1當時全世界只有一種語言和一樣的話。 1And the earth was of one tongue, and of the same speech.
2當人們由東方遷移的時候，在史納爾地方找到了一塊平原，就在那裡住下了。 2And when they removed from the east, they found a plain in the land of Sennaar, and dwelt in it.
3他們彼此說：「來，我們做磚，用火燒透。」他們遂拿磚當石，拿瀝青代灰泥。 3And each one said to his neighbour: Come, let us make brick, and bake them with fire. And they had brick instead of stones, and slime instead of mortar.
4然後彼此說：「來，讓我們建造一城一塔，塔頂摩天，好給我們作記念，免得我們在全地面上分散了！」 4And they said: Come, let us make a city and a tower, the top whereof may reach to heaven: and let us make our name famous before we be scattered abroad into all lands.
5上主遂下來，要看看世人所造的城和塔。 5And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of Adam were building.
6上主說：「看，他們都是一個民族，都說一樣的語言。他們如今就開始做這事；以後他們所想做的，就沒有不成功的了。 6And he said: Behold, it is one people, and all have one tongue: and they have begun to do this, neither will they leave off from their designs, till they accomplish them in deed.
7來，我們下去，混亂他們的語言，使他們彼此語言不通。」 7Come ye, therefore, let us go down, and there confound their tongue, that they may not understand one another's speech.
8於是上主將他們分散到全地面，他們遂停止建造那城。 8And so the Lord scattered them from that place into all lands, and they ceased to build the city.
9為此人稱那地為「巴貝耳」，因為上主在那裡混亂了全地的語言，且從那裡將他們分散到全地面。 9And therefore the name thereof was called Babel, because there the language of the whole earth was confounded: and from thence the Lord scattered them abroad upon the face of all countries.
10以下是閃的後裔：洪水後兩年，閃正一百歲，生了阿帕革沙得； 10These are the generations of Sem: Sem was a hundred years old when he begot Arphaxad, two years after the flood.
11生阿帕革沙得後，閃還活了五百年，也生了其他的兒女。 11And Sem lived after he begot Arphaxad, five hundred years, and begot sons and daughters.
12阿帕革沙得三十五歲時，生了舍拉； 12And Arphaxad lived thirty-five years, and begot Sale.
13生舍拉後，阿帕革沙得還活了四百零三年，也生了其他的兒女。 13And Arphaxad lived after he begot Sale, three hundred and three years; and begot sons and daughters.
14舍拉三十歲時，生了厄貝爾； 14Sale also lived thirty years, and begot Heber.
15生厄貝爾後，舍拉還活了四百零三年，也生了其他的兒女。 15And Sale lived after he begot Heber, four hundred and three years; and begot sons and daughters.
16厄貝爾三十四歲時，生了培肋格； 16And Heber lived thirty-four years, and begot Phaleg.
17生培肋格後，厄貝爾還活了四百三十年，也生了其他的兒女。 17And Heber lived after he begot Phaleg, four hundred and thirty years: and begot sons and daughters.
18培肋格三十歲時，生了勒伍； 18Phaleg also lived thirty years, and begot Reu.
19生勒伍後，培肋格還活了二百零九年，也生了其他的兒女。 19And Phaleg lived after he begot Reu, two hundred and nine years, and begot sons and daughters.
20勒伍三十二歲時，生了色魯格； 20And Reu lived thirty-two years, and begot Sarug.
21生色魯格後，勒伍還活了二百零七年，也生了其他的兒女。 21And Reu lived after he begot Sarug, two hundred and seven years, and begot sons and daughters.
22色魯格三十歲時，生了納曷爾； 22And Sarug lived thirty years, and begot Nachor.
23生納曷爾後，色魯格還活了二百年，也生了其他的兒女。 23And Sarug lived after he begot Nachor, two hundred years: and begot sons and daughters.
24納曷爾活到二十九歲時，生了特辣黑； 24And Nachor lived nine and twenty years, and begot Thare.
25生特辣黑後，納曷爾還活了一百一十九年，也生了其他的兒女。 25And Nachor lived after he begot Thare, a hundred and nineteen years: and begot sons and daughters.
26特辣黑七十歲時，生了亞巴郎、納曷爾和哈郎。 26And Thare lived seventy years, and begot Abram, and Nachor, and Aran.
27以下是特辣黑的後裔：特辣黑生了亞巴郎、納曷爾和哈郎；哈郎生了羅特。 27And these are the generations of Thare: Thare begot Abram, Nachor, and Aran. And Aran begot Lot.
28哈郎在他的出生地，加色丁人的烏爾，死在他父親特辣黑面前。 28And Aran died before Thare his father, in the land of his nativity in Ur of the Chaldees.
29亞巴郎和納曷爾都娶了妻子：亞巴郎的妻子名叫撒辣依；納曷爾的妻子名叫米耳加，她是哈郎的女兒；哈郎是米耳加和依色加的父親。 29And Abram and Nachor married wives: the name of Abram's wife was Sarai: and the name of Nachor's wife, Melcha, the daughter of Aran, father of Melcha, and father of Jescha.
30撒辣依不生育，沒有子女。 30And Sarai was barren, and had no children.
31特辣黑帶了自己的兒子亞巴郎和孫子，即哈郎的兒子羅特，並兒媳，即亞巴郎的妻子撒辣依，一同由加色丁的烏爾出發，往客納罕地去；他們到了哈蘭，就在那裡住下了。 31And Thare took Abram, his son, and Lot the son of Aran, his son's son, and Sarai his daughter in law, the wife of Abram his son, and brought them out of Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Chanaan: and they came as far as Haran, and dwelt there.
32特辣黑死於哈蘭，享壽二百零五歲。 32And the days of Thare were two hundred and five years, and he died in Haran.
注释
11:1-9
原祖由於骄傲违背了天主的命令，洪水以後的人类也犯了同样的罪，因此也受了天主的惩罚。再说，人由於骄傲，彼此不和，必分离四散；分离既久，语言必渐分歧。人类的合一，只有赖基督的神国方可实现（宗2:5-21；默7:9,10；若11:52）。古人所建的城和塔。既含有骄傲的意思（4-7节），因此日後的先知多以此城象徵世上的恶势力（哈1:11；依11:11；达1:2）。
11:10-26
闪族的十大祖先，相似洪水前的十大祖先（5章）。这个族谱，决不是全人类的整个历史，而只是启示历史的系统而已。
11:27-32
按作者的意思，真宗教的信仰只保存在闪族的伟大後裔亚巴郎那一支内，他是选民的始祖，众信友之父（出32:13；依51:1-2；罗4:11）。