English Standard Version

New Living Translation

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

1At one time all the people of the world spoke the same language and used the same words.

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

2As the people migrated to the east, they found a plain in the land of Babylonia 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.

3They began saying to each other, “Let’s make bricks and harden them with fire.” (In this region bricks were used instead of stone, and tar was used 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 dispersed over the face of the whole earth.”

4Then they said, “Come, let’s build a great city for ourselves with a tower that reaches into the sky. This will make us famous and keep us from being scattered all over the world.”

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

5But the LORD came down to look at the city and the tower the people were building.

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.

6“Look!” he said. “The people are united, and they all speak the same language. After this, nothing they set out to do will be impossible for them!

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

7Come, let’s go down and confuse the people with different languages. Then they won’t be able to understand each other.”

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

8In that way, the LORD scattered them all over the world, and they stopped building the city.

9Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth. And from there the LORD dispersed them over the face of all the earth.

9That is why the city was called Babel, because that is where the LORD confused the people with different languages. In this way he scattered them all over the world. The Line of Descent from Shem to Abram

10These are the generations of Shem. When Shem was 100 years old, he fathered Arpachshad two years after the flood.

10This is the account of Shem’s family. Two years after the great flood, when Shem was 100 years old, he became the father of Arphaxad.

11And Shem lived after he fathered Arpachshad 500 years and had other sons and daughters.

11After the birth of Arphaxad, Shem lived another 500 years and had other sons and daughters.

12When Arpachshad had lived 35 years, he fathered Shelah.

12When Arphaxad was 35 years old, he became the father of Shelah.

13And Arpachshad lived after he fathered Shelah 403 years and had other sons and daughters.

13After the birth of Shelah, Arphaxad lived another 403 years and had other sons and daughters.

14When Shelah had lived 30 years, he fathered Eber.

14When Shelah was 30 years old, he became the father of Eber.

15And Shelah lived after he fathered Eber 403 years and had other sons and daughters.

15After the birth of Eber, Shelah lived another 403 years and had other sons and daughters.

16When Eber had lived 34 years, he fathered Peleg.

16When Eber was 34 years old, he became the father of Peleg.

17And Eber lived after he fathered Peleg 430 years and had other sons and daughters.

17After the birth of Peleg, Eber lived another 430 years and had other sons and daughters.

18When Peleg had lived 30 years, he fathered Reu.

18When Peleg was 30 years old, he became the father of Reu.

19And Peleg lived after he fathered Reu 209 years and had other sons and daughters.

19After the birth of Reu, Peleg lived another 209 years and had other sons and daughters.

20When Reu had lived 32 years, he fathered Serug.

20When Reu was 32 years old, he became the father of Serug.

21And Reu lived after he fathered Serug 207 years and had other sons and daughters.

21After the birth of Serug, Reu lived another 207 years and had other sons and daughters.

22When Serug had lived 30 years, he fathered Nahor.

22When Serug was 30 years old, he became the father of Nahor.

23And Serug lived after he fathered Nahor 200 years and had other sons and daughters.

23After the birth of Nahor, Serug lived another 200 years and had other sons and daughters.

24When Nahor had lived 29 years, he fathered Terah.

24When Nahor was 29 years old, he became the father of Terah.

25And Nahor lived after he fathered Terah 119 years and had other sons and daughters.

25After the birth of Terah, Nahor lived another 119 years and had other sons and daughters.

26When Terah had lived 70 years, he fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran.

26After Terah was 70 years old, he became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran. The Family of Terah

27Now these are the generations of Terah. Terah fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran fathered Lot.

27This is the account of Terah’s family. Terah was the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran was the father of Lot.

28Haran died in the presence of his father Terah in the land of his kindred, in Ur of the Chaldeans.

28But Haran died in Ur of the Chaldeans, the land of his birth, while his father, Terah, was still living.

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.

29Meanwhile, Abram and Nahor both married. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife was Milcah. (Milcah and her sister Iscah were daughters of Nahor’s brother Haran.)

30Now Sarai was barren; she had no child.

30But Sarai was unable to become pregnant and had no children.

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.

31One day Terah took his son Abram, his daughter-in-law Sarai (his son Abram’s wife), and his grandson Lot (his son Haran’s child) and moved away from Ur of the Chaldeans. He was headed for the land of Canaan, but they stopped at Haran and settled there.

32The days of Terah were 205 years, and Terah died in Haran.

32Terah lived for 205 years and died while still in Haran.

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.