand one another’s [†]language.” 8So Yahweh scattered them from there over the face of the whole earth; and they stopped building the city. 9Therefore its name was called [†]Babel, because there Yahweh confused the [†]language of the whole earth; and from there Yahweh scattered them over the face of the whole earth.

The Generations of Shem

10These are the generations of Shem. Shem was 100 years old and [†]became the father of Arpachshad two years after the flood; 11and Shem lived 500 years after he became the father of Arpachshad, and he became the father of other sons and daughters.

12And Arpachshad lived 35 years and became the father of Shelah; 13and Arpachshad lived 403 years after he became the father of Shelah, and he became the father of other sons and daughters.

14And Shelah lived 30 years and became the father of Eber; 15and Shelah lived 403 years after he became the father of Eber, and he became the father of other sons and daughters.

16And Eber lived 34 years and became the father of Peleg; 17and Eber lived 430 years after he became the father of Peleg, and he became the father of other sons and daughters.

18And Peleg lived 30 years and became the father of Reu; 19and Peleg lived 209 years after he became the father of Reu, and he became the father of other sons and daughters.

20And Reu lived 32 years and became the father of Serug; 21and Reu lived 207 years after he became the father of Serug, and he became the father of other sons and daughters.

22And Serug lived 30 years and became the father of Nahor; 23and Serug lived 200 years after he became the father of Nahor, and he became the father of other sons and daughters.

24Nahor lived 29 years and became the father of Terah; 25and Nahor lived 119 years after he became the father of Terah, and he became the father of other sons and daughters.

26And Terah lived 70 years and became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran.

The Generations of Terah

27Now these are the generations of Terah. Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran became the father of Lot. 28And Haran died [†]in the presence of Terah his father in the land of his birth, in Ur of the Chaldeans. 29Abram and Nahor took wives for themselves. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai; and the name of Nahor’s wife was Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah and the father of Iscah. 30And Sarai was barren; she had no child.

31And Terah 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 out [†]together from Ur of the Chaldeans in order to go to the land of Canaan; and they came as far as Haran and [†]settled there. 32And the days of Terah were 205 years; and Terah died in Haran.