Genesis 11
1 At first, all the people in [MTY] the world spoke the same language [DOU].
And the whole earth had one language, and the same words.
2 As people moved further east, they arrived at a plain in Babylonia region and began to live there.
And it came to pass as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and dwelt there.
3 Then they said to each other, “(Hey/Come on), let’s form bricks and bake them to make them hard, for building!” So they used bricks instead of stones, and used tar instead of (mortar/a mixture of cement, sand and lime) to hold them together.
And they said one to another, Come on, let us make bricks, and burn [them] thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for mortar.
4 They said, “Hey, let’s build a city for ourselves! We also ought to build a very high tower that reaches up to the sky! In that way we will become famous! If we do not do this, we will be scattered all over the earth!”
And they said, Come on, let us build ourselves a city and a tower, the top of which [may reach] to the heavens; and let us make ourselves a name, lest we be scattered over the face of the whole earth.
5 So they began to build the city and the tower. Then Yahweh looked down and saw the city and the tower that those [puny] men were building.
And Jehovah came down to see the city and the tower which the children of men built.
6 Yahweh said, “These people are one group that all speak the same language. If they have begun to do this now, then (there is nothing that they will decide to do that will be impossible for them/they will be able to do whatever they decide to do) [LIT]!
And Jehovah said, Behold, the people is one, and have all one language; and this have they begun to do. And now will they be hindered in nothing that they meditate doing.
7 So, okay/now, we will go down there and cause there to be many different languages, so that they will not be able to understand each other.”
Come, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.
8 So Yahweh did that. As a result, the people stopped building the city, and Yahweh caused them to disperse all over the earth.
And Jehovah scattered them thence over the face of the whole earth. And they left off building the city.
9 The city was called Babel which means ‘confusion’, because there Yahweh caused the people to become confused because the people [MTY] spoke [different languages that the others could not understand], not just one language. From there Yahweh caused them to disperse all over the earth.
Therefore was its name called Babel; because Jehovah there confounded the language of the whole earth. And Jehovah scattered them thence over the face of the whole earth.
10 (This is a bigger list/I will now tell you more) of the descendants of Shem: Two years after the flood, when Shem was 100 years old, he became the father of Arpachshad.
These are the generations of Shem. Shem was a hundred years old, and begot Arphaxad two years after the flood.
11 After Arpachshad was born, Shem lived 500 more years and had more sons and daughters.
And Shem lived after he had begotten Arphaxad five hundred years, and begot sons and daughters.
12 When Arphachshad was 35 years old, he became the father of Shelah.
And Arphaxad lived thirty-five years, and begot Shelah.
13 After Shelah was born, Arpachshad lived 403 more years and became the father of more sons and daughters.
And Arphaxad lived after he had begotten Shelah four hundred and three years, and begot sons and daughters.
14 When Shelah was 30 years old, he became the father of Eber.
And Shelah lived thirty years, and begot Eber.
15 After Eber was born, Shelah lived 403 more years and became the father of other sons and daughters.
And Shelah lived after he had begotten Eber four hundred and three years, and begot sons and daughters.
16 When Eber was 34 years old, he became the father of Peleg.
And Eber lived thirty-four years, and begot Peleg.
17 After Peleg was born, Eber lived 430 more years and became the father of other sons and daughters.
And Eber lived after he had begotten Peleg four hundred and thirty years, and begot sons and daughters.
18 When Peleg was 30 years old, he became the father of Reu.
And Peleg lived thirty years, and begot Reu.
19 After Reu was born, Peleg lived 209 more years and became the father of other sons and daughters.
And Peleg lived after he had begotten Reu two hundred and nine years, and begot sons and daughters.
20 When Reu was 32 years old, he became the father of Serug.
And Reu lived thirty-two years, and begot Serug.
21 After Serug was born, Reu lived 207 more years and became the father of other sons and daughters.
And Reu lived after he had begotten Serug two hundred and seven years, and begot sons and daughters.
22 When Serug was 30 years old, he became the father of Nahor.
And Serug lived thirty years, and begot Nahor.
23 After Nahor was born, Serug lived 200 more years and became the father of other sons and daughters.
And Serug lived after he had begotten Nahor two hundred years, and begot sons and daughters.
24 When Nahor was 29 years old, he became the father of Terah.
And Nahor lived twenty-nine years, and begot Terah.
25 After Terah was born, Nahor lived 119 more years and became the father of other sons and daughters.
And Nahor lived after he had begotten Terah a hundred and nineteen years, and begot sons and daughters.
26 When Terah was 70 years old, his son Abram was born. Later, two other sons, Nahor and Haran were born.
And Terah lived seventy years, and begot Abram, Nahor, and Haran.
27 (This is/I will now give) a list of the descendants of Terah: Terah’s sons were Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran’s son was named Lot.
And these are the generations of Terah: Terah begot Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran begot Lot.
28 Haran died before his father died. He died in Ur [city] in Chaldea land, where he was born.
And Haran died before the face of his father Terah in the land of his nativity at Ur of the Chaldeans.
29 Abram and Nahor both married. Abram’s wife was named Sarai, and Nahor’s wife was named Milcah. Milcah and her younger sister Iscah were the daughters of Haran.
And Abram and Nahor took wives: the name of Abram's wife was Sarai; and the name of Nahor's wife, Milcah, a daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah and the father of Iscah.
30 Sarai was unable to bear any children.
And Sarai was barren: she had no child.
31 Terah decided to leave Ur and go to live in Canaan land. So he took his son Abram and his grandson Lot, the son of Haran, and Abram’s wife Sarai with him. But instead of going to Canaan, they stopped at Haran [town] and lived there.
And 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 together out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to go into the land of Canaan, and came as far as Haran, and dwelt there.
32 When Terah was 205 years old, he died there in Haran.
And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years; and Terah died in Haran.
