The Tower of Babylon

11 At one time the whole earth had the same language and vocabulary.^{[a] 2} As people^[b] migrated from the east,^[c] they found a valley in the land of Shinar and settled there.^{(A) 3} They said to each other, “Come, let us make oven-fired bricks.” They used brick for stone and asphalt for mortar.^{(B) 4} And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the sky.^(C) Let us make a name for ourselves; otherwise, we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”

⁵ Then the Lord came down^(D) to look over the city and the tower that the men were building. ⁶ The Lord said, “If they have begun to do this as one people all having the same language, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. ⁷ Come, let Us go down there and confuse^[d] their language^[e] so that they will not understand one another’s speech.”^{[f] 8} So from there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth,^(E) and they stopped building the city. ⁹ Therefore its name is called Babylon,^[g](F) for there the Lord confused the language of the whole earth, and from there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth.

From Shem to Abram

¹⁰ These are the family records^(G) of Shem. Shem lived 100 years and fathered Arpachshad two years after the flood. ¹¹ After he fathered Arpachshad, Shem lived 500 years and fathered other sons and daughters. ¹² Arpachshad lived 35 years^[h] and fathered Shelah. ¹³ After he fathered Shelah, Arpachshad lived 403 years and fathered other sons and daughters. ¹⁴ Shelah lived 30 years and fathered Eber. ¹⁵ After he fathered Eber, Shelah lived 403 years and fathered other sons and daughters. ¹⁶ Eber lived 34 years and fathered Peleg. ¹⁷ After he fathered Peleg, Eber lived 430 years and fathered other sons and daughters. ¹⁸ Peleg lived 30 years and fathered Reu. ¹⁹ After he fathered Reu, Peleg lived 209 years and fathered other sons and daughters. ²⁰ Reu lived 32 years and fathered Serug. ²¹ After he fathered Serug, Reu lived 207 years and fathered other sons and daughters. ²² Serug lived 30 years and fathered Nahor. ²³ After he fathered Nahor, Serug lived 200 years and fathered other sons and daughters. ²⁴ Nahor lived 29 years and fathered Terah.^{(H) 25} After he fathered Terah, Nahor lived 119 years and fathered other sons and daughters. ²⁶ Terah lived 70 years and fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran.

²⁷ These are the family records of Terah. Terah fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran, and Haran fathered Lot. ²⁸ Haran died in his native land, in Ur of the Chaldeans, during his father Terah’s lifetime. ²⁹ Abram and Nahor took wives: Abram’s wife was named Sarai,^(I) and Nahor’s wife was named Milcah.^(J) She was the daughter of Haran, the father of both Milcah and Iscah. ³⁰ Sarai was unable to conceive;^(K) she did not have a child.

³¹ Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot (Haran’s son), and his daughter-in-law Sarai, his son Abram’s wife, and they set out together from Ur of the Chaldeans^(L) to go to the land of Canaan. But when they came to Haran, they settled there. ³² Terah lived 205 years and died in Haran.

The Call of Abram

12 The Lord said to Abram:

⁴ So Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was 75 years old when he left Haran.^{(S) 5} He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated, and the people he had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan, ⁶ Abram passed through the land to the site of Shechem,^(T) at the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. ⁷ Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your offspring.”^(U) So he built an altar there to the Lord who had appeared to him. ⁸ From there he moved on to the hill country east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. He built an altar to Yahweh there, and he called on the name of Yahweh.^{(V) 9} Then Abram journeyed by stages to the Negev.

Abram in Egypt

¹⁰ There was a famine in the land,^(W) so Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine in the land was severe. ¹¹ When he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “Look, I know what a beautiful woman you are. ¹² When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ They will kill me but let you live.^{(X) 13} Please say you’re my sister so it will go well for me because of you, and my life will be spared on your account.” ¹⁴ When Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. ¹⁵ Pharaoh’s officials saw her and praised her to Pharaoh, so the woman was taken to Pharaoh’s household. ¹⁶ He treated Abram well because of her, and Abram acquired flocks and herds, male and female donkeys, male and female slaves, and camels.

¹⁷ But the Lord struck Pharaoh and his household with severe plagues because of Abram’s wife Sarai.^{(Y) 18} So Pharaoh sent for Abram and said, “What have you done to me? Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife? ¹⁹ Why did you say, ‘She’s my sister,’ so that I took her as my wife? Now, here is your wife. Take her and go!” ²⁰ Then Pharaoh gave his men orders about him, and they sent him away with his wife and all he had.

Abram and Lot Separate

13 Then Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev^(Z)—he, his wife, and all he had, and Lot with him. ² Abram was very rich^[m] in livestock, silver, and gold. ³ He went by stages from the Negev to Bethel, to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had formerly been, ⁴ to the site where he had built the altar. And Abram called on the name of Yahweh there.^(AA)

⁵ Now Lot, who was traveling with Abram, also had flocks, herds, and tents. ⁶ But the land was unable to support them as long as they stayed together, for they had so many possessions that they could not stay together,^{(AB) 7} and there was quarreling between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock.^(AC) At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were living in the land.^(AD)

⁸ Then Abram said to Lot, “Please, let’s not have quarreling between you and me, or between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, since we are relatives.^{[n] 9} Isn’t the whole land before you? Separate from me: if you go to the left, I will go to the right; if you go to the right, I will go to the left.”

¹⁰ Lot looked out and saw that the entire Jordan Valley^(AE) as far as^[o] Zoar^(AF) was well watered everywhere like the Lord’s garden^(AG) and the land of Egypt. This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.^{(AH) 11} So Lot chose the entire Jordan Valley for himself. Then Lot journeyed eastward, and they separated from each other. ¹² Abram lived in the land of Canaan, but Lot lived in the cities of the valley and set up his tent near Sodom. ¹³ Now the men of Sodom were evil, sinning greatly^[p] against the Lord.^(AI)

¹⁴ After Lot had separated from him, the Lord said to Abram, “Look from the place where you are. Look north and south, east and west,^{(AJ) 15} for I will give you and your offspring forever all the land that you see.^{(AK) 16} I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth,^(AL) so that if anyone could count the dust of the earth, then your offspring could be counted. ¹⁷ Get up and walk around the land, through its length and width, for I will give it to you.”

¹⁸ So Abram moved his tent and went to live near the oaks of Mamre at Hebron,^(AM) where he built an altar to the Lord.

Children and Parents

6 Children, obey^(A) your parents as you would the Lord,^[a] because this is right. ² Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment^[b] with a promise, ³ so that it may go well with you and that you may have a long life in the land.^{[c](B)[d] 4} Fathers, don’t stir up anger^(C) in your children, but bring them up in the training^(D) and instruction of the Lord.

Slaves and Masters

⁵ Slaves, obey your human^[e] masters^(E) with fear and trembling,^(F) in the sincerity^(G) of your heart, as to Christ. ⁶ Don’t work only while being watched, in order to please men, but as slaves of Christ, do God’s will^(H) from your heart.^{[f] 7} Serve with a good attitude, as to the Lord and not to men,^{(I) 8} knowing that whatever good each one does, slave or free, he will receive this back from the Lord. ⁹ And masters, treat your slaves the same way, without threatening^(J) them, because you know that both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism^(K) with Him.^(L)

Christian Warfare

¹⁰ Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by His vast strength.^{(M) 11} Put on^(N) the full armor^(O) of God so that you can stand against the tactics^[g] of the Devil. ¹² For our battle is not against flesh^(P) and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities,^(Q) against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil^(R) in the heavens.^{(S) 13} This is why you must take up the full armor^(T) of God, so that you may be able to resist^(U) in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand. ¹⁴ Stand,^(V) therefore,

¹⁸ Pray^(AF) at all times in the Spirit^(AG) with every prayer and request, and stay alert^(AH) in this with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints. ¹⁹ Pray also for me, that the message may be given to me when I open my mouth to make known with boldness^(AI) the mystery of the gospel. ²⁰ For this I am an ambassador^(AJ) in chains. Pray that I might be bold enough in Him to speak as I should.

Paul’s Farewell

²¹ Tychicus,^(AK) our dearly loved brother and faithful servant^[i] in the Lord, will tell you all the news about me so that you may be informed. ²² I am sending him to you for this very reason, to let you know how we are and to encourage^(AL) your hearts.^(AM)

²³ Peace to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father^(AN) and the Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁴ Grace be with all who have undying love for our Lord Jesus Christ.^[j][k]