The Tower of Babel

11 Now the whole earth had one language and one ^[a]speech. ² And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land ^(A)of Shinar, and they dwelt there. ³ Then they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and ^[b]bake them thoroughly.” They had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for mortar. ⁴ And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower ^(B)whose top is in the heavens; let us make a ^(C)name for ourselves, lest we ^(D)be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.”

Herod’s Violent Death

²⁰ Now Herod had been very angry with the people of ^(A)Tyre and Sidon; but they came to him with one accord, and having made Blastus ^[a]the king’s personal aide their friend, they asked for peace, because ^(B)their country was ^[b]supplied with food by the king’s country.

²¹ So on a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat on his throne and gave an oration to them. ²² And the people kept shouting, “The voice of a god and not of a man!” ²³ Then immediately an angel of the Lord ^(C)struck him, because ^(D)he did not give glory to God. And he was eaten by worms and ^[c]died.