Genesis 11 - New American Standard Bible 1995 (NASB1995)

Universal Language, Babel, Confusion

11 Now the whole earth [a]used the same language and [b]the same words. 2 It came about as they journeyed east, that they found a plain in the land (A)of Shinar and [c]settled there. 3 They said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and burn them thoroughly.” And they used brick for stone, and they used (B)tar for mortar. 4 They said, “Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top (C)will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves (D)a name, otherwise we (E)will be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.” 5 (F)The Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. 6 The Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they all have [d](G)the same language. And this is what they began to do, and now nothing which they purpose to do will be [e]impossible for them. 7 Come, (H)let Us go down and there (I)confuse their [f]language, so that they will not understand one another’s [g]speech.” 8 So the Lord (J)scattered them abroad from there over the face of the whole earth; and they stopped building the city. 9 Therefore its name was called [h](K)Babel, because there the Lord confused the [i]language of the whole earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of the whole earth.

Descendants of Shem

10 (L)These are the records of the generations of Shem. Shem was one hundred years old, and [j]became the father of Arpachshad two years after the flood; 11 and Shem lived five hundred years after he became the father of Arpachshad, and he had other sons and daughters.

12 Arpachshad lived thirty-five years, and became the father of Shelah; 13 and Arpachshad lived four hundred and three years after he became the father of Shelah, and he had other sons and daughters.

14 Shelah lived 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 he had other sons and daughters.

16 Eber lived thirty-four years, and became the father of Peleg; 17 and Eber lived four hundred and thirty years after he became the father of Peleg, and he had other sons and daughters.

18 Peleg lived thirty years, and became the father of Reu; 19 and Peleg lived two hundred and nine years after he became the father of Reu, and he had other sons and daughters.

20 Reu lived thirty-two years, and became the father of Serug; 21 and Reu lived two hundred and seven years after he became the father of Serug, and he had other sons and daughters.

22 Serug lived thirty years, and became the father of Nahor; 23 and Serug lived two hundred years after he became the father of Nahor, and he had other sons and daughters.

24 Nahor lived twenty-nine years, and became the father of (M)Terah; 25 and Nahor lived one hundred and nineteen years after he became the father of Terah, and he had other sons and daughters.

26 Terah lived seventy years, and became (N)the father of Abram, Nahor and Haran.

27 Now these are the records of the generations of Terah. Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor and Haran; and (O)Haran became the father of (P)Lot. 28 Haran died [k]in the presence of his father Terah in the land of his birth, in (Q)Ur of the Chaldeans. 29 Abram and (R)Nahor took wives for themselves. The name of Abram’s wife was (S)Sarai; and the name of Nahor’s wife was (T)Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah [l]and Iscah. 30 (U)Sarai was barren; she had no child.

31 Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran, his grandson, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram’s wife; and they went out [m]together from (V)Ur of the Chaldeans in order to enter the land of Canaan; and they went as far as Haran, and [n]settled there. 32 The days of Terah were two hundred and five years; and Terah died in Haran.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 11:1 Lit was one lip
  2. Genesis 11:1 Or few or one set of words
  3. Genesis 11:2 Lit dwelt
  4. Genesis 11:6 Lit one lip
  5. Genesis 11:6 Lit withheld from
  6. Genesis 11:7 Lit lip
  7. Genesis 11:7 Lit lip
  8. Genesis 11:9 Or Babylon; cf Heb balal, confuse
  9. Genesis 11:9 Lit lip
  10. Genesis 11:10 Lit begot, and so throughout the ch
  11. Genesis 11:28 Or during the lifetime of
  12. Genesis 11:29 Lit and the father of
  13. Genesis 11:31 Lit with them
  14. Genesis 11:31 Lit dwelt

Cross references

  1. Genesis 11:2 : Gen 10:10; 14:1; Dan 1:2
  2. Genesis 11:3 : Gen 14:10
  3. Genesis 11:4 : Deut 1:28; 9:1; Ps 107:26
  4. Genesis 11:4 : Gen 6:4; 2 Sam 8:13
  5. Genesis 11:4 : Deut 4:27
  6. Genesis 11:5 : Gen 18:21; Ex 3:8; 19:11, 18, 20
  7. Genesis 11:6 : Gen 11:1
  8. Genesis 11:7 : Gen 1:26
  9. Genesis 11:7 : Gen 42:23; Ex 4:11; Deut 28:49; Is 33:19; Jer 5:15
  10. Genesis 11:8 : Gen 11:4; Ps 92:9; Luke 1:51
  11. Genesis 11:9 : Gen 10:10
  12. Genesis 11:10 : Gen 10:22-25
  13. Genesis 11:24 : Josh 24:2
  14. Genesis 11:26 : Josh 24:2
  15. Genesis 11:27 : Gen 11:31; 12:4
  16. Genesis 11:27 : Gen 13:10; 14:12; 19:1, 29
  17. Genesis 11:28 : Gen 11:31
  18. Genesis 11:29 : Gen 24:10
  19. Genesis 11:29 : Gen 17:15; 20:12
  20. Genesis 11:29 : Gen 22:20, 23; 24:15
  21. Genesis 11:30 : Gen 16:1
  22. Genesis 11:31 : Gen 15:7; Neh 9:7; Acts 7:4

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