Genesis 11

reviewed Worded for an eighth-grade reader; the reading is the Translation's. Read the Translation with its notes.

1 The whole land had one language and the same words. 2 As people moved from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. 3 They said to one another, "Come, let's make bricks and bake them hard." They had brick for stone, and bitumen for clay. 4 Then they said, "Come, let's build ourselves a city, and a tower with its top in the skies. Let's make a name for ourselves, so that we will not scatter over the face of the whole land." 5 The LORD went down to see the city and the tower that humans had built. 6 The LORD said, "Look, they are one people, and they all have one language. This is what they have begun to do. Now nothing they plan to do will be out of their reach. 7 Come, let us go down and mix up their language there, so that they will not understand one another's speech." 8 So the LORD scattered them from there over the face of the whole land, and they stopped building the city.

9 That is why he named it Babylon, because there the LORD made the language of the whole land babble. From there the LORD scattered them over the face of the whole land.

10 This is the family history of Shem. When Shem was 100 years old, he became the father of Arpachshad. That was two years after the flood. 11 After Arpachshad was born, Shem lived 500 years. He had sons and daughters. 12 When Arpachshad had lived 35 years, he became the father of Shelah. 13 After Shelah was born, Arpachshad lived 403 years. He had sons and daughters. 14 When Shelah had lived 30 years, he became the father of Eber. 15 After Eber was born, Shelah lived 403 years. He had sons and daughters. 16 When Eber had lived 34 years, he became the father of Peleg. 17 After Peleg was born, Eber lived 430 years. He had sons and daughters.

18 When Peleg had lived 30 years, he became the father of Reu. 19 After Reu was born, Peleg lived 209 years. He had sons and daughters. 20 When Reu had lived 32 years, he became the father of Serug. 21 After Serug was born, Reu lived 207 years. He had sons and daughters. 22 When Serug had lived 30 years, he became the father of Nahor. 23 After Nahor was born, Serug lived 200 years. He had sons and daughters. 24 When Nahor had lived 29 years, he became the father of Terah. 25 After Terah was born, Nahor lived 119 years. He had sons and daughters.

26 When Terah had lived 70 years, he became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran. 27 This is the family history of Terah. Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran became the father of Lot. 28 Haran died in the presence of his father Terah, in the land where he was born, in Ur of the Chaldeans. 29 Abram and Nahor took wives. Abram's wife was named Sarai. Nahor's wife was named Milcah. She was the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah and Iscah. 30 Sarai was barren. She had no child. 31 Terah took his son Abram and his grandson Lot, the son of Haran. He also took his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of his son Abram. They went out with them from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan. They came as far as Harran and settled there. 32 Terah lived 205 years, and he died in Harran.