Genesis 11 - New Century Version (NCV)

The Languages Confused

11 At this time the whole world spoke one language, and everyone used the same words. 2 As people moved from the east, they found a plain in the land of Babylonia and settled there.

3 They said to each other, “Let’s make bricks and bake them to make them hard.” So they used bricks instead of stones, and tar instead of mortar. 4 Then they said to each other, “Let’s build a city and a tower for ourselves, whose top will reach high into the sky. We will become famous. Then we will not be scattered over all the earth.”

5 The Lord came down to see the city and the tower that the people had built. 6 The Lord said, “Now, these people are united, all speaking the same language. This is only the beginning of what they will do. They will be able to do anything they want. 7 Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not be able to understand each other.”

8 So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. 9 The place is called Babel[a] since that is where the Lord confused the language of the whole world. So the Lord caused them to spread out from there over the whole world.

The Story of Shem’s Family

10 This is the family history of Shem. Two years after the flood, when Shem was 100 years old, his son Arphaxad was born. 11 After that, Shem lived 500 years and had other sons and daughters.

12 When Arphaxad was 35 years old, his son Shelah was born. 13 After that, Arphaxad lived 403 years and had other sons and daughters.

14 When Shelah was 30 years old, his son Eber was born. 15 After that, Shelah lived 403 years and had other sons and daughters.

16 When Eber was 34 years old, his son Peleg was born. 17 After that, Eber lived 430 years and had other sons and daughters.

18 When Peleg was 30 years old, his son Reu was born. 19 After that, Peleg lived 209 years and had other sons and daughters.

20 When Reu was 32 years old, his son Serug was born. 21 After that, Reu lived 207 years and had other sons and daughters.

22 When Serug was 30 years old, his son Nahor was born. 23 After that, Serug lived 200 years and had other sons and daughters.

24 When Nahor was 29 years old, his son Terah was born. 25 After that, Nahor lived 119 years and had other sons and daughters.

26 After Terah was 70 years old, his sons Abram, Nahor, and Haran were born.

The Story of Terah’s Family

27 This is the family history of Terah. Terah was the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran was the father of Lot. 28 While his father, Terah, was still alive, Haran died in Ur in Babylonia, where he was born. 29 Abram and Nahor both married. Abram’s wife was named Sarai, and Nahor’s wife was named Milcah. She was the daughter of Haran, who was the father of both Milcah and Iscah. 30 Sarai was not able to have children.

31 Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot (Haran’s son), and his daughter-in-law Sarai (Abram’s wife) and moved out of Ur of Babylonia. They had planned to go to the land of Canaan, but when they reached the city of Haran, they settled there.

32 Terah lived to be 205 years old, and then he died in Haran.

Footnotes

  1. 11:9 Babel This name sounds like the Hebrew word for “confused.”

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