language

¹Now the earth was of one language and of the same speech. ²And when they were advancing from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they dwelt in it. ³And each one said to his neighbor, “Come, let us make bricks, and bake them with fire.” And they had bricks instead of stones, and pitch instead of mortar. ⁴And they said: “Come, let us make a city and a tower, so that its height may reach to heaven. And let us make our name famous before we are divided into all the lands.” ⁵Then the Lord descended to see the city and the tower, which the sons of Adam were building. ⁶And he said: “Behold, the people are united, and all have one tongue. And since they have begun to do this, they will not desist from their plans, until they have completed their work.

⁹For then I will restore to the people a chosen lip, so that all may invoke the name of the Lord and may serve him with one shoulder.

⁹So it is with you also, for unless you utter with the tongue in plain speech, how will it be known what is said? For then you would be speaking into the air.

⁹After these things, I saw a great crowd, which no one could number, from all the nations and tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and in sight of the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands. ¹⁰And they cried out, with a great voice, saying: “Salvation is from our God, who sits upon the throne, and from the Lamb.”

¹⁰Moses said: “I beg you, O Lord, I was not eloquent yesterday or the day before. And from the time that you have spoken to your servant, I have a greater impediment and slowness of tongue.” ¹¹The Lord said to him: “Who made the mouth of man? And who has formed the mute and the deaf, the seeing and the blind? Was it not I? ¹²Go on, therefore, and I will be in your mouth. And I will teach you what you shall say.”

⁴⁹The Lord will lead over you a nation from far away, even from the furthest parts of the earth, like an eagle flying with great force, whose language you are not able to understand:

⁴The Lord has given me a learned tongue, so that I would know how to uphold with a word, one who has weakened. He rises in the morning, he rises to my ear in the morning, so that I may heed him like a teacher.

²The heavens describe the glory of God, and the firmament announces the work of his hands. ³Day proclaims the word to day, and night to night imparts knowledge. ⁴There are no speeches or conversations, where their voices are not being heard. ⁵Their sound has gone forth through all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.

¹⁰Consider that there are so many different kinds of languages in this world, and yet none is without a voice.

¹And when the days of Pentecost were completed, they were all together in the same place. ²And suddenly, there came a sound from heaven, like that of a wind approaching violently, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. ³And there appeared to them separate tongues, as if of fire, which settled upon each one of them. ⁴And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. And they began to speak in various languages, just as the Holy Spirit bestowed eloquence to them. ⁵Now there were Jews staying in Jerusalem, pious men from every nation that is under heaven. ⁶And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together and was confused in mind, because each one was listening to them speaking in his own language.

²⁷If anyone is speaking in tongues, let there be only two, or at most three, and then in turn, and let someone interpret. ²⁸But if there is no one to interpret, he should remain silent in the church, then he may speak when he is alone with God.

²¹Death and life are in the power of the tongue. Whoever values it shall eat from its fruits.

⁶And he said: “Behold, the people are united, and all have one tongue. And since they have begun to do this, they will not desist from their plans, until they have completed their work.

¹¹For with the speech of lips and with a different language, he will speak to this people.

⁸And how is it that we have each heard them in our own language, into which we were born?

¹⁵Behold, O house of Israel, I will lead over you a far away nation, says the Lord, a robust nation, an ancient nation, a nation whose language you will not know, nor will you understand what they are saying.

²And when they heard him speaking to them in the Hebrew language, they offered a greater silence.

²²And so, tongues are a sign, not for believers, but for unbelievers; and prophecies are not for unbelievers, but for believers.