Genesis 11 - New International Version (NIV)

The Tower of Babel

11 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 mortar. 4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens,(F) so that we may make a name(G) for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered(H) over the face of the whole earth.”(I)

5 But the Lord came down(J) to see the city and the tower the people were building. 6 The Lord said, “If as one people speaking the same language(K) they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us(L) go down(M) and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.”(N)

8 So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth,(O) and they stopped building the city. 9 That is why it was called Babel[c](P)—because there the Lord confused the language(Q) of the whole world.(R) From there the Lord scattered(S) them over the face of the whole earth.

From Shem to Abram(T)

10 This is the account(U) of Shem’s family line.

Two years after the flood, when Shem was 100 years old, he became the father[d] of Arphaxad.(V) 11 And after he became the father of Arphaxad, Shem lived 500 years and had other sons and daughters.

12 When Arphaxad had lived 35 years, he became the father of Shelah.(W) 13 And after he became the father of Shelah, Arphaxad lived 403 years and had other sons and daughters.[e]

14 When Shelah had lived 30 years, he became the father of Eber.(X) 15 And after he became the father of Eber, Shelah lived 403 years and had other sons and daughters.

16 When Eber had lived 34 years, he became the father of Peleg.(Y) 17 And after he became the father of Peleg, Eber lived 430 years and had other sons and daughters.

18 When Peleg had lived 30 years, he became the father of Reu.(Z) 19 And after he became the father of Reu, Peleg lived 209 years and had other sons and daughters.

20 When Reu had lived 32 years, he became the father of Serug.(AA) 21 And after he became the father of Serug, Reu lived 207 years and had other sons and daughters.

22 When Serug had lived 30 years, he became the father of Nahor.(AB) 23 And after he became the father of Nahor, Serug lived 200 years and had other sons and daughters.

24 When Nahor had lived 29 years, he became the father of Terah.(AC) 25 And after he became the father of Terah, Nahor lived 119 years and had other sons and daughters.

26 After Terah had lived 70 years, he became the father of Abram,(AD) Nahor(AE) and Haran.(AF)

Abram’s Family

27 This is the account(AG) of Terah’s family line.

Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor(AH) and Haran. And Haran became the father of Lot.(AI) 28 While his father Terah was still alive, Haran died in Ur of the Chaldeans,(AJ) in the land of his birth. 29 Abram and Nahor(AK) both married. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai,(AL) and the name of Nahor’s wife was Milkah;(AM) she was the daughter of Haran, the father of both Milkah and Iskah. 30 Now Sarai was childless because she was not able to conceive.(AN)

31 Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot(AO) son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law(AP) Sarai, the wife of his son Abram, and together they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans(AQ) to go to Canaan.(AR) But when they came to Harran,(AS) they settled there.

32 Terah(AT) lived 205 years, and he died in Harran.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 11:2 Or from the east; or in the east
  2. Genesis 11:2 That is, Babylonia
  3. Genesis 11:9 That is, Babylon; Babel sounds like the Hebrew for confused.
  4. Genesis 11:10 Father may mean ancestor; also in verses 11-25.
  5. Genesis 11:13 Hebrew; Septuagint (see also Luke 3:35, 36 and note at Gen. 10:24) 35 years, he became the father of Cainan. 13 And after he became the father of Cainan, Arphaxad lived 430 years and had other sons and daughters, and then he died. When Cainan had lived 130 years, he became the father of Shelah. And after he became the father of Shelah, Cainan lived 330 years and had other sons and daughters

Cross references

  1. Genesis 11:1 : ver 6
  2. Genesis 11:2 : S Ge 10:10
  3. Genesis 11:3 : Ex 1:14; 5:7; Jer 43:9
  4. Genesis 11:3 : Isa 9:10; Am 5:11
  5. Genesis 11:3 : Ge 14:10
  6. Genesis 11:4 : Dt 1:28; 6:10; 9:1; Job 20:6; Jer 51:53
  7. Genesis 11:4 : Ge 6:4
  8. Genesis 11:4 : Dt 30:3; 1Ki 22:17; Est 3:8; Ps 44:11; Jer 31:10; 40:15; Eze 6:8; Joel 3:2
  9. Genesis 11:4 : S Ge 9:19; Dt 4:27
  10. Genesis 11:5 : ver 7; Ge 18:21; Ex 3:8; 19:11, 18, 20; Ps 18:9; 144:5
  11. Genesis 11:6 : S ver 1
  12. Genesis 11:7 : S Ge 1:26
  13. Genesis 11:7 : S ver 5
  14. Genesis 11:7 : Ge 42:23; Dt 28:49; Isa 28:11; 33:19; Jer 5:15; 1Co 14:2, 11
  15. Genesis 11:8 : S Ge 9:19; Dt 32:8; S Lk 1:51
  16. Genesis 11:9 : S Ge 10:10
  17. Genesis 11:9 : Ps 55:9
  18. Genesis 11:9 : Ac 2:5-11
  19. Genesis 11:9 : Isa 2:10, 21; 13:14; 24:1
  20. Genesis 11:10 : 11:10-27pp — Ge 10:21-31; 1Ch 1:17-27
  21. Genesis 11:10 : S Ge 2:4
  22. Genesis 11:10 : Lk 3:36
  23. Genesis 11:12 : Lk 3:35
  24. Genesis 11:14 : Lk 3:35
  25. Genesis 11:16 : Lk 3:35
  26. Genesis 11:18 : Lk 3:35
  27. Genesis 11:20 : Lk 3:35
  28. Genesis 11:22 : Lk 3:34
  29. Genesis 11:24 : Lk 3:34
  30. Genesis 11:26 : Lk 3:34
  31. Genesis 11:26 : Jos 24:2
  32. Genesis 11:26 : 2Ki 19:12; Isa 37:12; Eze 27:23
  33. Genesis 11:27 : S Ge 2:4
  34. Genesis 11:27 : ver 29; Ge 31:53
  35. Genesis 11:27 : ver 31; Ge 12:4; 13:1, 5, 8, 12; 14:12; 19:1; Lk 17:28; 2Pe 2:7
  36. Genesis 11:28 : ver 31; Ge 15:7; Ne 9:7; Job 1:17; 16:11; Eze 23:23; Ac 7:4
  37. Genesis 11:29 : S ver 27, 31; Ge 22:20, 23; 24:10, 15, 24; 29:5
  38. Genesis 11:29 : Ge 12:5, 11; 16:1; 17:15
  39. Genesis 11:29 : Ge 22:20
  40. Genesis 11:30 : Ge 16:1; 18:11; 25:21; 29:31; 30:1, 22; Jdg 13:2; 1Sa 1:5; Ps 113:9; Lk 1:7, 36
  41. Genesis 11:31 : S ver 27
  42. Genesis 11:31 : Ge 38:11; Lev 18:15; 20:12; Ru 1:6, 22; 2:20; 4:15; 1Sa 4:19; 1Ch 2:4; Eze 22:11; Mic 7:6
  43. Genesis 11:31 : S ver 28
  44. Genesis 11:31 : S Ge 10:19
  45. Genesis 11:31 : S ver 29; Ge 12:4; 27:43; 28:5, 10; 29:4; 2Ki 19:12; Eze 27:23
  46. Genesis 11:32 : Jos 24:2

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