Genesis 11:1–9

1 And the whole earth is of one pronunciation, and of the same words, 2and it cometh to pass, in their journeying from the east, that they find a valley in the land of Shinar, and dwell there; 3and they say each one to his neighbour, ‘Give help, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly:’ and the brick is to them for stone, and the bitumen hath been to them for mortar. 4And they say, ‘Give help, let us build for ourselves a city and tower, and its head in the heavens, and make for ourselves a name, lest we be scattered over the face of all the earth.’

5 And Jehovah cometh down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men have builded; 6and Jehovah saith, ‘Lo, the people is one, and one pronunciation is to them all, and this it hath dreamed of doing; and now, nothing is restrained from them of that which they have purposed to do. 7Give help, let us go down, and mingle there their pronunciation, so that a man doth not understand the pronunciation of his companion.’ 8And Jehovah doth scatter them from thence over the face of all the earth, and they cease to build the city; 9therefore hath one called its name Babel, for there hath Jehovah mingled the pronunciation of all the earth, and from thence hath Jehovah scattered them over the face of all the earth.