The Complete Jewish Bible CJB
New International Version NIV
1 The whole earth used the same language, the same words.
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Now the whole world had one language and a common speech.
2 It came about that as they traveled from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shin'ar and lived there.
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As people moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there.
3 They said to one another, "Come, let's make bricks and bake them in the fire." So they had bricks for building-stone and clay for mortar.
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They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar.
4 Then they said, "Come, let's build ourselves a city with a tower that has its top reaching up into heaven, so that we can make a name for ourselves and not be scattered all over the earth."
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Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”
5 ADONAI came down to see the city and the tower the people were building.
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But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower the people were building.
6 ADONAI said, "Look, the people are united, they all have a single language, and see what they're starting to do! At this rate, nothing they set out to accomplish will be impossible for them!
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The LORD said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them.
7 Come, let's go down and confuse their language, so that they won't understand each other's speech."
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Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.”
8 So from there ADONAI scattered them all over the earth, and they stopped building the city.
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So the LORD scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city.
9 For this reason it is called Bavel [confusion] - because there ADONAI confused the language of the whole earth, and from there ADONAI scattered them all over the earth.
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That is why it was called Babel —because there the LORD confused the language of the whole world. From there the LORD scattered them over the face of the whole earth.
10 Here is the genealogy of Shem. Shem was 100 years old when he fathered Arpakhshad two years after the flood.
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This is the account of Shem’s family line. Two years after the flood, when Shem was 100 years old, he became the father of Arphaxad.
11 After Arpakhshad was born, Shem lived another 500 years and had sons and daughters.
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And after he became the father of Arphaxad, Shem lived 500 years and had other sons and daughters.
12 Arpakhshad lived thirty-five years and fathered Shelach.
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When Arphaxad had lived 35 years, he became the father of Shelah.
13 After Shelach was born, Arpakhshad lived another 403 years and had sons and daughters.
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And after he became the father of Shelah, Arphaxad lived 403 years and had other sons and daughters.
14 Shelach lived thirty years and fathered 'Ever.
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When Shelah had lived 30 years, he became the father of Eber.
15 After 'Ever was born, Shelach lived another 403 years and had sons and daughters.
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And after he became the father of Eber, Shelah lived 403 years and had other sons and daughters.
16 'Ever lived thirty-four years and fathered Peleg.
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When Eber had lived 34 years, he became the father of Peleg.
17 After Peleg was born, 'Ever lived another 430 years and had sons and daughters.
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And after he became the father of Peleg, Eber lived 430 years and had other sons and daughters.
18 Peleg lived thirty years and fathered Re'u.
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When Peleg had lived 30 years, he became the father of Reu.
19 After Re'u was born, Peleg lived another 209 years and had sons and daughters.
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And after he became the father of Reu, Peleg lived 209 years and had other sons and daughters.
20 Re'u lived thirty-two years and fathered S'rug.
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When Reu had lived 32 years, he became the father of Serug.
21 After S'rug was born, Re'u lived another 207 years and had sons and daughters.
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And after he became the father of Serug, Reu lived 207 years and had other sons and daughters.
22 S'rug lived thirty years and fathered Nachor.
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When Serug had lived 30 years, he became the father of Nahor.
23 After Nachor was born, S'rug lived another 200 years and had sons and daughters.
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And after he became the father of Nahor, Serug lived 200 years and had other sons and daughters.
24 Nachor lived twenty-nine years and fathered Terach.
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When Nahor had lived 29 years, he became the father of Terah.
25 After Terach was born, Nachor lived another 119 years and had sons and daughters.
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And after he became the father of Terah, Nahor lived 119 years and had other sons and daughters.
26 Terach lived seventy years and fathered Avram, Nachor and Haran.
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After Terah had lived 70 years, he became the father of Abram, Nahor and Haran.
27 Here is the genealogy of Terach. Terach fathered Avram, Nachor and Haran; and Haran fathered Lot.
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This is the account of Terah’s family line. Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor and Haran. And Haran became the father of Lot.
28 Haran died before his father Terach in the land where he was born, in Ur of the Kasdim.
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While his father Terah was still alive, Haran died in Ur of the Chaldeans, in the land of his birth.
29 Then Avram and Nachor took wives for themselves. The name of Avram's wife was Sarai, and the name of Nachor's wife was Milkah the daughter of Haran. He was the father of Milkah and of Yiskah.
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Abram and Nahor both married. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife was Milkah; she was the daughter of Haran, the father of both Milkah and Iskah.
30 Sarai was barren - she had no child.
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Now Sarai was childless because she was not able to conceive.
31 Terach took his son Avram, his son Haran's son Lot, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Avram's wife; and they left Ur of the Kasdim to go to the land of Kena'an. But when they came to Haran, they stayed there.
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Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of his son Abram, and together they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan. But when they came to Harran, they settled there.
32 Terach lived 205 years, and he died in Haran.
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Terah lived 205 years, and he died in Harran.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.