Chapter 11

Universal Language, Babel, Confusion

1 Now the whole earth 1used the same language and 2the same words.

2 It came about as they journeyed east, that they found a plain in the land aof Shinar and 1settled there.

3 They said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and burn them thoroughly.” And they used brick for stone, and they used atar for mortar.

4 They said, “Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top awill reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves ba name, otherwise we cwill be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.”

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

6 The Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they all have 1athe same language. And this is what they began to do, and now nothing which they purpose to do will be 2impossible for them.

7 “Come, alet Us go down and there bconfuse their 1language, so that they will not understand one another’s 1speech.”

8 So the Lord ascattered them abroad from there over the face of the whole earth; and they stopped building the city.

9 Therefore its name was called 1aBabel, because there the Lord confused the 2language of the whole earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of the whole earth.

Descendants of Shem

10 aThese are the records of the generations of Shem. Shem was one hundred years old, and 1became the father of Arpachshad two years after the flood;

11 and Shem lived five hundred years after he became the father of Arpachshad, and he had other sons and daughters.

12 Arpachshad lived thirty-five years, and became the father of Shelah;

13 and Arpachshad lived four hundred and three years after he became the father of Shelah, and he had other sons and daughters.

14 Shelah lived thirty years, and became the father of Eber;

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

16 Eber lived thirty-four years, and became the father of Peleg;

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

18 Peleg lived thirty years, and became the father of Reu;

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

20 Reu lived thirty-two years, and became the father of Serug;

21 and Reu lived two hundred and seven years after he became the father of Serug, and he had other sons and daughters.

22 Serug lived thirty years, and became the father of Nahor;

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

24 Nahor lived twenty-nine years, and became the father of aTerah;

25 and Nahor lived one hundred and nineteen years after he became the father of Terah, and he had other sons and daughters.

26 Terah lived seventy years, and became athe father of Abram, Nahor and Haran.

27 Now these are the records of the generations of Terah. Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor and Haran; and aHaran became the father of bLot.

28 Haran died 1in the presence of his father Terah in the land of his birth, in aUr of the Chaldeans.

29 Abram and aNahor took wives for themselves. The name of Abram’s wife was bSarai; and the name of Nahor’s wife was cMilcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah 1and Iscah.

30 aSarai was barren; she had no child.

31 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 1together from aUr of the Chaldeans in order to enter the land of Canaan; and they went as far as Haran, and 2settled there.

32 The days of Terah were two hundred and five years; and Terah died in Haran.