Genesis 10

Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth: and unto them were sons born after the flood.

1This is the family list of Noah's sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. They had sons of their own after the big flood.

2The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras.

2Japheth's sons were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras.

3And the sons of Gomer; Ashkenaz, and Riphath, and Togarmah.

3Gomer's sons were Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah.

4And the sons of Javan; Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.

4Javan's sons were Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.

5By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations.

5From these families came the people who lived by the sea and on islands. Each group had its own land, its own language, and its own nation.

NoteThe KJV says "the isles of the Gentiles." That means lands by the sea and islands where other nations lived. It is not about a group of people called Gentiles.

6And the sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan.

6Ham's sons were Cush, Mizraim, Phut, and Canaan.

7And the sons of Cush; Seba, and Havilah, and Sabtah, and Raamah, and Sabtechah: and the sons of Raamah; Sheba, and Dedan.

7Cush's sons were Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabtechah. Raamah's sons were Sheba and Dedan.

8And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth.

8Cush was the father of Nimrod. Nimrod grew up to be a strong and powerful man on the earth.

9He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD.

9He was a great hunter before the LORD. So people would say, "Like Nimrod, the great hunter before the LORD."

10And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.

10His kingdom began with the cities Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh. They were in the land of Shinar.

11Out of that land went forth Asshur, and builded Nineveh, and the city Rehoboth, and Calah,

11From that land he went to Assyria. There he built the cities Nineveh, Rehoboth, and Calah.

12And Resen between Nineveh and Calah: the same is a great city.

12He also built Resen, which sits between Nineveh and Calah. Calah was a great city.

13And Mizraim begat Ludim, and Anamim, and Lehabim, and Naphtuhim,

13Mizraim was the father of the Ludim, the Anamim, the Lehabim, and the Naphtuhim.

NoteNames like Ludim and Anamim are names of whole groups of people, not one man. Think of them as big families that grew into peoples.

14And Pathrusim, and Casluhim, (out of whom came Philistim,) and Caphtorim.

14He was also father of the Pathrusim and the Casluhim. The Philistines came from the Casluhim. He was father of the Caphtorim too.

15And Canaan begat Sidon his first born, and Heth,

15Canaan's first son was Sidon. His next son was Heth.

16And the Jebusite, and the Amorite, and the Girgasite,

16From Canaan also came the Jebusites, the Amorites, and the Girgasites.

17And the Hivite, and the Arkite, and the Sinite,

17From him came the Hivites, the Arkites, and the Sinites.

18And the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite: and afterward were the families of the Canaanites spread abroad.

18From him came the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites. Later these Canaanite families spread out far and wide.

19And the border of the Canaanites was from Sidon, as thou comest to Gerar, unto Gaza; as thou goest, unto Sodom, and Gomorrah, and Admah, and Zeboim, even unto Lasha.

19The land of Canaan reached from Sidon toward Gerar, as far as Gaza. It also reached toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim, as far as Lasha.

20These are the sons of Ham, after their families, after their tongues, in their countries, and in their nations.

20These are the sons of Ham. They are listed by family, by language, by land, and by nation.

21Unto Shem also, the father of all the children of Eber, the brother of Japheth the elder, even to him were children born.

21Shem had children too. He was the older brother of Japheth. All the children of Eber came from Shem.

22The children of Shem; Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram.

22Shem's sons were Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram.

23And the children of Aram; Uz, and Hul, and Gether, and Mash.

23Aram's sons were Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash.

24And Arphaxad begat Salah; and Salah begat Eber.

24Arphaxad was the father of Salah. Salah was the father of Eber.

25And unto Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg; for in his days was the earth divided; and his brother’s name was Joktan.

25Eber had two sons. One was named Peleg, because in his time the earth was divided. His brother was named Joktan.

NoteThe name Peleg sounds like the old Hebrew word for "split apart." The chapter does not say more about what the splitting was.

26And Joktan begat Almodad, and Sheleph, and Hazarmaveth, and Jerah,

26Joktan was the father of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, and Jerah.

27And Hadoram, and Uzal, and Diklah,

27He was also the father of Hadoram, Uzal, and Diklah.

28And Obal, and Abimael, and Sheba,

28He was the father of Obal, Abimael, and Sheba.

29And Ophir, and Havilah, and Jobab: all these were the sons of Joktan.

29He was the father of Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All of these were the sons of Joktan.

30And their dwelling was from Mesha, as thou goest unto Sephar a mount of the east.

30They lived in the land that goes from Mesha all the way to Sephar. Sephar is a hill in the east.

31These are the sons of Shem, after their families, after their tongues, in their lands, after their nations.

31These are the sons of Shem. They are listed by family, by language, by land, and by nation.

32These are the families of the sons of Noah, after their generations, in their nations: and by these were the nations divided in the earth after the flood.

32These are all the families that came from Noah's sons, listed by their children. From these families, the nations of the earth spread out after the flood.