Genesis 11

1And the whole earth was of one language and of one speech.

1At that time, everyone in the world spoke the same language and used the same words.

2And it came to pass, as they journeyed east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there.

2As people moved toward the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there.

3And they said one to another, Come, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for mortar.

3They said to each other, 'Let’s make bricks and bake them in the fire.' They used bricks instead of stone and tar instead of mortar.

4And they said, Come, 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, let’s build ourselves a city and a tower that reaches to the sky. We will make a name for ourselves so that we won't be scattered all over the earth.'

5And Jehovah came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded.

5But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower that the people were building.

6And Jehovah said, Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language; and this is what they begin to do: and now nothing will be withholden from them, which they purpose to do.

6The LORD said, 'Look, they are one people with one language, and this is just the beginning of what they will do. Now nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them.'

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

7'Come, let us go down and mix up their language so they won't understand each other.'

8So Jehovah scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off building the city.

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

9Therefore was the name of it called Babel; because Jehovah did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did Jehovah scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.

9That is why the city was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of the whole world. From that place, the LORD scattered the people over the entire earth.

10These are the generations of Shem. Shem was a hundred years old, and begat Arpachshad two years after the flood:

10This is the family history of Shem. Two years after the great flood, when Shem was 100 years old, his son Arpachshad was born.

11and Shem lived after he begat Arpachshad five hundred years, and begat sons and daughters.

11After Arpachshad was born, Shem lived 500 more years and had other sons and daughters.

12And Arpachshad lived five and thirty years, and begat Shelah:

12When Arpachshad was 35 years old, his son Shelah was born.

13and Arpachshad lived after he begat Shelah four hundred and three years, and begat sons and daughters.

13After Shelah was born, Arpachshad lived 403 more years and had other sons and daughters.

14And Shelah lived thirty years, and begat Eber:

14When Shelah was 30 years old, his son Eber was born.

15and Shelah lived after he begat Eber four hundred and three years, and begat sons and daughters.

15After Eber was born, Shelah lived 403 more years and had other sons and daughters.

16And Eber lived four and thirty years, and begat Peleg:

16When Eber was 34 years old, his son Peleg was born.

17and Eber lived after he begat Peleg four hundred and thirty years, and begat sons and daughters.

17After Peleg was born, Eber lived 430 more years and had other sons and daughters.

18And Peleg lived thirty years, and begat Reu:

18When Peleg was 30 years old, his son Reu was born.

19and Peleg lived after he begat Reu two hundred and nine years, and begat sons and daughters.

19After Reu was born, Peleg lived 209 more years and had other sons and daughters.

20And Reu lived two and thirty years, and begat Serug:

20When Reu was 32 years old, his son Serug was born.

21and Reu lived after he begat Serug two hundred and seven years, and begat sons and daughters.

21After Serug was born, Reu lived 207 more years and had other sons and daughters.

22And Serug lived thirty years, and begat Nahor:

22When Serug was 30 years old, his son Nahor was born.

23and Serug lived after he begat Nahor two hundred years, and begat sons and daughters.

23After Nahor was born, Serug lived 200 more years and had other sons and daughters.

24And Nahor lived nine and twenty years, and begat Terah:

24When Nahor was 29 years old, his son Terah was born.

25and Nahor lived after he begat Terah a hundred and nineteen years, and begat sons and daughters.

25After Terah was born, Nahor lived 119 more years and had other sons and daughters.

26And Terah lived seventy years, and begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran.

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

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

27This is the family record of Terah. Terah was the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran was the father of Lot.

28And Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees.

28Haran died in his home country, in Ur of the Chaldeans, while his father Terah was still alive.

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 both got married. Abram’s wife was named Sarai. Nahor’s wife was named Milcah; she was the daughter of Haran, who was the father of both Milcah and Iscah.

30And Sarai was barren; she had no child.

30Now Sarai was unable to have children; she had no children at all.

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 (Abram’s wife). They moved together from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan. But when they reached the city of Haran, they settled there.

32And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years: and Terah died in Haran.

32Terah lived to be 205 years old, and he died in Haran.