1 And the whole earth had one language and one speech. 2 And as they journeyed from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and they lived there. 3 And they said to one another: “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” And they had the brick for stone, and they had bitumen for mortar. 4 And they said: “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower, with its top in the heavens, and let us make for ourselves a reputation, so that we are not scattered across the surface of the whole earth.” 5 And Shema came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men had built. 6 And Shema said: “Look, they are one people, and they all have one language, and this is what they have begun to do; and now nothing will be withheld from them, which they will intend to do. 7 Come, let us go down, and spoil lips there, so that no man may understand another’s speech.” 8 And Shema scattered them from there across the surface of all the earth, and they stopped building the city and the tower. 9 Therefore it was named Babel, because there Shema confused the language of all the earth; and from there Shema scattered them across the surface of all the earth.

10 These are the generations of Shem. Shem was one hundred years old, and fathered Arphaxad two years after the flood. 11 And Shem lived five hundred years after he fathered Arphaxad, and fathered sons and daughters. And all the days of Shem were six hundred years, and he died.⁠a

12 And Arphaxad lived one hundred and thirty-five years,⁠b and fathered Shelah. 13 And Arphaxad lived three hundred and three years after he fathered Shelah, and fathered sons and daughters. And all the days of Arphaxad were four hundred and thirty-eight years, and he died.

14 And Shelah lived one hundred and thirty years, and fathered Eber. 15 And Shelah lived three hundred and three years after he fathered Eber, and fathered sons and daughters. And all the days of Shelah were four hundred and thirty-three years, and he died.

16 And Eber lived one hundred and thirty-four years,⁠c and fathered Peleg. 17 And Eber lived two hundred and seventy years after he fathered Peleg, and fathered sons and daughters. And all the days of Eber were four hundred and four years, and he died.

18 And Peleg lived one hundred and thirty years,⁠d and fathered Reu. 19 And Peleg lived one hundred and nine years after he fathered Reu, and fathered sons and daughters. And all the days of Peleg were two hundred and thirty-nine years, and he died.

20 And Reu lived one hundred and thirty-two years, and fathered Serug. 21 And Reu lived one hundred and seven years after he fathered Serug, and fathered sons and daughters. And all the days of Reu were two hundred and thirty-nine years, and he died.

22 And Serug lived one hundred and thirty years, and fathered Nahor. 23 And Serug lived one hundred years after he fathered Nahor, and fathered sons and daughters. And all the days of Serug were two hundred and thirty years, and he died.

24 And Nahor lived seventy-nine years,⁠e and fathered Terah. 25 And Nahor lived sixty-nine years after he fathered Terah, and fathered sons and daughters. And all the days of Nahor were one hundred and forty-eight years, and he died.

26 And Terah lived seventy years, and fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran. 27 These are the generations of Terah. Terah fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran fathered Lot. 28 And Haran died in the presence of his father Terah in the land of his birth, in Ur of the Chaldeans. 29 And Abram and Nahor took wives; the name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah, and the father of Iscah. 30 And Sarai was barren; she had no child. 31 And Terah took Abram his son and Lot the son of Haran, his son’s son, and Sarai and Milcah his two daughters-in-law, the wives of his sons Abram and Nahor, and he brought them from Ur of the Chaldeans to go into the land of Canaan; and they came to Haran and lived there. 32 And the days of Terah were one hundred and forty-five years; and Terah died in Haran.⁠f