New King James Version

Christian Standard Bible

1Now the whole earth had one language and one speech.

1The whole earth had the same language and 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 from the east, they found a valley in the land of Shinar and settled there.

3Then they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for mortar.

3They said to each other, "Come, let us make oven-fired bricks." (They used brick for stone and asphalt for mortar.)

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

4And they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the sky. Let us make a name for ourselves; otherwise, we will be scattered throughout the earth."

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

5Then the LORD came down to look over the city and the tower that the humans were building.

6And the LORD said, “Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them.

6The LORD said, "If they have begun to do this as one people all having the same language, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them.

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

7Come, let's go down there and confuse their language so that they will not understand one another's speech."

8So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city.

8So from there the LORD scattered them throughout the earth, and they stopped building the city.

9Therefore its name is called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth; and from there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.

9Therefore it is called Babylon, for there the LORD confused the language of the whole earth, and from there the LORD scattered them throughout the earth.

10This is the genealogy of Shem: Shem was one hundred years old, and begot Arphaxad two years after the flood.

10These are the family records of Shem. Shem lived 100 years and fathered Arpachshad two years after the flood.

11After he begot Arphaxad, Shem lived five hundred years, and begot sons and daughters.

11After he fathered Arpachshad, Shem lived 500 years and fathered other sons and daughters.

12Arphaxad lived thirty-five years, and begot Salah.

12Arpachshad lived 35 years and fathered Shelah.

13After he begot Salah, Arphaxad lived four hundred and three years, and begot sons and daughters.

13After he fathered Shelah, Arpachshad lived 403 years and fathered other sons and daughters.

14Salah lived thirty years, and begot Eber.

14Shelah lived 30 years and fathered Eber.

15After he begot Eber, Salah lived four hundred and three years, and begot sons and daughters.

15After he fathered Eber, Shelah lived 403 years and fathered other sons and daughters.

16Eber lived thirty-four years, and begot Peleg.

16Eber lived 34 years and fathered Peleg.

17After he begot Peleg, Eber lived four hundred and thirty years, and begot sons and daughters.

17After he fathered Peleg, Eber lived 430 years and fathered other sons and daughters.

18Peleg lived thirty years, and begot Reu.

18Peleg lived 30 years and fathered Reu.

19After he begot Reu, Peleg lived two hundred and nine years, and begot sons and daughters.

19After he fathered Reu, Peleg lived 209 years and fathered other sons and daughters.

20Reu lived thirty-two years, and begot Serug.

20Reu lived 32 years and fathered Serug.

21After he begot Serug, Reu lived two hundred and seven years, and begot sons and daughters.

21After he fathered Serug, Reu lived 207 years and fathered other sons and daughters.

22Serug lived thirty years, and begot Nahor.

22Serug lived 30 years and fathered Nahor.

23After he begot Nahor, Serug lived two hundred years, and begot sons and daughters.

23After he fathered Nahor, Serug lived 200 years and fathered other sons and daughters.

24Nahor lived twenty-nine years, and begot Terah.

24Nahor lived 29 years and fathered Terah.

25After he begot Terah, Nahor lived one hundred and nineteen years, and begot sons and daughters.

25After he fathered Terah, Nahor lived 119 years and fathered other sons and daughters.

26Now Terah lived seventy years, and begot Abram, Nahor, and Haran.

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

27This is the genealogy of Terah: Terah begot Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran begot Lot.

27These are the family records of Terah. Terah fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran, and Haran fathered Lot.

28And Haran died before his father Terah in his native land, in Ur of the Chaldeans.

28Haran died in his native land, in Ur of the Chaldeans, during his father Terah's lifetime.

29Then 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 the father of Iscah.

29Abram and Nahor took wives: Abram's wife was named Sarai, and Nahor's wife was named Milcah. She was the daughter of Haran, the father of both Milcah and Iscah.

30But Sarai was barren; she had no child.

30Sarai was unable to conceive; she did not have a child.

31And Terah took his son Abram and his grandson Lot, the son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, his son Abram’s wife, and they went out with them from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan; and they came to 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 set out together from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan. But when they came to Haran, they settled there.

32So the days of Terah were two hundred and five years, and Terah died in Haran.

32Terah lived 205 years and died in Haran.

The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.