Genesis 11 consists of two main sections: the tower of Babel and the genealogy of Shem to Abram.

At this time, all people on earth spoke the same language. They settled in the plain of Shinar (Babylonia). They decided to build a city with a tower reaching to the heavens to make a name for themselves and avoid being scattered.

God came down to see the city and tower. He was concerned about what humans might achieve if they remained united with one language. So He confused their language so they couldn't understand each other. This caused people to scatter across the earth. The city was called Babel because God confused the language of the world there. (The Hebrew word bāḇel is rooted in the word bālal, which means "to confuse.")

Genesis 11 also records the descendants of Shem (one of Noah's sons), tracing the lineage from Shem to Terah, the father of Abram (later renamed Abraham). The record shows the gradual decrease in human lifespan after the flood.

The genealogy ends with Terah taking his family, including Abram, from Ur of the Chaldees toward Canaan. They settled in Haran, where Terah died.

Genesis 10, often called the "Table of Nations," provides a genealogical record of Noah's descendants through his three sons — Shem, Ham, and Japheth — and how they populated the earth after the flood.

The chapter begins with Japheth's descendants, who generally settled in the regions of Asia Minor, the Mediterranean islands, and parts of Europe. Notable descendants include Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, and others who became ancestors of various peoples and nations.

Ham's descendants are listed next, including Cush, Mizraim (Egypt), Put, and Canaan. This section specifically mentions Nimrod, a son of Cush described as "a mighty hunter before the LORD" who established kingdoms in Mesopotamia, including Babel. The descendants of Canaan became the Canaanite peoples who settled in the land that would later be promised to Abraham.

Genesis 10 then details Shem's descendants, who primarily settled in the Middle East and became ancestors of the Semitic peoples, including the Hebrews. Notable descendants include Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad (an ancestor of Abraham), Lud, and Aram.

The chapter concludes by explaining that these are the families of Noah's sons according to their genealogies and nations. From these, the nations spread over the earth after the flood.

Genesis 9 describes God's covenant with Noah after the flood waters receded.

God blessed Noah and his sons, telling them to "be fruitful, and multiply" to repopulate the earth. God established a new relationship between humans and animals (saying animals would now fear humans), and humans were now permitted to eat animals for food. God prohibited eating meat with blood still in it and established the sanctity of human life, declaring that whoever shed human blood would have their blood shed in return. God made a covenant with Noah, promising never to destroy all life with a flood again, and He established the rainbow as the sign of this covenant.

After the flood, Noah planted a vineyard, made wine, became drunk, and lay uncovered in his tent. Ham saw his father's nakedness and told his brothers, but Shem and Japheth respectfully covered their father without looking at him. When Noah woke up, he cursed Canaan (Ham's son) to be a servant to his brothers, and he blessed Shem and Japheth. Genesis 9 concludes by noting that Noah lived 350 years after the flood, dying at age 950.

Genesis 8 is the account of the conclusion of the global flood and Noah's emergence from the ark.

God remembered Noah and all the creatures in the ark and sent a wind to help the floodwaters recede. After 150 days, the waters began to decrease. On the seventeenth day of the seventh month, the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat.

The waters continued to recede. By the first day of the tenth month, the tops of mountains became visible. After 40 more days, Noah opened the window of the ark and sent out a raven, which flew back and forth until the earth was dry. He then sent out a dove, which returned, finding no place to rest. Seven days later, he sent the dove again, and it returned with a freshly plucked olive leaf, indicating the waters had receded. After another seven days, he sent the dove once more, and this time it didn't return.

When Noah was 601 years old, on the first day of the first month, the waters had dried from the earth. By the 27th day of the second month, the earth was completely dry. God then commanded Noah to leave the ark with his family and all the animals, instructing them to be fruitful and multiply on the earth.

After exiting, Noah built an altar and offered burnt offerings from the clean animals. God was pleased with the sacrifice and promised never again to curse the ground because of humans or destroy all living creatures this way.

Genesis 7 is the account of the global flood.

God commanded Noah to enter the ark with his family (wife, three sons, and their wives) because He found Noah righteous. God instructed Noah to take seven pairs of clean animals and one pair of unclean animals, plus seven pairs of birds, to preserve their species.

Noah was told that, in seven days, God would send rain for forty days and nights to destroy all living creatures on earth. Noah, at 600 years old, followed God's instructions completely, bringing his family and the animals into the ark.

On the seventeenth day of the second month "were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened." Rain fell for forty days and forty nights, causing waters to rise and lift the ark above the earth. The waters prevailed so mightily that they covered even the highest mountains by more than twenty feet.

Every living thing on dry land — humans, animals, birds, and creatures that move on the ground — perished in the flood. Only Noah and those with him in the ark survived.

The waters flooded the earth for 150 days.

Genesis 6 mentions that "there were giants in the earth" and includes a passage about "sons of God" taking "daughters of men" as wives, resulting in offspring described as "mighty men which were of old, men of renown."

As humanity multiplied on earth, their wickedness increased dramatically. Genesis 6 says that "every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually," causing God deep grief over creating humankind. God resolved to wipe out all living creatures from the earth because of this widespread corruption and violence.

"But, Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD" and is described as righteous and blameless among the people of his time. God instructed Noah to build an ark of cypress wood, providing specific dimensions. The ark was to have three decks and rooms throughout, and it was to be covered with pitch inside and out.

God announced His plan to bring a flood to destroy all life, but He established a covenant with Noah. God commanded Noah to bring his wife, sons, and his sons' wives into the ark, along with two (male and female) of every kind of animal to keep them alive. Noah was also instructed to store food for his family and the animals.

Genesis 6 concludes with Noah's obedience: "According to all that God commanded him, so did he."

Genesis 5 contains the genealogy from Adam to Noah, often called "the book of the generations of Adam." This chapter traces ten generations through the line of Seth (Adam's son), showing the lineage that would eventually lead to Noah.

The chapter follows a consistent pattern for each patriarch:

Here's the genealogical line with their ages:

The chapter concludes by mentioning Noah's three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Genesis 4 is the account of Cain and Abel, the first children of Adam and Eve.

Adam and Eve had two sons: Cain (who became a farmer) and Abel (who became a shepherd). Both brothers brought offerings to God. Cain brought produce from his fields, while Abel brought the firstborn from his flock.

God accepted Abel's offering but rejected Cain's, causing Cain to become angry and envious. God warned Cain about the power of sin. Despite this warning, Cain lured Abel into a field and murdered him.

When God asked Cain where Abel was, Cain famously replied, "Am I my brother's keeper?" God cursed Cain to be a restless wanderer on the earth and marked him so no one would kill him.

Cain settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden, and built a city named after his son Enoch. Genesis 3 concludes with a brief genealogy of Cain's descendants, including Lamech (who boasted about killing a man).

Adam and Eve then had another son named Seth.

Genesis 3 is the account of the fall of humanity, when sin first entered the world.

The serpent, described as "more subtil than any beast of the field," approached Eve in the Garden of Eden and questioned God's command not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

The serpent told Eve that eating the fruit wouldn't cause death but would make them like God, knowing good and evil.

Eve saw that the fruit looked good, desired its wisdom, and ate it. She then gave some to Adam, who also ate it.

Their eyes were opened, they realized they were naked, and they sewed fig leaves together in an effort to cover themselves.

When they heard God walking in the garden, Adam and Eve hid. God called out to them, and Adam admitted they hid because they were naked and afraid.

God asked if they ate from the forbidden tree. Adam blamed Eve, and Eve blamed the serpent.

In Genesis 2, God had said that they would "surely die" if they ate from that tree. In Genesis 3, He described the curse that was to be the indirect consequence of humanity's rebellion:

God made garments out of animal skins for Adam and Eve to wear.

God expelled Adam and Eve from Eden to prevent them from eating from the tree of life and living forever in their fallen state (with the curse). God placed cherubim and a flaming sword to guard the way to the tree of life.

Genesis 2 provides an account of creation from a second perspective, focusing specifically on the creation of humans and the Garden of Eden.

The chapter begins by describing how God rested on the seventh day after completing the work of creation, blessing and sanctifying it as a holy day of rest. It then provides a more detailed account of how God formed man (Adam) from the dust of the ground and breathed life into him.

God planted a garden in Eden as a perfect home for the man and placed him there to work it and care for it. The garden had all kinds of beautiful trees that provided food, including two special trees in the center: the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God commanded Adam that he may eat from any tree in the garden except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, warning that, if he ate from it, he would "surely die."

Four rivers flowed out from Eden, which are described with their geographic contexts.

God observed that it was not good for the man to be alone and made a suitable helper for him. God brought all the animals to Adam to name, but none were a suitable companion. Then God caused Adam to fall into a deep sleep, took one of his ribs, and from it created a woman. When Adam saw her, he joyfully recognized her as "bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh" and called her "woman" because she was taken out of man.

The chapter concludes with the statement that this is why a man leaves his parents and is united with his wife, becoming one flesh. It notes that the man and woman were both naked and felt no shame.