Gen 10 | EE | STEP | This is the story of Shem, Ham and Japheth. They are Noah’s sons. After God covered the earth with water, they had sons.

Genesis 10

1 This is the story of Shem, Ham and Japheth. They are Noah’s sons. After God covered the earth with water, they had sons.

The Japhethites

2 These are the sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech and Tiras. 3 These are the sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath and Togarmah. 4 These are the sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, the Kittim and the Rodanim. ^{▼▼10:4 The Kittim are people who went to live in Cyprus.}

5 These people lived by the sea. They lived in groups. Each group went to live in a different place. Each group spoke its own language.

The Hamites

6 These are the sons of Ham: Cush, Mizraim, Put and Canaan. 7 These are the sons of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah and Sabteca. 8 These are the sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan. 9 Cush was the father of Nimrod. Nimrod grew into a great soldier on the earth. Nimrod was a great hunter in front of the LORD. That is why people say ‘Like Nimrod, a great hunter in front of the LORD’. ^{▼▼10:9 ‘In front of the LORD’ means, ‘God knew that Nimrod was a great hunter.’ Nimrod beat many groups of people, living in many lands. He became a king.}

10 The first of Nimrod’s lands were Babylon, Erech, Akkad and Calneh, in Shinar. 11 From that land he went to Assyria. This is where he built Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir and Calah. 12 He also built Resen. Resen is between Nineveh and Calah, which is a large city. 13 Mizraim was the father of the Ludites, Anamites, Lehabites, Naphtuhites, 14 Pathrusites, Casluhites (this is where Philistines came from) and Caphtorites. ^{▼▼10:14 All these groups of people came from the descendants of Mizraim. They all lived in their own land.}

15 Canaan was the father of Sidon, who was born first. Canaan was also the father of the Hittites, 16 Jebusites, Amorites, Girgashites, 17 Hivites, Arkites, Sinites, 18 Arvadites, Zemarites and Hamathites. After some time had passed, the Canaanite families separated, 19 and the land of Canaan went from Sidon to Gerar, as far as Gaza. It went to Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha. 20 These are all descendants of Ham. They lived in groups in their own parts of the land. Each group spoke their own language.

The Semites

21 Shem also had sons. Shem’s older brother was Japheth. All the sons of Eber are descendants of Shem. 22 These are the sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud and Aram. 23 These are the sons of Aram: Uz, Hul, Gether and Meshech. 24 Arphaxad was the father of Shelah. Shelah was the father of Eber. 25 Eber had 2 sons. He called one Peleg. When he was alive, people began to live in different places on the earth. So he called him Peleg. He called the other son Joktan. ^{▼▼10:25 Peleg means to go away from each other.}

26 Joktan was the father of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, 27 Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, 28 Obal, Abimael, Sheba, 29 Ophir, Havilah and Jobab. All these were the sons of Joktan. 30 The land where they lived went from Mesha to Sephar. This is in the land with hills in the east. 31 These are the descendants of Shem. They lived in groups in their own parts of the land. Each group spoke their own language.

32 All these people (verses 2-13) are descendants of Noah, through many years. They went to live in different parts of the earth. This happened after God covered the earth with water. ^{▼▼10:32 People were living in groups. They lived in different parts of the earth. And each group spoke a different language. Chapter 11 shows us why this happened.}