The Tower of Babel
1 aNow the whole earth had one language and the same words. 2 And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. 3 And they said to one another, “Come, let us bmake bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, and cbitumen for mortar. 4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a dname for ourselves, lest we be edispersed over the face of the whole earth.” 5 And the Lord fcame down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. 6 And the Lord said, g“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. 7 Come, let hus go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.” 8 So the Lord dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. 9 Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused1 the language of all the earth. And from there the Lord dispersed them over the face of all the earth.
My Soul Thirsts for You
A Psalm of David.
1 yHear my prayer, O Lord;
give ear to my pleas for mercy!
In your faithfulness answer me, in your righteousness!
2 zEnter not into judgment with your servant,
for ano one living is righteous before you.
3 For the enemy has pursued my soul;
he has crushed my life to the ground;
bhe has made me sit in darkness like those long dead.
4 Therefore cmy spirit faints within me;
my heart within me is appalled.
5 I remember the ddays of old;
I meditate on all that you have done;
I ponder the work of your hands.
6 I stretch out my hands to you;
emy soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah
7 Answer me fquickly, O Lord!
My spirit fails!
Hide not your face from me,
lest I be like those who go down to the pit.
8 Let me hear gin the morning of your steadfast love,
for in you I trust.
hMake me know the way I should go,
for ito you I lift up my soul.
9 jDeliver me from my enemies, O Lord!
I have fled to you for refuge.1
10 Teach me to do your will,
for you are my God!
Let kyour good Spirit llead me
on level ground!
11 mFor your name’s sake, O Lord, preserve my life!
nIn your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble!
12 And in your steadfast love you will ocut off my enemies,
and you will destroy all the adversaries of my soul,
for I am your servant.
The Coming of the Holy Spirit
1 When the day of hPentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a imighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 And divided tongues as of jfire appeared to them and rested1 on each one of them. 4 And they were all kfilled with the Holy Spirit and began to lspeak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
5 Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6 And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because meach one was hearing them speak in his own language. 7 And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? 9 Parthians and Medes and 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 proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” 12 And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13 But others nmocking said, “They are ofilled with new wine.”
Peter’s Sermon at Pentecost
14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. 15 For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day.2 16 But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel:
17 p“‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams;
18 even on my male servants and female servants
in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.
19 And I will show wonders in the heavens above
and signs on the earth below,
blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke;
20 the qsun shall be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood,
before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.
21 And it shall come to pass that reveryone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’
23 Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will bkeep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our chome with him. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.
25 “These things I have spoken to you dwhile I am still with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, ehe will teach you all things and bring to your fremembrance all that I have said to you. 27 gPeace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. hLet not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. 28 You heard me say to you, i‘I am going away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is jgreater than I. 29 And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe. 30 I will no longer talk much with you, for kthe ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, 31 but I do as the Father has lcommanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. mRise, let us go from here.
