are those who dwell in the cities of 26. And these men built themthe sea Gihon in the land of Bordna. selves four cities in the land of the 18. These are the families of the plain, and they called the names of children of Japheth according to their cities after their own names. their cities and languages, when they 27. And they and their children were scattered after the tower, and and all belonging to them dwelt in they called their cities after their those cities, and they were fruitful names and occurrences; and these and multiplied greatly and dwelt are the names of all their cities ac- peaceably. cording to their families, which they built in those days after the tower.

28. And Seir the son of Hur, son of Hivi, son of Canaan, went and found a valley opposite to Mount Paran, and he built a city there, and

19. And the children of Ham were Cush, Mitzraim, Phut and Canaan according to their generation he and his seven sons and his houseand cities. hold dwelt there, and he called the

20. All these went and built them- city which he built Seir, according selves cities as they found fit places to his name; that is the land of for them, and they called their cities Seir unto this day.

after the names of their fathers Cush, 29. These are the families of the Mitzraim, Phut and Canaan. children of Ham, according to their 21. And the children of Mitz-languages and cities, when they raim are the Ludim, Anamim, Leha- were scattered to their countries bim, Naphtuchim, Pathrusim, Cas- after the tower. luchim and Caphturim, seven families. 30. And some of the children of 22. All these dwell by the river Shem son of Noah, father of all the Sihor, that is the brook of Egypt, children of Eber, also went and and they built themselves cities and built themselves cities in the places called them after their own names. wherein they were scattered, and 23. And the children of Pathros they called their cities after their and Casloch intermarried together, names. and from them went forth the Pelish- 31. And the sons of Shem were tim, the Azathim, and the Gerarim, Elam, Ashur, Arpachshad, Lud and the Githim and the Ekronim, in all Aram, and they built themselves five families; these also built them- cities and called the names of all selves cities, and they called their their cities after their names. cities after the names of their fathers 32. And Ashur son of Shem and unto this day.

24. And the children of Canaan also built themselves cities, and they called their cities after their names, eleven cities and others without number.

25. And four men from the family of Ham went to the land of the plain; these are the names of the four men, Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboyim.

his children and household went forth at that time, a very large body of them, and they went to a distant land that they found, and they met with a very extensive valley in the land that they went to, and they built themselves four cities, and they called them after their own names and occurrences.

33. And these are the names of the cities which the children of Ash

ur built, Ninevah, Resen, Calach] 3. And he called the first Babel, and Rehobother; and the children saying, because the Lord there conof Ashur dwell there unto this day. founded the language of the whole 34. And the children of Aram also earth; and the name of the second went and built themselves a city, and he called *Erech, because from there they called the name of the city Uz God dispersed them. after their eldest brother, and they dwelt therein; that is the land of Uz to this day.

4. And the third he called †Eched, saying, there was a great battle at that place; and the fourth he called 35. And in the second year after Calnah, because his princes and the tower a man from the house of mighty men were consumed there, Ashur, whose name was Bela, went and they vexed the Lord, they rebelfrom the land of Ninevah to sojourn led and transgressed against him. with his household wherever he 5. And when Nimrod had built could find a place; and they came these cities in the land of Shinar, he until opposite the cities of the plain placed in them the remainder of against Sodom, and they dwelt there. his people, his princes and his mighty 36. And the man rose up and men that were left in his kingdom. built there a small city, and called 6. And Nimrod dwelt in Babel, its name Bela after his name; that and he there renewed his reign over is the land of Zoar unto this day. the rest of his subjects, and he 37. And these are the families of reigned securely, and the subjects the children of Shem according to and princes of Nimrod called his their language and cities, after they name Amraphel, saying that at the were scattered upon the earth after tower his princes and men fell the tower. through his means. 38. And every kingdom, city and 7. And notwithstanding this, Nimfamily of the families of the chil- rod did not return to the Lord, and dren of Noah built themselves many he continued in wickedness and cities after this. teaching wickedness to the sons of men; and Mardon his worse than his father, and continued to add to the abominations of his

39. And they established governments in all their cities, in order to be regulated by their orders; so did all the families of the children of father. Noah forever.

CHAPTER XI.

1. AND Nimrod son of Cush was still in the land of Shinar, and he reigned over it and dwelt there, and he built cities in the land of Shinar.

2. And these are the names of the four cities which he built, and he called their names after the occurrences that happened to them in the building of the tower.

son was

8. And he caused the sons of men to sin, therefore it is said, from the wicked goeth forth wickedness.

9. At that time there was war between the families of the children of Ham, as they were dwelling in the cities which they had built.

10. And Chedorlaomer, king of Elam, went away from the families of

the children of Ham, and he fought | rah answered his son Abram and with them and he subdued them, and said, behold those who created us

he went to the five cities of the are all with us in the house.

plain and he fought against them and he subdued them, and they were under his control.

11. And they served him twelve years, and they gave him a yearly tax. 12. At that time died Nahor, son of Serug, in the forty ninth year of the life of Abram son of Terah.

13. And in the fiftieth year of the life of Abram son of Terah, Abram came forth from the house of Noah, and went to his father's house.

14. And Abram knew the Lord, and he went in his ways and instructions, and the Lord his God was with him.

15. And Terah his father was in those days still captain of the host of king Nimrod, and he still followed strange gods.

20. And Abram said to his father, my lord shew them to me I pray thee; and Terah brought Abram into the chamber of the inner court, and Abram saw, and behold the whole room was full of gods of wood and stone, twelve great images and others less than they without number.

21. And Terah said to his son, behold these are they which made all thou seest upon earth, and which created me and thee, and all mankind.

22. And Terah bowed down to his gods, and he then went away from them, and Abram his son went away with him.

23. And when Abram had gone from them he went to his mother and sat before her, and he said to his mother, behold, my father has shown me those who made heaven and earth, and all the sons of men.

16. And Abram came to his father's house and saw twelve gods standing there in their temples, and the anger of Abram was kindled when he 24. Now therefore hasten and saw these images in his father's house. fetch a kid from the flock, and make 17. And Abram said, as the Lord of it savoury meat, that I may bring liveth these images shall not remain it to my father's gods as an offering in my father's house; so shall the for them to eat; perhaps I may Lord who created me do unto me if thereby become acceptable to them. in three days' time I do not break them all.

25. And his mother did so, and she fetched a kid, and made savoury 18. And Abram went from them, meat thereof, and brought it to and his anger burned within him. Abram, and Abram took the savoury And Abram hastened and went meat from his mother and brought it from the chamber to his father's before his father's gods, and he outer court, and he found his father drew nigh to them that they might sitting in the court, and all his ser- eat; and Terah his father did not vants with him, and Abram came know of it. and sat before him.

19. And Abram asked his father, saying, Father, tell me where is God who created heaven and earth, and all the sons of men upon earth, and who created thee and me. And Te

26. And Abram saw on the day when he was sitting amongst them that they had no voice, no hearing, no motion, and not one of them could stretch forth his hand to eat.

27. And Abram mocked them,

and said, surely the savoury meat generation, whose hearts are all inthat I prepared has not pleased them, clined to vanity, who serve these or perhaps it was too little for them, idols of wood and stone which can and for that reason they would not neither eat, smell, hear nor speak, eat; therefore to-morrow I will pre- who have mouths without speech, pare fresh savoury meat, better and eyes without sight, ears without more plentiful than this, in order hearing, hands without feeling, and that I may see the result. legs which cannot move; like them are those that made them and that trust in them.

28. And it was on the next day that Abram directed his mother concerning the savoury meat, and his mother rose and fetched three fine kids from the flock, and she made of them some excellent savoury meat, such as her son was fond of, and she gave it to her son Abram; and Terah his father did not know of it.

33. And when Abram saw all these things his anger was kindled against his father, and he hastened and took a hatchet in his hand, and came unto the chamber of the gods, and he broke all his father's gods.

34. And when he had done break29. And Abram took the savoury ing the images, he placed the hatchet meat from his mother, and brought in the hand of the great god which it before his father's gods into the was there before them, and he went chamber; and he came nigh unto out; and Terah his father came them that they might eat, and he home, for he had heard at the door placed it before them, and Abram the sound of the striking of the hatchsat before them all day,* thinking per- et; so Terah came into the house haps they might eat. to know what this was about.

30. And Abram viewed them, and behold they had neither voice nor hearing, nor did one of them stretch forth his hand to the meat to eat.

31. And in the evening of that day in that house Abram was clothed with the spirit of God.

32. And he called out and said, wo unto my father and this wicked

35. And Terah, having heard the noise of the hatchet in the room of images, ran to the room to the images, and he met Abram going out.

36. And Terah entered the room and found all the idols fallen down and broken, and the hatchet in the hand of the largest, which was not broken, and the savoury meat which Abram his son had made was still before them.

37. And when Terah saw this his anger was greatly kindled, and he hastened and went from the room to Abram.

*This is continued in the same beautiful strain of irony as the whole; his first visit to the idols with the first dish, his troubling his mother to make fresh delicacies, fearing the first was not good enough, and then his sitting there all day watching them if they would eat, were all to afford him materials for making a noble and for. cible appeal to his father, to show him that he 30. And he found Abram his son exerted his best efforts to please his gods; that still sitting in the house; and he said he attended twice upon them to try their appetites with the most relishing dishes, and that to him, what is this work thou hast he did not do this in haste, but that he had done to my gods? watched them the whole day to see of what his

gods were capable. This strain of irony is not

39. And Abram answered Terah

much inferior to that where Elisha calls on the his father and he said, not so my worshippers of Baal.

lord, for I brought savoury meat

before them, and when I came nigh serve wood and stone, and do after to them with the meat that they this manner? might eat, they all at once stretched forth their hands to eat before the great one had put forth his hand to

eat.

40. And the large one saw their works that they did before him, and his anger was violently kindled against them, and he went and took the hatchet that was in the house and came to them and broke them all, and behold the hatchet is yet in his hand as thou seest..

41. And Terah's anger was kindled against his son Abram, when he spoke this; and Terah said to Abram his son in his anger, what is this tale that thou hast told? Thou speakest lies to me.

45. And forget the Lord God who made heaven and earth, and who created you in the earth, and thereby bring a great evil upon your souls in this matter by serving stone and wood?

46. Did not our fathers in days of old sin in this manner, and the Lord God of the universe brought the waters of the flood upon them and destroyed the whole earth?

47. And how can you continue to do this and serve gods of wood and stone, who cannot hear, or speak, or deliver you from oppression, thereby bringing down the anger of the God of the universe upon you?

48. Now therefore my father re42. Is there in these gods spirit, frain from this, and bring not evil upon soul or power to do all thou hast told thy soul and the souls of thy houseme? Are they not wood and stone, hold. and have I not myself made them, 49. And Abram hastened and and canst thou speak such lies, say- sprang from before his father, and ing that the large god that was with took the hatchet from his father's larthem smote them? It is thou that gest idol, with which Abram broke didst place the hatchet in his hands, it and ran away. and then sayest he smote them all.

50. And Terah, seeing all that 43. And Abram answered his fa- Abram had done, hastened to go from ther and said to him, and how canst his house, and he went to the king thou then serve these idols in whom and he came before Nimrod and stood there is no power to do any thing? before him, and he bowed down to Can those idols in which thou trust- the king; and the king said, what est deliver thee? can they hear thy dost thou want?

prayers when thou callest upon 51. And he said, I beseech thee my them? can they deliver thee from the lord, to hear me-now fifty years back hands of thy enemies, or will they a child was born to me, and thus has fight thy battles for thee against thy he done to my gods and thus has he enemies, that thou shouldst serve spoken; and now therefore, my lord wood and stone which can neither and king, send for him that he may speak nor hear? come before thee, and judge him according to the law, that we may be delivered from his evil.

44. And now surely it is not good for thee nor for the sons of men that are connected with thee, to do these 52. And the king sent three men things; are you so silly, so foolish or so of his servants, and they went and short of understanding that you will brought Abram before the king.