Genesis 11:1–9; Psalm 87; Acts 2:1–11; John 14:15–27

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Genesis 11:1–9

The Tower of Babel

Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in zthe land of Shinar and settled there. And they said to one another, Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, aand bitumen for mortar. Then they said, Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower bwith its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth. And cthe Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. And the Lord said, 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. Come, dlet us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech. So ethe Lord dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. Therefore its name was called fBabel, 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.


Psalm 87

Glorious Things of You Are Spoken

A Psalm of lthe Sons of Korah. A Song.

On mthe holy mount nstands the city he founded;

the Lord oloves the gates of Zion

more than all the dwelling places of Jacob.

pGlorious things of you are spoken,

O qcity of God. Selah

Among those who rknow me I mention sRahab and Babylon;

behold, Philistia and Tyre, with tCush1

This one was born there, they say.

And of Zion it shall be said,

This one and that one were born in her;

for the Most High himself will uestablish her.

The Lord records as he vregisters the peoples,

This one was born there. Selah

wSingers and xdancers alike say,

All my ysprings are in you.


Acts 2:1–11

The Coming of the Holy Spirit

When fthe day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like ga mighty rushing wind, and hit filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues ias of fire appeared to them and rested1 on each one of them. And they were all jfilled with the Holy Spirit and began kto speak in other tongues las the Spirit gave them utterance.

Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And mat this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. And nthey were amazed and astonished, saying, Are not all these who are speaking oGalileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and pMedes and qElamites 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 rproselytes, Cretans and Arabianswe hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.


John 14:15–27

Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit

15 bIf you love me, you will ckeep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another dHelper,1 to be with you forever, 17 even ethe Spirit of truth, fwhom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and gwill be2 in you.

18 I will not leave you as orphans; hI will come to you. 19 iYet a little while and the world will see me no more, but jyou will see me. kBecause I live, you also will live. 20 lIn that day you will know that mI am in my Father, and nyou in me, and oI in you. 21 pWhoever has my commandments and qkeeps them, he it is who loves me. And rhe who loves me swill be loved by my Father, and I will love him and tmanifest myself to him. 22 uJudas (not Iscariot) said to him, Lord, how is it vthat you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world? 23 Jesus answered him, wIf anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and xwe will come to him and ymake our home with him. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And zthe word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.

25 These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 26 But the aHelper, the Holy Spirit, bwhom the Father will send in my name, che will teach you all things and dbring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. 27 ePeace I leave with you; fmy peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. gLet not your hearts be troubled, neither hlet them be afraid.