Genesis 11:1-9

New International Version

The Tower of Babel

11 Now the whole world had one language^(A) and a common speech. ²As people moved eastward,^[a] they found a plain in Shinar^[b]^(B) and settled there.

³They 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. ⁴Then 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)

⁵But the Lord came down^(J) to see the city and the tower the people were building. ⁶The 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. ⁷Come, let us^(L) go down^(M) and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.”^(N)

⁸So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth,^(O) and they stopped building the city. ⁹That 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

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

Exodus 32:1-7

New International Version

The Golden Calf

32 When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain,^(A) they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods^[a] who will go before^(B) us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.”^(C)

²Aaron answered them, “Take off the gold earrings^(D) that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me.” ³So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. ⁴He took what they handed him and made it into an idol^(E) cast in the shape of a calf,^(F) fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, “These are your gods,^[b]^(G) Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.”^(H)

⁵When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of the calf and announced, “Tomorrow there will be a festival^(I) to the Lord.” ⁶So the next day the people rose early and sacrificed burnt offerings and presented fellowship offerings.^(J) Afterward they sat down to eat and drink^(K) and got up to indulge in revelry.^(L)