International Standard Version

New American Standard Bible 1995

1There was a time when the entire earth spoke a common language with an identical vocabulary.

1Now the whole earth used the same language and the same words.

2As people migrated westward, they came across a plain in the region of Shinar and settled there.

2It came about as they journeyed east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there.

3They told each other, "Come on! Let's burn bricks thoroughly." They used bricks for stone and tar for mortar.

3They said to one another, "Come, let us make bricks and burn them thoroughly." And they used brick for stone, and they used tar for mortar.

4Then they said, "Come on! Let's build ourselves a city and a tower, with its summit in the heavens, and let's make a name for ourselves so we won't be scattered over the surface of the whole earth."

4They said, "Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name, otherwise we will be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth."

5However, the LORD descended to look over the city and the tower that the humans were building.

5The LORD came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built.

6The LORD said, "Look! They are one people with the same language for all of them, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. Nothing that they have a mind to do will be impossible for them!

6The LORD said, "Behold, they are one people, and they all have the same language. And this is what they began to do, and now nothing which they purpose to do will be impossible for them.

7Come on! Let's go down there and confuse their language, so that they won't understand each other's speech."

7"Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, so that they will not understand one another's speech."

8So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the surface of the whole earth, so that they had to stop building the city.

8So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of the whole earth; and they stopped building the city.

9Therefore it was called Babylon, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth, and from there the LORD scattered them over the surface of the entire earth.

9Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of the whole earth; and from there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of the whole earth.

10These are the family records of Shem. When Shem had lived 100 years, he fathered Arpachshad two years after the flood.

10These are the records of the generations of Shem. Shem was one hundred years old, and became the father of Arpachshad two years after the flood;

11Shem lived 500 years after he fathered Arpachshad and had other sons and daughters.

11and Shem lived five hundred years after he became the father of Arpachshad, and he had other sons and daughters.

12When Arpachshad had lived 35 years, he fathered Cainan.

12Arpachshad lived thirty-five years, and became the father of Shelah;

13After he fathered Cainan, Arpachshad lived 430 years and had other sons and daughters, and then died. Cainan lived 130 years and fathered Shelah. After he fathered Shelah, Cainan lived 330 years and had other sons and daughters, and then died.

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

14When Shelah had lived 30 years, he fathered Eber.

14Shelah lived thirty years, and became the father of Eber;

15After he fathered Eber, Shelah lived 403 years and had other sons and daughters.

15and Shelah lived four hundred and three years after he became the father of Eber, and he had other sons and daughters.

16When Eber had lived 34 years, he fathered Peleg.

16Eber lived thirty-four years, and became the father of Peleg;

17After he fathered Peleg, Eber lived 430 years and had other sons and daughters.

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

18When Peleg had lived 30 years, he fathered Reu.

18Peleg lived thirty years, and became the father of Reu;

19After he fathered Reu, Peleg lived 209 years and had other sons and daughters.

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

20When Reu had lived 32 years, he fathered Serug.

20Reu lived thirty-two years, and became the father of Serug;

21After he fathered Serug, Reu lived 207 years and had other sons and daughters.

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

22When Serug had lived 30 years, he fathered Nahor.

22Serug lived thirty years, and became the father of Nahor;

23After he fathered Nahor, Serug lived 200 years and had other sons and daughters.

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

24When Nahor had lived 29 years, he fathered Terah.

24Nahor lived twenty-nine years, and became the father of Terah;

25After he fathered Terah, Nahor lived 119 years and had other sons and daughters.

25and Nahor lived one hundred and nineteen years after he became the father of Terah, and he had other sons and daughters.

26When Terah had lived 70 years, he fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran.

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

27Now these are the family records of Terah: Terah fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran fathered Lot.

27Now these are the records of the generations of Terah. Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor and Haran; and Haran became the father of Lot.

28Haran died during his father's lifetime in the land of his birth, that is, in Ur of the Chaldeans.

28Haran died in the presence of his father Terah in the land of his birth, in Ur of the Chaldeans.

29Abram and Nahor took wives for themselves. The name of Abram's wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor's wife was Milcah. She was the daughter of Haran, who was the father of Milcah and Iscah.

29Abram and Nahor took wives for themselves. The name of Abram's wife was Sarai; and the name of Nahor's wife was Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah and Iscah.

30Sarai was barren, so she had not borne children.

30Sarai was barren; she had no child.

31Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot (Haran's son), and his daughter-in-law Sarai, his son Abram's wife, and they journeyed together from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan. But when they had gone as far as Haran, they settled there,

31Terah 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 together from Ur of the Chaldeans in order to enter the land of Canaan; and they went as far as Haran, and settled there.

32where Terah died at the age of 205 years.

32The days of Terah were two hundred and five years; and Terah died in Haran.

The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY.

New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org