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¹ The whole eretz was of one language and of one speech. ² It happened, as they journeyed east, that they found a plain in the land of Shin`ar; and they lived there. ³ They said one to another, "Come, let's make brick, and burn them thoroughly." They had brick for stone, and they used tar for mortar. ⁴ They said, "Come, let's build us a city, and a tower, whose top reaches to the sky, and let's make us a name; lest we be scattered abroad on the surface of the whole eretz."

⁵ The LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men built. ⁶ The LORD said, "Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language; and this is what they begin to do. Now nothing will be withheld from them, which they intend to do. ⁷ Come, let's go down, and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another's speech." ⁸ So the LORD scattered them abroad from there on the surface of all the eretz. They stopped building the city. ⁹ Therefore the name of it was called Bavel, because the LORD confused the language of all the eretz, there. From there, the LORD scattered them abroad on the surface of all the eretz.

¹⁰ This is the history of the generations of Shem. Shem was one hundred years old, and became the father of Arpakhshad two years after the flood. ¹¹ Shem lived after he became the father of Arpakhshad five hundred years, and became the father of sons and daughters. ¹² Arpakhshad lived thirty-five years, and became the father of Shelach. ¹³ Arpakhshad lived after he became the father of Shelach four hundred three years, and became the father of sons and daughters. ¹⁴ Shelach lived thirty years, and became the father of `Ever: <sup>15</sup> and Shelach lived after he became the father of `Ever four hundred three years, and became the father of sons and daughters. ¹⁶ `Ever lived thirty-four years, and became the father of Peleg. <sup>17</sup> `Ever lived after he became the father of Peleg four hundred thirty years, and became the father of sons and daughters. ¹⁸ Peleg lived thirty years, and became the father of Re`u. <sup>19</sup> Peleg lived after he became the father of Re`u two hundred nine years, and became the father of sons and daughters. ²⁰ Re`u lived thirty-two years, and became the father of Serug. <sup>21</sup> Re`u lived after he became the father of Serug two hundred seven years, and became the father of sons and daughters. ²² Serug lived thirty years, and became the father of Nachor. ²³ Serug lived after he became the father of Nachor two hundred years, and became the father of sons and daughters. ²⁴ Nachor lived twenty-nine years, and became the father of Terach. ²⁵ Nachor lived after he became the father of Terach one hundred nineteen years, and became the father of sons and daughters. ²⁶ Terach lived seventy years, and became the father of Avram, Nachor, and Haran.

²⁷ Now this is the history of the generations of Terach. Terach became the father of Avram, Nachor, and Haran. Haran became the father of Lot. ²⁸ Haran died before his father Terach in the land of his birth, in Ur of the Kasdim. ²⁹ Avram and Nachor took wives. The name of Avram's wife was Sarai, and the name of Nachor's wife, Milkah, the daughter of Haran who was also the father of Yiskah. ³⁰ Sarai was barren. She had no child. ³¹ Terach took Avram his son, Lot the son of Haran, his son's son, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Avram's wife. They went forth from Ur of the Kasdim, to go into the land of Kana`an. They came to Haran, and lived there. ³² The days of Terach were two hundred five years. Terach died in Haran.