Genesis 11 - Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

The Tower of Babylon

11 At one time the whole earth had the same language and vocabulary.[a] 2 As people[b] migrated from the east,[c] they found a valley in the land of Shinar and settled there.(A) 3 They said to each other, “Come, let us make oven-fired bricks.” They used brick for stone and asphalt for mortar.(B) 4 And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the sky.(C) Let us make a name for ourselves; otherwise, we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”

5 Then the Lord came down(D) to look over the city and the tower that the men were building. 6 The Lord said, “If they have begun to do this as one people all having the same language, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. 7 Come, let Us go down there and confuse[d] their language[e] so that they will not understand one another’s speech.”[f] 8 So from there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth,(E) and they stopped building the city. 9 Therefore its name is called Babylon,[g](F) for there the Lord confused the language of the whole earth, and from there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth.

From Shem to Abram

10 These are the family records(G) of Shem. Shem lived 100 years and fathered Arpachshad two years after the flood. 11 After he fathered Arpachshad, Shem lived 500 years and fathered other sons and daughters. 12 Arpachshad lived 35 years[h] and fathered Shelah. 13 After he fathered Shelah, Arpachshad lived 403 years and fathered other sons and daughters. 14 Shelah lived 30 years and fathered Eber. 15 After he fathered Eber, Shelah lived 403 years and fathered other sons and daughters. 16 Eber lived 34 years and fathered Peleg. 17 After he fathered Peleg, Eber lived 430 years and fathered other sons and daughters. 18 Peleg lived 30 years and fathered Reu. 19 After he fathered Reu, Peleg lived 209 years and fathered other sons and daughters. 20 Reu lived 32 years and fathered Serug. 21 After he fathered Serug, Reu lived 207 years and fathered other sons and daughters. 22 Serug lived 30 years and fathered Nahor. 23 After he fathered Nahor, Serug lived 200 years and fathered other sons and daughters. 24 Nahor lived 29 years and fathered Terah.(H) 25 After he fathered Terah, Nahor lived 119 years and fathered other sons and daughters. 26 Terah lived 70 years and fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran.

27 These are the family records of Terah. Terah fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran, and Haran fathered Lot. 28 Haran died in his native land, in Ur of the Chaldeans, during his father Terah’s lifetime. 29 Abram and Nahor took wives: Abram’s wife was named Sarai,(I) and Nahor’s wife was named Milcah.(J) She was the daughter of Haran, the father of both Milcah and Iscah. 30 Sarai was unable to conceive;(K) she did not have a child.

31 Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot (Haran’s son), and his daughter-in-law Sarai, his son Abram’s wife, and they set out together from Ur of the Chaldeans(L) to go to the land of Canaan. But when they came to Haran, they settled there. 32 Terah lived 205 years and died in Haran.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 11:1 Lit one lip and the same words
  2. Genesis 11:2 Lit they
  3. Genesis 11:2 Or migrated eastward
  4. Genesis 11:7 Or confound
  5. Genesis 11:7 Lit lip
  6. Genesis 11:7 Lit understand each man the lip of his companion
  7. Genesis 11:9 In Hb, the name Babylon sounds like the word “confuse.”
  8. Genesis 11:12 LXX reads years and fathered Cainan. 13 After he fathered Cainan, Arphachshad lived 430 years and fathered [other] sons and daughters, and he died. Cainan lived 130 years and fathered Shelah. After he fathered Shelah, Cainan lived 330 years and fathered [other] sons and daughters, and he died; Gn 10:24; Lk 3:35-36

Cross references

  1. 11:2 : Gn 10:10; 14:1; Dn 1:2
  2. 11:3 : Gn 14:10; Ex 2:3
  3. 11:4 : Dt 1:28; 9:1; Ps 107:26
  4. 11:5 : Gn 18:21; Ex 3:8; 19:11, 18, 20
  5. 11:8 : Gn 11:4; Ps 92:9; Lk 1:51
  6. 11:9 : Gn 10:10
  7. 11:10 : Gn 2:4; 11:27
  8. 11:24 : Jos 24:2
  9. 11:29 : Gn 17:15; 20:12
  10. 11:29 : Gn 22:20, 23; 24:15
  11. 11:30 : Gn 25:21; 29:31; Ex 23:26; Jdg 13:2-3; 1Sm 2:5; Jb 24:21; Is 54:1; Lk 1:36; 23:29; Gl 4:27; Heb 11:11
  12. 11:31 : Gn 15:7; Neh 9:7; Ac 7:4

You Might Also Like:

Genesis 11 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

11 And the whole earth is of one pronunciation, and of the same words, 2 and it cometh to pass, in their journeying from the east, that they find a valley in the land of Shinar, and dwell there; 3 and they say each one to his neighbour, `Give help, let us make bricks, and burn [them] thoroughly:' an...
Read More

Genesis 11 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

11 Forsooth (all) the land was of one language, and of the same speech. [Forsooth the (whole) earth was of one lip, and of the same words.] 2 And when they went forth from the east, they found a field in the land of Shinar, and they dwelled therein. 3 And one said to his neighbour (And they said to ...
Read More

Genesis 11 - World English Bible (WEB)

11 The whole earth was of one language and of one speech. 2 As they traveled east,[a] they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they lived there. 3 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. 4 They sai...
Read More

Genesis 11 - The Voice (VOICE)

According to Genesis, the sons and daughters of Noah established the first known cultures of the world.11 There was a time when everyone on the earth spoke the very same language. 2 As many of these people began moving from the eastern regions into the western part of Mesopotamia, they settled down...
Read More

Genesis 11 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Tower of Babel11 Now the entire earth had the same language with the same vocabulary. 2 When they traveled eastward, they found a valley-plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. 3 They said to one another, “Come! Let’s make bricks and bake them until they’re hard.” So they used bricks for st...
Read More

Genesis 11 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

The Tower of Babel11 [a]Now the whole earth had one language and few words. 2 And as men migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. 3 And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, and bitum...
Read More

Genesis 11 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

The Tower of Babel11 Now the whole earth had one language and few words. 2 And as men migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. 3 And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, and bitumen ...
Read More

Genesis 11 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

The Tower of Babel11 Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. 2 And as they migrated from the east,[a] they came upon a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. 3 And they said to one another, ‘Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.’ And they had brick for stone,...
Read More

Genesis 11 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

The Tower of Babel11 Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. 2 And as they migrated from the east,[a] they came upon a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there.(A)3 And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and fire them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone a...
Read More

Genesis 11 - New Living Translation (NLT)

The Tower of Babel11 At one time all the people of the world spoke the same language and used the same words. 2 As the people migrated to the east, they found a plain in the land of Babylonia[a] and settled there. 3 They began saying to each other, “Let’s make bricks and harden them with fire.” (In ...
Read More

Genesis 11 - New Life Version (NLV)

The Tower at Babylon11 Now the whole earth used the same language and the same words. 2 And as men traveled in the east, they found a valley in the land of Shinar and made their home there. 3 They said to one another, “Come, let us make blocks and burn them until they are hard.” They used blocks f...
Read More

Genesis 11 - New King James Version (NKJV)

The Tower of Babel11 Now the whole earth had one language and one [a]speech. 2 And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land (A)of Shinar, and they dwelt there. 3 Then they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and [b]bake them thoroughly.” They...
Read More

Genesis 11 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

The tower of Babel11 Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. 2 As people moved eastward,[a] they found a plain in Shinar[b] and settled there. 3 They said to each other, ‘Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.’ They used brick instead of stone, and bitumen for mortar. ...
Read More

Genesis 11 - New International Version (NIV)

The Tower of Babel11 Now the whole world had one language(A) and a common speech. 2 As people moved eastward,[a] they found a plain in Shinar[b](B) and settled there. 3 They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks(C) and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone,(D) and tar(E) for...
Read More

Genesis 11 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

The Tower of Babel11 The whole world had only one language, and everyone spoke it. 2 They moved to the east and found a broad valley in Babylon. There they made their home. 3 They said to one another, “Come on! Let’s make bricks and bake them well.” They used bricks instead of stones. They used tar...
Read More

Genesis 11 - New English Translation (NET)

The Dispersion of the Nations at Babel11 The whole earth[a] had a common language and a common vocabulary.[b] 2 When the people[c] moved eastward,[d] they found a plain in Shinar[e] and settled there. 3 Then they said to one another,[f] “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.”[g] (They ...
Read More