Genesis 11

1At that time the whole world had one language and a common vocabulary. 2As people moved from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. 3They said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and bake them hard.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar instead of mortar. 4Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth.” 5But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower that the people were building. 6And the LORD said, “They are one people with one language, and this is only the start of what they will do. From now on nothing they set out to do will be out of their reach. 7Come, let us go down and confuse their language, so that they will not understand one another.” 8So the LORD scattered them from there over the face of the whole earth, and they stopped building the city. 9That is why it was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of the whole world. From there the LORD scattered them over the face of the whole earth.

10This is the account of Shem’s family line. Two years after the flood, when Shem was 100 years old, he became the father of Arpachshad. 11After Arpachshad was born, Shem lived 500 years and had other sons and daughters.

12When Arpachshad had lived thirty-five years, he became the father of Shelah. 13After Shelah was born, Arpachshad lived 403 years and had other sons and daughters.

14When Shelah had lived thirty years, he became the father of Eber. 15After Eber was born, Shelah lived 403 years and had other sons and daughters.

16When Eber had lived thirty-four years, he became the father of Peleg. 17After Peleg was born, Eber lived 430 years and had other sons and daughters.

18When Peleg had lived thirty years, he became the father of Reu. 19After Reu was born, Peleg lived 209 years and had other sons and daughters.

20When Reu had lived thirty-two years, he became the father of Serug. 21After Serug was born, Reu lived 207 years and had other sons and daughters.

22When Serug had lived thirty years, he became the father of Nahor. 23After Nahor was born, Serug lived 200 years and had other sons and daughters.

24When Nahor had lived twenty-nine years, he became the father of Terah. 25After Terah was born, Nahor lived 119 years and had other sons and daughters.

26After Terah had lived seventy years, he became the father of Abram, Nahor and Haran. 27This is the account of Terah’s family. Terah was the father of Abram, Nahor and Haran, and Haran was the father of Lot. 28Haran died during the lifetime of his father Terah, in the land where he was born, in Ur of the Chaldeans. 29Abram and Nahor both married. Abram’s wife was named Sarai, and Nahor’s wife was Milcah, the daughter of Haran, who was the father of both Milcah and Iscah. 30Now Sarai was barren; she had no children. 31Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of his son Abram, and together they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan. But when they came to Haran, they settled there. 32Terah lived 205 years, and he died in Haran.