Then Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid it upon both their shoulders, and walked backward and covered the nakedness of their father; their faces were turned away, and they did not see their father’s nakedness.

From these the coastland peoples spread. These are the sons of Japheth in their lands, each with his own language, by their families, in their nations.

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

From that land he went into Assyria, and built Nin′eveh, Reho′both-Ir, Calah, and

And the territory of the Canaanites extended from Sidon, in the direction of Gerar, as far as Gaza, and in the direction of Sodom, Gomor′rah, Admah, and Zeboi′im, as far as Lasha.

These are the sons of Ham, by their families, their languages, their lands, and their nations.

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

The Tower of Babel

Now the whole earth had one language and few words.

And as men migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there.

And the Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language; and this is only the beginning of what they will do; and nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them.

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

Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.

Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his birth, in Ur of the Chal′deans.

Terah took Abram his son and Lot the son of Haran, his grandson, and Sar′ai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram’s wife, and they went forth together from Ur of the Chalde′ans to go into the land of Canaan; but when they came to Haran, they settled there.

The Call of Abram

Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.

And Abram took Sar′ai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all their possessions which they had gathered, and the persons that they had gotten in Haran; and they set forth to go to the land of Canaan. When they had come to the land of Canaan,

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

Then the Lord appeared to Abram, and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” So he built there an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him.

Abram and Sarai in Egypt

Now there was a famine in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land.

so that the land could not support both of them dwelling together; for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together,

and there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s cattle and the herdsmen of Lot’s cattle. At that time the Canaanites and the Per′izzites dwelt in the land.

Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me. If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if you take the right hand, then I will go to the left.”

And Lot lifted up his eyes, and saw that the Jordan valley was well watered everywhere like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, in the direction of Zo′ar; this was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomor′rah.

Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, while Lot dwelt among the cities of the valley and moved his tent as far as Sodom.

for all the land which you see I will give to you and to your descendants for ever.