The Tower of Babel

Chapter 11

The whole world spoke the same language, using the same words. While men were migrating in the east, they

came upon a valley in the land of Shinar and settled there. They said to one another, "Come, let us mould

bricks and harden them with fire." They used bricks for stone, and bitumen for mortar. Then they said, "Come,

let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the sky, and so make a name for ourselves; otherwise we

shall be scattered all over the earth."

The Lord came down to see the city and the tower that the men had built. Then the Lord said: "If now, while

they are one people, all speaking the same language, they have started to do this, nothing will later stop them

from doing whatever they presume to do. Let us then go down and there confuse their language, so that one

will not understand what another says."

Thus the Lord scattered them from there all over the earth, and they stopped building the city. That is why it

was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the speech of all the world. It was from that place that he

scattered them all over the earth. 

This is the record of the descendants of Shem. When Shem was one hundred years old, he became the father of

Arpachshad, two years after the flood. Shem lived five hundred years after the birth of Arpachshad, and he

had other sons and daughters. When Arpachshad was thirty-five years old, he became the father of Shelah.

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

When Shelah was thirty years old, he became the father of Eber. Shelah lived four hundred and three years

after the birth of Eber, and he had other sons and daughters.  When Eber was thirty-four years old, he became

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

daughters. When Peleg was thirty years old, he became the father of Reu. Peleg lived two hundred and nine

years after the birth of Reu, and he had other sons and daughters. When Reu was thirty-two years old, he

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

sons and daughters. When Serug was thirty years old, he became the father of Nahor. Serug lived two

hundred years after the birth of Nahor, and he had other sons and daughters. When Nahor was twenty-nine

years old, he became the father of Terah. Nahor lived one hundred and nineteen years after the birth of Terah,

and he had other sons and daughters. When Terah was seventy years old, he became the father of Abram,

Nahor and Haran.

Cain and Abel / The Story of Abraham

 

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