| King James Bible | International Standard Version |
| 1And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. | 1There was a time when the entire earth spoke a common language with an identical vocabulary. |
| 2And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. | 2As people migrated westward, they came across a plain in the region of Shinar and settled there. |
| 3And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter. | 3They told each other, "Come on! Let's burn bricks thoroughly." They used bricks for stone and tar for mortar. |
| 4And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. | 4Then they said, "Come on! Let's build ourselves a city and a tower, with its summit in the heavens, and let's make a name for ourselves so we won't be scattered over the surface of the whole earth." |
| 5And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. | 5However, the LORD descended to look over the city and the tower that the humans were building. |
| 6And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. | 6The LORD said, "Look! They are one people with the same language for all of them, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. Nothing that they have a mind to do will be impossible for them! |
| 7Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. | 7Come on! Let's go down there and confuse their language, so that they won't understand each other's speech." |
| 8So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. | 8So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the surface of the whole earth, so that they had to stop building the city. |
| 9Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth. | 9Therefore it was called Babylon, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth, and from there the LORD scattered them over the surface of the entire earth. |
| 10These are the generations of Shem: Shem was an hundred years old, and begat Arphaxad two years after the flood: | 10These are the family records of Shem. When Shem had lived 100 years, he fathered Arpachshad two years after the flood. |
| 11And Shem lived after he begat Arphaxad five hundred years, and begat sons and daughters. | 11Shem lived 500 years after he fathered Arpachshad and had other sons and daughters. |
| 12And Arphaxad lived five and thirty years, and begat Salah: | 12When Arpachshad had lived 35 years, he fathered Cainan. |
| 13And Arphaxad lived after he begat Salah four hundred and three years, and begat sons and daughters. | 13After he fathered Cainan, Arpachshad lived 430 years and had other sons and daughters, and then died. Cainan lived 130 years and fathered Shelah. After he fathered Shelah, Cainan lived 330 years and had other sons and daughters, and then died. |
| 14And Salah lived thirty years, and begat Eber: | 14When Shelah had lived 30 years, he fathered Eber. |
| 15And Salah lived after he begat Eber four hundred and three years, and begat sons and daughters. | 15After he fathered Eber, Shelah lived 403 years and had other sons and daughters. |
| 16And Eber lived four and thirty years, and begat Peleg: | 16When Eber had lived 34 years, he fathered Peleg. |
| 17And Eber lived after he begat Peleg four hundred and thirty years, and begat sons and daughters. | 17After he fathered Peleg, Eber lived 430 years and had other sons and daughters. |
| 18And Peleg lived thirty years, and begat Reu: | 18When Peleg had lived 30 years, he fathered Reu. |
| 19And Peleg lived after he begat Reu two hundred and nine years, and begat sons and daughters. | 19After he fathered Reu, Peleg lived 209 years and had other sons and daughters. |
| 20And Reu lived two and thirty years, and begat Serug: | 20When Reu had lived 32 years, he fathered Serug. |
| 21And Reu lived after he begat Serug two hundred and seven years, and begat sons and daughters. | 21After he fathered Serug, Reu lived 207 years and had other sons and daughters. |
| 22And Serug lived thirty years, and begat Nahor: | 22When Serug had lived 30 years, he fathered Nahor. |
| 23And Serug lived after he begat Nahor two hundred years, and begat sons and daughters. | 23After he fathered Nahor, Serug lived 200 years and had other sons and daughters. |
| 24And Nahor lived nine and twenty years, and begat Terah: | 24When Nahor had lived 29 years, he fathered Terah. |
| 25And Nahor lived after he begat Terah an hundred and nineteen years, and begat sons and daughters. | 25After he fathered Terah, Nahor lived 119 years and had other sons and daughters. |
| 26And Terah lived seventy years, and begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran. | 26When Terah had lived 70 years, he fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran. |
| 27Now these are the generations of Terah: Terah begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran begat Lot. | 27Now these are the family records of Terah: Terah fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran fathered Lot. |
| 28And Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees. | 28Haran died during his father's lifetime in the land of his birth, that is, in Ur of the Chaldeans. |
| 29And Abram and Nahor took them 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 the father of Iscah. | 29Abram and Nahor took wives for themselves. The name of Abram's wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor's wife was Milcah. She was the daughter of Haran, who was the father of Milcah and Iscah. |
| 30But Sarai was barren; she had no child. | 30Sarai was barren, so she had not borne children. |
| 31And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son's son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram's wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there. | 31Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot (Haran's son), and his daughter-in-law Sarai, his son Abram's wife, and they journeyed together from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan. But when they had gone as far as Haran, they settled there, |
| 32And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years: and Terah died in Haran. | 32where Terah died at the age of 205 years. |
| King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com. | The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. |
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