Add parallel Print Page Options

11 Forsooth (all) the land was of one language, and of the same speech. [Forsooth the (whole) earth was of one lip, and of the same words.]

And when they went forth from the east, they found a field in the land of Shinar, and they dwelled therein.

And one said to his neighbour (And they said to one another), Come ye, and make we tilestones, and bake we those with fire; and they had tile for stones, and pitch, either strong glue, for mortar;

and they said, Come ye, and make we to us a city and a tower, whose highness stretch till to (the) heaven(s); and make we solemn our name, before that we be parted into all lands. (and they said, Come ye, and let us make a city, and a tower whose height shall stretch up to the sky; and make we our name well-known, or else we shall soon be parted from each other into all the earth.)

Forsooth the Lord came down to see the city, and the tower, which the sons of Adam builded (which the sons of men were building).

And he said, Lo! the people is one, and one language is to all, and they have begun to make this; neither they shall cease of their thoughts, till they [ful]fill those in work (and they shall not cease from their thoughts, until they have fulfilled them in deed);

therefore come ye, go we down, and shame we there the tongue of them, that each man hear not the voice of his neighbour. (and so come ye, let us go down there, and confuse their tongues, so that each person shall not be able to understand their neighbour’s voice.)

And so the Lord separated them from that place into all (the) lands; and they ceased to build the city.

And therefore the name thereof was called Babel, for the language of all [the] earth was confounded there; and from thence the Lord scattered them on the face of all countries (and from there the Lord scattered them over all the face of the earth).

Read full chapter