The First Book of Moses: Genesis

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- Chapter 11 -

(Deuteronomy 32:8; Acts 2:1–13)

Now the earth was of one language and of the same speech.

And when they were advancing from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they dwelt in it.

And each one said to his neighbor, “Come, let us make bricks, and bake them with fire.” And they had bricks instead of stones, and pitch instead of mortar.

And they said: “Come, let us make a city and a tower, so that its height may reach to heaven. And let us make our name famous before we are divided into all the lands.”

Then the Lord descended to see the city and the tower, which the sons of Adam were building.

And he said: “Behold, the people are united, and all have one tongue. And since they have begun to do this, they will not desist from their plans, until they have completed their work.

Therefore, come, let us descend, and in that place confound their tongue, so that they may not listen, each one to the voice of his neighbor.”

And so the Lord divided them from that place into all the lands, and they ceased to build the city.

And for this reason, its name was called ‘Babel,’ because in that place the language of the whole earth became confused. And from then on, the Lord scattered them across the face of every region.(a)

Genealogy from Shem to Abram

(1 Chronicles 1:17–27)

These are the generations of Shem. Shem was one hundred years old when he conceived Arphaxad, two years after the great flood.

And after he conceived Arphaxad, Shem lived for five hundred years, and he conceived sons and daughters.

Next, Arphaxad lived for thirty-five years, and then he conceived Shelah.

And after he conceived Shelah, Arphaxad lived for three hundred and three years, and he conceived sons and daughters.

Likewise, Shelah lived for thirty years, and then he conceived Eber.

And after he conceived Eber, Shelah lived for four hundred and three years, and he conceived sons and daughters.

Then Eber lived for thirty-four years, and he conceived Peleg.

And after he conceived Peleg, Eber lived for four hundred and thirty years, and he conceived sons and daughters.

Likewise, Peleg lived for thirty years, and then he conceived Reu.

And after he conceived Reu, Peleg lived for two hundred and nine years, and he conceived sons and daughters.

Then Reu lived for thirty-two years, and then he conceived Serug.

Likewise, after he conceived Serug, Reu lived for two hundred and seven years, and he conceived sons and daughters.

In truth, Serug lived for thirty years, and then he conceived Nahor.

And after he conceived Nahor, Serug lived for two hundred years, and he conceived sons and daughters.

And so Nahor lived for twenty-nine years, and then he conceived Terah.

And after he conceived Terah, Nahor lived for one hundred and nineteen years, and he conceived sons and daughters.

And Terah lived for seventy years, and then he conceived Abram, and Nahor, and Haran.

Terah’s Descendants

And these are the generations of Terah. Terah conceived Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Next Haran conceived Lot.

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

Then Abram and Nahor took wives. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai. And the name of Nahor’s wife was Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah, and the father of Iscah.(b)

But Sarai was barren and had no children.

And so Terah took his son Abram, and his grandson Lot, the son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of his son Abram, and he led them away from Ur of the Chaldeans, to go into the land of Canaan. And they approached as far as Haran, and they dwelt there.

And the days of Terah that passed were two hundred and five years, and then he died in Haran.

Footnotes

(a)11:9 Babel:That is, confusion.(Challoner)

(b)11:29 This Haran might not be the same as the brother of Nachor. This Haran is the father of Milcah and Iscah, whereas the other Haran is the father of Lot. This also explains the redundancy of saying that Milcah is Haran’s daughter, and then saying that Haran is the father of Milcah and Iscah.(Conte)

(Deuteronomy 32:8; Acts 2:1–13)

The whole earth was of one language and of one speech.

As they traveled east,(a) they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they lived there.

They said to one another, “Come, let’s make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” They had brick for stone, and they used tar for mortar.

They said, “Come, let’s build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top reaches to the sky, and let’s make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad on the surface of the whole earth.”

The LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men built.

The LORD said, “Behold, they are one people, and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do. Now nothing will be withheld from them, which they intend to do.

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

So the LORD scattered them abroad from there on the surface of all the earth. They stopped building the city.

Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth. From there, the LORD scattered them abroad on the surface of all the earth.

Genealogy from Shem to Abram

(1 Chronicles 1:17–27)

This is the history of the generations of Shem: Shem was one hundred years old when he became the father of Arpachshad two years after the flood.

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

Arpachshad lived thirty-five years and became the father of Shelah.

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

Shelah lived thirty years, and became the father of Eber.

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

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

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

Peleg lived thirty years, and became the father of Reu.

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

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

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

Serug lived thirty years, and became the father of Nahor.

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

Nahor lived twenty-nine years, and became the father of Terah.

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

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

Terah’s Descendants

Now this is the history of the generations of Terah. Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran became the father of Lot.

Haran died in the land of his birth, in Ur of the Chaldees, while his father Terah was still alive.

Abram and Nahor married wives. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife was Milcah, the daughter of Haran, who was also the father of Iscah.

Sarai was barren. She had no child.

Terah took Abram his son, Lot the son of Haran, his son’s son, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram’s wife. They went from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan. They came to Haran and lived there.

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

Footnotes

(a)11:2 LXX reads “from the east”.