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