Genesis 11

1At that time the whole earth had 1 language. Everyone used the same words.

2As people traveled from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar. They settled there.

3They said to each other: Come, let us make bricks and bake them hard. They used bricks for stone and tar to hold the bricks together.

4Then they said: Come, let us build a city for ourselves. Let us build a tower with its top in the sky. Let us make a name for ourselves. Then we will not be scattered over the whole earth.

5The LORD came down to see the city and the tower. The people were building them.

6The LORD said: Look, these people are united. They all speak the same language. This is only the beginning of what they will do. Now nothing they plan to do will be too hard for them.

7The LORD also said: Come, let Us go down and mix up their language. Then they will not understand each other.

8So the LORD scattered them from there over the whole earth. They stopped building the city.

9That is why the city was named Babel. There the LORD mixed up the language of the whole earth. From there the LORD scattered the people over the whole earth.

10This is the story of the family of Shem. When Shem was 100 years old, he had a son named Arphaxad. This was 2 years after the flood.

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

12When Arphaxad was 35 years old, he had a son named Salah.

13After Salah was born, Arphaxad lived 403 more years. Arphaxad had other sons and daughters.

14When Salah was 30 years old, he had a son named Eber.

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

16When Eber was 34 years old, he had a son named Peleg.

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

18When Peleg was 30 years old, he had a son named Reu.

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

20When Reu was 32 years old, he had a son named Serug.

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

22When Serug was 30 years old, he had a son named Nahor.

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

24When Nahor was 29 years old, he had a son named Terah.

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

26When Terah was 70 years old, he began to have sons: Abram, Nahor and Haran.

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

28Haran died in the land where he was born, Ur of the Chaldeans. His father Terah was still alive.

29Abram and Nahor each married. Abram's wife was named Sarai. Nahor's wife was named Milcah. Milcah was the daughter of Haran. Haran was also the father of Iscah.

30Sarai could not have children.

31Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot and his daughter-in-law Sarai, Abram's wife. They left Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan. They came to the town of Haran and settled there.

32Terah lived 205 years. Then Terah died in Haran.