Genesis 11

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 The whole world spoke the same language, with the same vocabulary.	1 The whole world spoke the same language, using the same words.
2 Now, as people moved eastwards they found a valley in the land of Shinar where they settled.	2 While men were migrating in the east, they came upon a valley in the land of Shinar and settled there.
3 They said to one another, 'Come, let us make bricks and bake them in the fire.' For stone they usedbricks, and for mortar they used bitumen.	3 They said to one another, "Come, let us mold bricks and harden them with fire." They used bricks for stone, and bitumen for mortar.
4 'Come,' they said, 'let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top reaching heaven. Let us makea name for ourselves, so that we do not get scattered all over the world.'	4 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."
5 Now Yahweh came down to see the city and the tower that the people had built.	5 LORD came down to see the city and the tower that the men had built.
6 'So they are al a single people with a single language!' said Yahweh. 'This is only the start of theirundertakings! Now nothing they plan to do wil be beyond them.	6 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.
7 Come, let us go down and confuse their language there, so that they cannot understand one another.'	7 Let us then go down and there confuse their language, so that one will not understand what another says."
8 Yahweh scattered them thence all over the world, and they stopped building the city.	8 Thus the LORD scattered them from there all over the earth, and they stopped building the city.
9 That is why it was cal ed Babel, since there Yahweh confused the language of the whole world, andfrom there Yahweh scattered them al over the world.	9 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.
10 These are Shem's descendants: When Shem was a hundred years old he fathered Arpachshad, twoyears after the flood.	10 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.
11 After the birth of Arpachshad, Shem lived five hundred years and fathered sons and daughters.	11 Shem lived five hundred years after the birth of Arpachshad, and he had other sons and daughters.
12 When Arpachshad was thirty-five years old he fathered Shelah.	12 When Arpachshad was thirty-five years old, he became the father of Shelah.
13 After the birth of Shelah, Arpachshad lived four hundred and three years and fathered sons anddaughters.	13 Arpachshad lived four hundred and three years after the birth of Shelah, and he had other sons and daughters.
14 When Shelah was thirty years old he fathered Eber.	14 When Shelah was thirty years old, he became the father of Eber.
15 After the birth of Eber, Shelah lived four hundred and three years and fathered sons and daughters.	15 Shelah lived four hundred and three years after the birth of Eber, and he had other sons and daughters.
16 When Eber was thirty-four years old he fathered Peleg.	16 When Eber was thirty-four years old, he became the father of Peleg.
17 After the birth of Peleg, Eber lived four hundred and thirty years and fathered sons and daughters.	17 Eber lived four hundred and thirty years after the birth of Peleg, and he had other sons and daughters.
18 When Peleg was thirty years old he fathered Reu.	18 When Peleg was thirty years old, he became the father of Reu.
19 After the birth of Reu, Peleg lived two hundred and nine years and fathered sons and daughters.	19 Peleg lived two hundred and nine years after the birth of Reu, and he had other sons and daughters.
20 When Reu was thirty-two years old he fathered Serug.	20 When Reu was thirty-two years old, he became the father of Serug.
21 After the birth of Serug, Reu lived two hundred and seven years and fathered sons and daughters.	21 Reu lived two hundred and seven years after the birth of Serug, and he had other sons and daughters.
22 When Serug was thirty years old he fathered Nahor.	22 When Serug was thirty years old, he became the father of Nahor.
23 After the birth of Nahor, Serug lived two hundred years and fathered sons and daughters.	23 Serug lived two hundred years after the birth of Nahor, and he had other sons and daughters.
24 When Nahor was twenty-nine years old he fathered Terah.	24 When Nahor was twenty-nine years old, he became the father of Terah.
25 After the birth of Terah, Nahor lived a hundred and nineteen years and fathered sons and daughters.	25 Nahor lived one hundred and nineteen years after the birth of Terah, and he had other sons and daughters.
26 When Terah was seventy years old he fathered Abram, Nahor and Haran.	26 When Terah was seventy years old, he became the father of Abram, Nahor and Haran.
27 These are Terah's descendants: Terah fathered Abram, Nahor and Haran. Haran fathered Lot.	27 This is the record of the descendants of Terah. Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran, and Haran became the father of Lot.
28 Haran died in the presence of his father Terah in his native land, Ur of the Chaldaeans.	28 Haran died before his father Terah, in his native land, in Ur of the Chaldeans.
29 Abram and Nahor both married: Abram's wife was cal ed Sarai, Nahor's wife was called Milcahdaughter of Haran, father of Milcah and Iscah.	29 Abram and Nahor took wives; the name of Abram's wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor's wife was Milcah, daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah and Iscah.
30 Sarai was barren, having no child.	30 Sarai was barren; she had no child.
31 Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law the wife ofAbram, and made them leave Ur of the Chaldaeans to go to the land of Canaan. But on arrival in Haran theysettled there.	31 Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot, son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of his son Abram, and brought them out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to go to the land of Canaan. But when they reached Haran, they settled there.
32 Terah's life lasted two hundred and five years; then he died at Haran.	32 The lifetime of Terah was two hundred and five years; then Terah died in Haran.