topch 11 next
Greek: Septuagint (LXX)
English: John Barach
Chapter 11
Tower of Babel
1 καὶ ἦν πᾶσα ἡ γῆ χεῖλος ἕν, καὶ φωνὴ μία πᾶσιν. 2 καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ κινῆσαι αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν εὗρον πεδίον ἐν γῇ Σενναὰρ καὶ κατῴκησαν ἐκεῖ. 3 καὶ εἶπεν ἄνθρωπος τῷ πλησίον, δεῦτε πλινθεύσωμεν πλίνθους καὶ ὀπτήσωμεν αὐτὰς πυρί. καὶ ἐγένετο αὐτοῖς ἡ πλίνθος εἰς λίθον, καὶ ἄσφαλτος ἦν αὐτοῖς ὁ πηλός. 4 καὶ εἶπαν, δεῦτε οἰκοδομήσωμεν ἑαυτοῖς πόλιν καὶ πύργον, οὗ ἡ κεφαλὴ ἔσται ἕως τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, καὶ ποιήσωμεν ἑαυτοῖς ὄνομα πρὸ τοῦ διασπαρῆναι ἐπὶ προσώπου πάσης τῆς γῆς. 5 καὶ κατέβη κύριος ἰδεῖν τὴν πόλιν καὶ τὸν πύργον, ὃν ᾠκοδόμησαν οἱ υἱοὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων. 6 καὶ εἶπεν κύριος, ἰδοὺ γένος ἓν καὶ χεῖλος ἓν πάντων, καὶ τοῦτο ἤρξαντο ποιῆσαι, καὶ νῦν οὐκ ἐκλείψει ἐξ αὐτῶν πάντα, ὅσα ἄν ἐπιθῶνται ποιεῖν. 7 δεῦτε καὶ καταβάντες συγχέωμεν ἐκεῖ αὐτῶν τὴν γλῶσσαν, ἵνα μὴ ἀκούσωσιν ἕκαστος τὴν φωνὴν τοῦ πλησίον. 8 καὶ διέσπειρεν αὐτοὺς κύριος ἐκεῖθεν ἐπὶ πρόσωπον πάσης τῆς γῆς, καὶ ἐπαύσαντο οἰκοδομοῦντες τὴν πόλιν καὶ τὸν πύργον. 9 διὰ τοῦτο ἐκλήθη τὸ ὄνομα αὐτῆς Σύγχυσις, ὅτι ἐκεῖ συνέχεεν κύριος τὰ χείλη πάσης τῆς γῆς, καὶ ἐκεῖθεν διέσπειρεν αὐτοὺς κύριος ὁ θεὸς ἐπὶ πρόσωπον πάσης τῆς γῆς. 1 And all the earth was one lip (speech), and there was one voice for all. 2 And it happened as they moved from the east, they found a plain in the land of Sennaar and dwelt there. 3 And a man said to his neighbor, "Come, let us make bricks and bake them with fire." And the brick became to them as stone, and asphalt was their mortar. 4 And they said, "Come, let us build for ourselves a city and a tower, whose top shall be unto heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name before we are scattered upon the face of all the earth." 5 And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the sons of men had built. 6 And the Lord said, "Behold, there is one race and one lip for all, and they have begun to do this; and now nothing shall fail from them, whatever they may undertake to do. 7 Come, let us go down and confuse their tongue there, so that they may not understand each one the voice of his neighbor." 8 And the Lord scattered them from there upon the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city and the tower. 9 Therefore its name was called "Confusion,"[1] because there the Lord confused the lips of all the earth, and from there the Lord God scattered them upon the face of all the earth.
[1]The Septuagint translates the name "Babel" as Σύγχυσις (Sygchysis), which means "Confusion" or "Mingling." While the Hebrew text relies on the phonetic similarity between Babel and the verb balal (to confuse), the Greek translators chose to translate the meaning of the word directly into Greek to ensure their readers understood the theological point: the city was a monument to human pride and the resulting divine disruption of communication.
Descendants of Shem
10 καὶ αὗται αἱ γενέσεις Σήμ· Σὴμ υἱὸς ἑκατὸν ἐτῶν, ὅτε ἐγέννησεν τὸν Ἀρφαξάδ, δευτέρου ἔτους μετὰ τὸν κατακλυσμόν. 11 καὶ ἔζησεν Σὴμ μετὰ τὸ γεννῆσαι αὐτὸν τὸν Ἀρφαξὰδ πεντακόσια ἔτη καὶ ἐγέννησεν υἱοὺς καὶ θυγατέρας καὶ ἀπέθανεν. 10 And these are the generations of Shem: Shem was a hundred years old when he fathered Arphaxad, in the second year after the flood. 11 And Shem lived after he fathered Arphaxad five hundred years, and fathered sons and daughters, and he died.
12 καὶ ἔζησεν Ἀρφαξὰδ ἑκατὸν τριάκοντα πέντε ἔτη καὶ ἐγέννησεν τὸν Καϊνᾶν. 13 καὶ ἔζησεν Ἀρφαξὰδ μετὰ τὸ γεννῆσαι αὐτὸν τὸν Καϊνᾶν ἔτη τετρακόσια τριάκοντα καὶ ἐγέννησεν υἱοὺς καὶ θυγατέρας καὶ ἀπέθανεν. καὶ ἔζησεν Καϊνᾶν ἑκατὸν τριάκοντα ἔτη καὶ ἐγέννησεν τὸν Σαλά. καὶ ἔζησεν Καϊνᾶν μετὰ τὸ γεννῆσαι αὐτὸν τὸν Σαλὰ ἔτη τριακόσια τριάκοντα καὶ ἐγέννησεν υἱοὺς καὶ θυγατέρας καὶ ἀπέθανεν. 12 And Arphaxad lived one hundred and thirty-five years and fathered Kainan. 13 And Arphaxad lived after he fathered Kainan four hundred and thirty years, and fathered sons and daughters, and he died. And Kainan lived one hundred and thirty years and fathered Sala. And Kainan lived after he fathered Sala three hundred and thirty years, and fathered sons and daughters, and he died.
14 καὶ ἔζησεν Σαλὰ ἑκατὸν τριάκοντα ἔτη καὶ ἐγέννησεν τὸν Ἕβερ. 15 καὶ ἔζησεν Σαλὰ μετὰ τὸ γεννῆσαι αὐτὸν τὸν Ἕβερ τριακόσια τριάκοντα ἔτη καὶ ἐγέννησεν υἱοὺς καὶ θυγατέρας καὶ ἀπέθανεν. 14 And Sala lived one hundred and thirty years and fathered Eber. 15 And Sala lived after he fathered Eber three hundred and thirty years, and fathered sons and daughters, and he died.
16 καὶ ἔζησεν Ἕβερ ἑκατὸν τριάκοντα τέσσαρα ἔτη καὶ ἐγέννησεν τὸν Φάλεκ. 17 καὶ ἔζησεν Ἕβερ μετὰ τὸ γεννῆσαι αὐτὸν τὸν Φάλεκ ἔτη τριακόσια ἑβδομήκοντα καὶ ἐγέννησεν υἱοὺς καὶ θυγατέρας καὶ ἀπέθανεν. 16 And Eber lived one hundred and thirty-four years and fathered Phaleg. 17 And Eber lived after he fathered Phaleg three hundred and seventy years, and fathered sons and daughters, and he died.
18 καὶ ἔζησεν Φάλεκ ἑκατὸν τριάκοντα ἔτη καὶ ἐγέννησεν τὸν Ῥαγαῦ. 19 καὶ ἔζησεν Φάλεκ μετὰ τὸ γεννῆσαι αὐτὸν τὸν Ῥαγαῦ διακόσια ἐννέα ἔτη καὶ ἐγέννησεν υἱοὺς καὶ θυγατέρας καὶ ἀπέθανεν. 18 And Phaleg lived one hundred and thirty years and fathered Ragau. 19 And Phaleg lived after he fathered Ragau two hundred and nine years, and fathered sons and daughters, and he died.
20 καὶ ἔζησεν Ῥαγαῦ ἑκατὸν τριάκοντα δύο ἔτη καὶ ἐγέννησεν τὸν Σερούχ. 21 καὶ ἔζησεν Ῥαγαῦ μετὰ τὸ γεννῆσαι αὐτὸν τὸν Σεροὺχ διακόσια ἑπτὰ ἔτη καὶ ἐγέννησεν υἱοὺς καὶ θυγατέρας καὶ ἀπέθανεν. 20 And Ragau lived one hundred and thirty-two years and fathered Serouch. 21 And Ragau lived after he fathered Serouch two hundred and seven years, and fathered sons and daughters, and he died.
22 καὶ ἔζησεν Σεροὺχ ἑκατὸν τριάκοντα ἔτη καὶ ἐγέννησεν τὸν Ναχώρ. 23 καὶ ἔζησεν Σεροὺχ μετὰ τὸ γεννῆσαι αὐτὸν τὸν Ναχὼρ ἔτη διακόσια καὶ ἐγέννησεν υἱοὺς καὶ θυγατέρας καὶ ἀπέθανεν. 22 And Serouch lived one hundred and thirty years and fathered Nachor. 23 And Serouch lived after he fathered Nachor two hundred years, and fathered sons and daughters, and he died.
24 καὶ ἔζησεν Ναχὼρ ἔτη ἑβδομήκοντα ἐννέα καὶ ἐγέννησεν τὸν Θάρα.1 25 καὶ ἔζησεν Ναχὼρ μετὰ τὸ γεννῆσαι αὐτὸν τὸν Θάρα ἔτη ἑκατὸν εἴκοσι ἐννέα καὶ ἐγέννησεν υἱοὺς καὶ θυγατέρας καὶ ἀπέθανεν. 24 And Nachor lived seventy-nine years and fathered Thara. 25 And Nachor lived after he fathered Thara one hundred and twenty-nine years, and fathered sons and daughters, and he died.
26 καὶ ἔζησεν Θάρα ἑβδομήκοντα ἔτη καὶ ἐγέννησεν τὸν Ἅβραμ καὶ τὸν Ναχὼρ καὶ τὸν Ἀρράν. 26 And Thara lived seventy years and fathered Abram, Nachor, and Arran.
27 αὗται δὲ αἱ γενέσεις Θάρα· Θάρα ἐγέννησεν τὸν Ἅβραμ καὶ τὸν Ναχὼρ καὶ τὸν Ἀρράν, καὶ Ἀρρὰν ἐγέννησεν τὸν Λώτ. 28 καὶ ἀπέθανεν Ἀρρὰν ἐνώπιον Θάρα τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ ἐν τῇ γῇ, ᾗ ἐγενήθη, ἐν τῇ χώρᾳ τῶν Χαλδαίων. 29 καὶ ἔλαβον Ἅβραμ καὶ Ναχὼρ ἑαυτοῖς γυναῖκας· ὄνομα τῇ γυναικὶ Ἅβραμ Σάρα, καὶ ὄνομα τῇ γυναικὶ Ναχὼρ Μελχὰ θυγάτηρ Ἀρράν, πατὴρ Μελχὰ καὶ πατὴρ Ἰεσχά. 30 καὶ ἦν Σάρα στεῖρα καὶ οὐκ ἐτεκνοποίει. 27 And these are the generations of Thara: Thara fathered Abram, Nachor, and Arran; and Arran fathered Lot. 28 And Arran died in the presence of Thara his father in the land where he was born, in the country of the Chaldeans. 29 And Abram and Nachor took for themselves wives; the name of Abram's wife was Sara, and the name of Nachor's wife was Melcha, daughter of Arran, the father of Melcha and the father of Jescha. 30 And Sara was sterile and did not bear children.
[1]The Greek uses στεῖρα (steira), the same word used later for Elizabeth in the New Testament. It sets the stage for the miraculous birth of Isaac.
31 καὶ ἔλαβεν Θάρα τὸν Ἅβραμ υἱὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ τὸν Λὼτ υἱὸν Ἀρρὰν υἱὸν τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν Σάραν τὴν νύμφην αὐτοῦ γυναῖκα Ἅβραμ τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐξήγαγεν αὐτοὺς ἐκ τῆς χώρας τῶν Χαλδαίων πορευθῆναι εἰς τὴν γῆν Χαναὰν καὶ ἦλθεν ἕως Χαρρὰν καὶ κατῴκησεν ἐκεῖ. 32 καὶ ἐγένοντο αἱ ἡμέραι Θάρα ἐν Χαρρὰν διακόσια πέντε ἔτη, καὶ ἀπέθανεν Θάρα ἐν Χαρράν. 31 And Thara took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Arran his grandson, and Sara his daughter-in-law, the wife of his son Abram, and led them out from the country of the Chaldeans to go into the land of Canaan; and he came as far as Charran and dwelt there. 32 And the days of Thara in Charran were two hundred and five years, and Thara died in Charran.