A modern English translation drawn directly from the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts. Translated word-for-word where possible, by a committee with scholarly oversight.
Uses the same source texts as the ESV, NASB, and most academic Bibles, including the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia and the Nestle-Aland critical edition.
Genesis 5
Genesis 5 is the fifth chapter of the book of Genesis and the first long genealogy in the Bible. The 32-verse chapter traces ten generations from Adam to Noah, anchoring the narrative line that will lead to the flood in Genesis 6 to 9.
The chapter opens with a return to creation: in the day God created man, he made him in his own likeness, male and female, and called them "man." From there the genealogy moves forward in a fixed pattern. Each father is named with the age at which his son is born, the years he lives afterward, and his total lifespan, followed by the words "and then he died."
The lifespans are striking. Adam lives 930 years, Seth 912, Enosh 905, Kenan 910, Mahalalel 895, and Jared 962. The format is steady and the deaths accumulate.
The pattern breaks for Enoch. Born in the seventh generation, Enoch becomes the father of Methuselah at 65, then walks with God 300 years. The chapter does not say he died. Instead it says, "Enoch walked with God, and then he was no more, because God had taken him away." His total of 365 years is short by the standards of his line.
Methuselah, Enoch's son, lives 969 years, the longest in the Bible. His son Lamech names his own son Noah and says, "May this one comfort us in the labor and toil of our hands caused by the ground that the LORD has cursed." Lamech lives 777 years.
The chapter closes with Noah at age 500, becoming the father of three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. The next chapter will pick up with the corruption of the earth and the flood that Noah's family will survive.
Verse 1. This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, He made him in His own likeness.
Verse 2. Male and female He created them, and He blessed them. And in the day they were created, He called them “man.”
Verse 3. When Adam was 130 years old, he had a son in his own likeness, after his own image; and he named him Seth.
Verse 4. And after he had become the father of Seth, Adam lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters.
Verse 5. So Adam lived a total of 930 years, and then he died.
Verse 6. When Seth was 105 years old, he became the father of Enosh.
Verse 7. And after he had become the father of Enosh, Seth lived 807 years and had other sons and daughters.
Verse 8. So Seth lived a total of 912 years, and then he died.
Verse 9. When Enosh was 90 years old, he became the father of Kenan.
Verse 10. And after he had become the father of Kenan, Enosh lived 815 years and had other sons and daughters.
Verse 11. So Enosh lived a total of 905 years, and then he died.
Verse 12. When Kenan was 70 years old, he became the father of Mahalalel.
Verse 13. And after he had become the father of Mahalalel, Kenan lived 840 years and had other sons and daughters.
Verse 14. So Kenan lived a total of 910 years, and then he died.
Verse 15. When Mahalalel was 65 years old, he became the father of Jared.
Verse 16. And after he had become the father of Jared, Mahalalel lived 830 years and had other sons and daughters.
Verse 17. So Mahalalel lived a total of 895 years, and then he died.
Verse 18. When Jared was 162 years old, he became the father of Enoch.
Verse 19. And after he had become the father of Enoch, Jared lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters.
Verse 20. So Jared lived a total of 962 years, and then he died.
Verse 21. When Enoch was 65 years old, he became the father of Methuselah.
Verse 22. And after he had become the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters.
Verse 23. So Enoch lived a total of 365 years.
Verse 24. Enoch walked with God, and then he was no more, because God had taken him away.
Verse 25. When Methuselah was 187 years old, he became the father of Lamech.
Verse 26. And after he had become the father of Lamech, Methuselah lived 782 years and had other sons and daughters.
Verse 27. So Methuselah lived a total of 969 years, and then he died.
Verse 28. When Lamech was 182 years old, he had a son.
Verse 29. And he named him Noah, saying, “May this one comfort us in the labor and toil of our hands caused by the ground that the LORD has cursed.”
Verse 30. And after he had become the father of Noah, Lamech lived 595 years and had other sons and daughters.
Verse 31. So Lamech lived a total of 777 years, and then he died.
Verse 32. After Noah was 500 years old, he became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
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