1 The whole earth was of one language and of one speech. 2 As they traveled east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they lived there. 3 They said to one another, "Come, let’s make bricks, and burn them thoroughly." They had brick for stone, and they used tar for mortar. 4 They 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."

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 all have 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 earth. They stopped building the city. 9 Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth. From there, the LORD scattered them abroad on the surface of all the earth.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

27 Now this is the history of the generations of Terah. Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran became the father of Lot. 28 Haran died in the land of his birth, in Ur-Kasdim, while his father Terah was still alive. 29 Abram 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. 30 Sarai was barren. She had no child. 31 Terah 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-Kasdim, to go into the land of Canaan. They came to Haran and lived there. 32 The days of Terah were two hundred five years. Terah died in Haran.

1 Naquele tempo toda a humanidade falava uma só língua.

2 Ora, deslocando-se e espalhando-se em direcção do oriente, os homens descobriram uma planície na terra de Babilónia e depressa a povoaram. E começaram a falar em construir uma grande cidade, para o que fizeram tijolos de terra bem cozida para servir de pedra de construção e usaram alcatrão em vez de argamassa. E nessa cidade projectaram levantar um templo com a forma de uma torre altíssima que chegasse até aos céus, qualquer coisa que se tornasse um monumento a si próprios. Isto, disseram, impedirá que nos espalhemos ao acaso pela terra toda.

5 O Senhor desceu para ver a cidade e a torre que estavam a levantar:

6 Vejamos: se isto é o que eles já são capazes de fazer, sendo um só povo com uma só língua, não haverá limites para tudo o que ousarem fazer. Vamos descer e que a língua deles comece a diferenciar-se noutras línguas, de forma que uns não entendam os outros.

8 E foi dessa forma que o Senhor os espalhou sobre toda a face da terra, tendo cessado a construção daquela cidade. Por isso ficou a chamar-se Babel , porque foi ali que o Senhor diferenciou a língua dos homens, e espalhou-os por toda a terra.

10 A linha de descendentes de Sem incluia Arfaxade, nascido dois anos após o dilúvio, quando Sem tinha 100 anos de idade. E depois ainda viveu mais 500 anos e teve muitos filhos e filhas.

12 Arfaxade tinha 35 anos quando lhe nasceu Sala. Viveu ainda 403 anos e teve muitos filhos e filhas.

14 Sala tinha 30 anos quando Eber nasceu. E viveu depois 403 anos, tendo tido muitos filhos e filhas.

16 Aos 34 anos Eber teve Pelegue. Viveu mais 430 anos, com muitos filhos e filhas.

18 Pelegue contava 30 anos ao nascer-lhe Reu. Viveu ainda 209 anos com muitos filhos e filhas.

20 Reu, aos 32 anos, teve Serugue. Viveu depois disso 207 anos, tendo tido muitos filhos e filhas.

22 Serugue, quando contava 30 anos, teve Naor. Viveu, com muitos filhos e filhas, 200 anos depois disso.

24 Com 29 anos Naor foi pai de Tera. Depois viveu ainda 119 anos, tendo tido muitos filhos e filhas.

26 Tera aos 70 anos tinha três filhos: Abrão, Naor e Harã. E Harã tinha, por sua vez, um filho chamado Lot. Mas Harã morreu ainda novo, na terra que tinha nascido, em Ur na Caldeia, e o seu pai Tera ainda era vivo.

29 Entretanto Abrão casou com Sarai , enquanto que Naor veio a tomar por esposa a sua sobrinha Milca, que era orfã, a filha do seu irmão Harã. E Sarai tinha um irmão chamado Isca. Mas Sarai era estéril, não tinha filhos.

31 Então Tera pegou em Abrão seu filho e em Lot seu neto mais a sua nora Sarai e deixou Ur da Caldeia para ir para a terra de Canaã. Contudo ficaram-se pela cidade de Harã e estabeleceram-se ali, até que Tera morreu aos 205 anos.