1Wæs þa an gereord on eorþan, ond
heora ealre an spræc.
2 Hi ferdon fram eastdele oð þæt hi
comon to anum felde on þam lande Sennar, ond þer wunedon.
3 Ða cwædon hi him betwynan,
"Uton wyrcean us tigelan ond ælan hi on fyre." Witodlice hi hæfdon
tigelan for stan ond tyrwan for weall-lim.
4 Ond cwædon, "Cumað ond utan
wircan us ane burh ond ænne stypel swa heahne ðæt his rof atille þa heofonan,
ond uton mærsian urne namon, ær þan we beon todælede to eallum landum."
5 God þa nyþer astah, þæt he gesega
þa burh ond þone stypel þe Adames sunus getimbroden.
6 God cwæð þa, "Efne þis his an
folc ond gereord him ealum, ond hi ongunnon þis to wircenne; ne hi ne geswicað
heora geþohta, ær þan þe hi mid worce hi gefyllan.
7 Cumað nu eornostlice ond uton niþer
astigan ond heora gereord þer towendon, þæt heora nan ne tocnawe his nextan
stemne."
8 Ond God þa hi todælde swa of þære
stowe to eallum landum, ond hi geswicon to wyrcenne þa buruh.
9 Ond for þi wæs seo burh gehaten
Babel, for þan þe ðær wæs todæled þæt gereord ealre eorþan. God þa hi sende
þanon ofer bradnesse ealra eorðan.
1 Forsothe
the lond was of o langage, and of the same speche.
2 And whanne thei yeden forth fro the eest, thei fonden a feeld in the lond of
Sennaar, and dwelliden ther ynne.
3 And oon seide to his neiybore, Come ye, and make we tiel stonys, and bake we
tho with fier; and thei hadden tiel for stonus, and pitche for morter;
4 and seiden, Come ye, and make we to vs a citee and tour, whos hiynesse
stretche `til to heuene; and make we solempne oure name bifor that we be
departid in to alle londis.
5 Forsothe the Lord cam down to se the citee and tour, which the sones of Adam
bildiden.
6 And he seide, Lo! the puple is oon, and o langage is to alle, and thei han
bigunne to make this, nethir thei schulen ceesse of her thouytis, til thei
fillen tho in werk; therfor come ye, go we doun,
7 and scheende we there the tunge of hem, that ech man here not the voys of his
neiybore.
8 And so the Lord departide hem fro that place in to alle londis; and thei
cessiden to bielde a cytee.
9 And therfor the name therof was clepid Babel, for the langage of al erthe was
confoundide there; and fro thennus the Lord scaterede hem on the face of alle
cuntrees.
[1]
And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.
[2] And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they
found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there.
[3] And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn
them throughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter.
[4] And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top
may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad
upon the face of the whole earth.
[5] And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the
children of men builded.
[6] And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one
language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from
them, which they have imagined to do.
[7] Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they
may not understand one another's speech.
[8] So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all
the earth: and they left off to build the city.
[9] Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there
confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter
them abroad upon the face of all the earth.