Genesis 11:1-21 ▼

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

2 It happened, as they traveled from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they settled there.

3 And they said to one another, |Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.| They had brick for stone, and they used tar for mortar.

4 They said, |Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top reaches to the sky, and let us make ourselves a name, lest we be scattered abroad on the surface of the whole earth.|

5 And God came down to see the city and the tower, that humankind was building.

6 And God said, |Look, they are one people, and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do. So now nothing which they plan to do will be too difficult for them.

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

8 Then God scattered them abroad from there on the surface of all the earth; so they ceased building the city.

9 Therefore its name was called Babel, because there God confused the language of all the earth. From there he scattered them over the face of the whole earth.

10 These are the generations of Shem. Shem was one hundred years old and became the father of Arpachshad two years after the flood.

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

12 And Arpachshad lived one-hundred and thirty-five years and became the father of Kenan.

13 And Arpachshad lived four hundred and thirty years after he became the father of Kenan, and fathered sons and daughters. And Kenan lived one hundred and thirty years and became the father of Shelah. And Kenan lived after he had become the father of Shelah three hundred and thirty years, and fathered sons and daughters.

14 Shelah lived one hundred and thirty years, and became the father of Eber:

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

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

17 Eber lived three hundred and seventy years after he became the father of Peleg, and fathered sons and daughters.

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

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

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

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