The Tower of Babel

11 Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in (A)the land of Shinar and settled there. And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, (B)and bitumen for mortar. Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower (C)with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.” And (D)the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. And the Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. Come, (E)let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another's speech.” So (F)the Lord dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. Therefore its name was called (G)Babel, because there the Lord confused[a] the language of all the earth. And from there the Lord dispersed them over the face of all the earth.

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Footnotes

  1. Genesis 11:9 Babel sounds like the Hebrew for confused

The Tower of Babel

11 Now the whole world had one language(A) and a common speech. As people moved eastward,[a] they found a plain in Shinar[b](B) and settled there.

They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks(C) and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone,(D) and tar(E) for mortar. Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens,(F) so that we may make a name(G) for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered(H) over the face of the whole earth.”(I)

But the Lord came down(J) to see the city and the tower the people were building. The Lord said, “If as one people speaking the same language(K) they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. Come, let us(L) go down(M) and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.”(N)

So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth,(O) and they stopped building the city. That is why it was called Babel[c](P)—because there the Lord confused the language(Q) of the whole world.(R) From there the Lord scattered(S) them over the face of the whole earth.

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Footnotes

  1. Genesis 11:2 Or from the east; or in the east
  2. Genesis 11:2 That is, Babylonia
  3. Genesis 11:9 That is, Babylon; Babel sounds like the Hebrew for confused.

The Coming of the Holy Spirit

When (A)the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like (B)a mighty rushing wind, and (C)it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues (D)as of fire appeared to them and rested[a] on each one of them. And they were all (E)filled with the Holy Spirit and began (F)to speak in other tongues (G)as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And (H)at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. And (I)they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking (J)Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and (K)Medes and (L)Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, 11 both Jews and (M)proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.”

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Footnotes

  1. Acts 2:3 Or And tongues as of fire appeared to them, distributed among them, and rested

The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost

When the day of Pentecost(A) came, they were all together(B) in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.(C) They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit(D) and began to speak in other tongues[a](E) as the Spirit enabled them.

Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing(F) Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. Utterly amazed,(G) they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans?(H) Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia,(I) Pontus(J) and Asia,[b](K) 10 Phrygia(L) and Pamphylia,(M) Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene;(N) visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!”

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Footnotes

  1. Acts 2:4 Or languages; also in verse 11
  2. Acts 2:9 That is, the Roman province by that name

Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for (A)if I do not go away, (B)the Helper will not come to you. But (C)if (D)I go, (E)I will send him to you. (F)And when he comes, he will (G)convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, (H)because they do not believe in me; 10 (I)concerning righteousness, (J)because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; 11 (K)concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world (L)is judged.

12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 When (M)the Spirit of truth comes, (N)he will (O)guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but (P)whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will (Q)glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15 (R)All that the Father has is mine; (S)therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

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But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate(A) will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.(B) When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin,(C) because people do not believe in me; 10 about righteousness,(D) because I am going to the Father,(E) where you can see me no longer; 11 and about judgment, because the prince of this world(F) now stands condemned.

12 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear.(G) 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth,(H) comes, he will guide you into all the truth.(I) He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine.(J) That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”

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