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11 And the whole earth was of one [a]language and of one [b]speech. And it came to pass, as they journeyed [c]east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. And they said one to another, Come, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and [d]slime had they for mortar. And they said, Come, let us build us a city, and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven, and let us make us a name; lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. And Jehovah came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. And Jehovah said, Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language; and this is what they begin to do: and now nothing will be withholden from them, which they purpose to do. Come, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech. So Jehovah scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off building the city. Therefore was the name of it called Babel; because Jehovah did there [e]confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did Jehovah scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.

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Footnotes

  1. Genesis 11:1 Hebrew lip.
  2. Genesis 11:1 Hebrew words.
  3. Genesis 11:2 Or, in the east
  4. Genesis 11:3 That is, bitumen.
  5. Genesis 11:9 Hebrew balal, to confound.

Universal Language, Babel, Confusion

11 Now the whole earth [a]used the same language and [b]the same words. It came about as they journeyed east, that they found a plain in the land (A)of Shinar and [c]settled there. They said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and burn them thoroughly.” And they used brick for stone, and they used (B)tar for mortar. They said, “Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top (C)will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves (D)a name, otherwise we (E)will be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.” (F)The Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. The Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they all have [d](G)the same language. And this is what they began to do, and now nothing which they purpose to do will be [e]impossible for them. Come, (H)let Us go down and there (I)confuse their [f]language, so that they will not understand one another’s [g]speech.” So the Lord (J)scattered them abroad from there over the face of the whole earth; and they stopped building the city. Therefore its name was called [h](K)Babel, because there the Lord confused the [i]language of the whole earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of the whole earth.

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Footnotes

  1. Genesis 11:1 Lit was one lip
  2. Genesis 11:1 Or few or one set of words
  3. Genesis 11:2 Lit dwelt
  4. Genesis 11:6 Lit one lip
  5. Genesis 11:6 Lit withheld from
  6. Genesis 11:7 Lit lip
  7. Genesis 11:7 Lit lip
  8. Genesis 11:9 Or Babylon; cf Heb balal, confuse
  9. Genesis 11:9 Lit lip