Genesis 10–12

1Now this is the history of the generations of the sons of Noah and of Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Sons were born to them after the flood.

2The sons of Japheth were: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras.

3The sons of Gomer were: Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah.

4The sons of Javan were: Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.

5Of these were the islands of the nations divided in their lands, everyone after his language, after their families, in their nations.

6The sons of Ham were: Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.

7The sons of Cush were: Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. The sons of Raamah were: Sheba and Dedan.

8Cush became the father of Nimrod. He began to be a mighty one in the earth.

9He was a mighty hunter before Yahweh. Therefore it is said, “like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before Yahweh”.

10The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.

11Out of that land he went into Assyria, and built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah,

12and Resen between Nineveh and the great city Calah.

13Mizraim became the father of Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim,

14Pathrusim, Casluhim (which the Philistines descended from), and Caphtorim.

15Canaan became the father of Sidon (his firstborn), Heth,

16the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites,

17the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites,

18the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites. Afterward the families of the Canaanites were spread abroad.

19The border of the Canaanites was from Sidon—as you go toward Gerar—to Gaza—as you go toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim—to Lasha.

20These are the sons of Ham, after their families, according to their languages, in their lands and their nations.

21Children were also born to Shem (the elder brother of Japheth), the father of all the children of Eber.

22The sons of Shem were: Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram.

23The sons of Aram were: Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash.

24Arpachshad became the father of Shelah. Shelah became the father of Eber.

25To Eber were born two sons. The name of the one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided. His brother’s name was Joktan.

26Joktan became the father of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah,

27Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah,

28Obal, Abimael, Sheba,

29Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these were the sons of Joktan.

30Their dwelling extended from Mesha, as you go toward Sephar, the mountain of the east.

31These are the sons of Shem, by their families, according to their languages, lands, and nations.

32These are the families of the sons of Noah, by their generations, according to their nations. The nations divided from these in the earth after the flood.

1The whole earth was of one language and of one speech.

2As they traveled east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they lived there.

3They said to one another, “Come, let’s make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” They had brick for stone, and they used tar for mortar.

4They said, “Come, let’s build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top reaches to the sky, and let’s make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad on the surface of the whole earth.”

5Yahweh came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men built.

6Yahweh said, “Behold, they are one people, and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do. Now nothing will be withheld from them, which they intend to do.

7Come, let’s go down, and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.”

8So Yahweh scattered them abroad from there on the surface of all the earth. They stopped building the city.

9Therefore its name was called Babel, because there Yahweh confused the language of all the earth. From there, Yahweh scattered them abroad on the surface of all the earth.

10This is the history of the generations of Shem: Shem was one hundred years old when he became the father of Arpachshad two years after the flood.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

27Now this is the history of the generations of Terah. Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran became the father of Lot.

28Haran died in the land of his birth, in Ur of the Chaldees, while his father Terah was still alive.

29Abram and Nahor married wives. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife was Milcah, the daughter of Haran, who was also the father of Iscah.

30Sarai was barren. She had no child.

31Terah took Abram his son, Lot the son of Haran, his son’s son, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram’s wife. They went from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan. They came to Haran and lived there.

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

1Now Yahweh said to Abram, “Leave your country, and your relatives, and your father’s house, and go to the land that I will show you.

2I will make of you a great nation. I will bless you and make your name great. You will be a blessing.

3I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who treats you with contempt. All the families of the earth will be blessed through you.”

4So Abram went, as Yahweh had told him. Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.

5Abram took Sarai his wife, Lot his brother’s son, all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people whom they had acquired in Haran, and they went to go into the land of Canaan. They entered into the land of Canaan.

6Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time, Canaanites were in the land.

7Yahweh appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your offspring.” He built an altar there to Yahweh, who had appeared to him.

8He left from there to go to the mountain on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to Yahweh and called on Yahweh’s name.

9Abram traveled, still going on toward the South.

10There was a famine in the land. Abram went down into Egypt to live as a foreigner there, for the famine was severe in the land.

11When he had come near to enter Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, “See now, I know that you are a beautiful woman to look at.

12It will happen that when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ They will kill me, but they will save you alive.

13Please say that you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that my soul may live because of you.”

14When Abram had come into Egypt, some Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful.

15The princes of Pharaoh saw her, and praised her to Pharaoh; and the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house.

16He dealt well with Abram for her sake. He had sheep, cattle, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels.

17Yahweh afflicted Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife.

18Pharaoh called Abram and said, “What is this that you have done to me? Why didn’t you tell me that she was your wife?

19Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her to be my wife? Now therefore, see your wife, take her, and go your way.”

20Pharaoh commanded men concerning him, and they escorted him away with his wife and all that he had.