< Revelation 18 >
1 After this, [in the vision] I saw another angel, who had great authority, coming down from heaven. The earth became bright [because] he was shining so intensely/brightly.
And after these thinges, I sawe another Angel come downe from heauen, hauing great power, so that the earth was lightened with his glorie,
2 He shouted with a very loud voice, “[God is about to] completely destroy [DOU] all the very [evil] cities (OR, the very evil [city]) [that] Babylon [represents]. As a result, all [kinds of] evil spirits [DOU] will live there, and all [kinds of] foul and detestable [DOU] birds will live there.
And he cryed out mightily with a loud voyce, saying, It is fallen, it is fallen, Babylon that great citie, and is become the habitation of deuils, and the holde of all foule spirits, and a cage of euery vncleane and hatefull birde.
3 [God will destroy those cities] because [their rulers have persuaded] the people of [MTY] all nations to act very immorally [and idolatrously with the people of] [MET] [those cities, just like] a prostitute persuades men to drink [strong] wine and then commit fornication with her. The rulers of the earth have also acted immorally [and idolatrously] with the people of [MTY] those cities. The merchants of the earth have become rich [because the people of those cities] strongly desired [and bought from the merchants] many (luxuries/expensive things).”
For all nations haue drunken of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the Kings of the earth haue committed fornication with her, and the marchants of the earth are waxed rich of the abundance of her pleasures.
4 I heard [Jesus] speak from heaven. He said, “My people, flee from [those cities], in order that you do not sin as the people [of those cities do. If you sin as they do], I will punish you as I will punish them.
And I heard another voyce from heauen say, Goe out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sinnes, and that ye receiue not of her plagues.
5 [It is as though] their sins have been piled {have piled} up to heaven, and God remembers them [DOU], [so now he will punish them] [MTY].”
For her sinnes are come vp into heauen, and God hath remembred her iniquities.
6 [To the angels whom God assigned to punish those cities, Jesus said], “Pay back/Punish the people of those cities to the same extent that they harmed [other people]. Cause them to suffer twice as much [as they caused other people to suffer] [DOU, MET].
Rewarde her, euen as she hath rewarded you, and giue her double according to her workes: and in the cup that she hath filled to you, fill her ye double.
7 To the same extent that they have boasted about themselves and done the things that they wanted to do, to that extent torment them and cause them to grieve. [Do that because] in their minds they think, ‘We rule as queens! We are not widows, and we will never mourn [as widows do]’!
In as much as she glorified her selfe, and liued in pleasure, so much giue ye to her torment and sorow: for she saith in her heart, I sit being a queene, and am no widowe, and shall see no mourning.
8 So in one day terrible calamities/troubles will come upon them. [The people in those cities] will die, others will mourn for them, people will be hungry [because there will be no food], and [their cities] will be burned up. The Lord God is able to punish those cities [like that], because he is very powerful.”
Therefore shall her plagues come at one day, death, and sorowe, and famine, and she shalbe burnt with fire: for that God which condemneth her, is a strong Lord.
9 “The kings of the earth who have acted immorally [with people of those cities] and have lived with the people of those cities, doing just what they wanted to do, will weep and mourn [DOU] for them when they see the smoke of the fire that is burning those cities.
And the kings of the earth shall bewayle her, and lament for her, which haue committed fornication, and liued in pleasure with her, when they shall see that smoke of that her burning,
10 They will stand far away [from those cities], because they will be afraid [that they will suffer just like the people of those cities] are suffering. They will say, ‘Terrible things will happen to the awesome and mighty cities [represented by] Babylon! [God] will punish them suddenly and swiftly [MTY]!’
And shall stand a farre off for feare of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great citie Babylon, that mightie citie: for in one houre is thy iudgement come.
11 The merchants of the earth will weep and will mourn [DOU] [for those cities], because no one will ever again buy the things that they have [to sell to the people in those cities].
And the marchants of the earth shall weepe and wayle ouer her: for no man byeth their ware any more.
12 [They sell ornaments made] of gold, silver, precious stones, and pearls. They sell [expensive cloth made of] fine linen and silk, [expensive cloth that is dyed] purple and crimson. They sell all kinds of [rare] wood, all kinds of items [made of] ivory, costly wood, bronze, iron, and marble. They sell cinnamon, spice, perfume, frankincense, wine, olive oil, fine flour, and grain. They sell cattle, sheep, horses, and chariots. They even sell human beings [SYN, DOU] to become slaves.
The ware of golde, and siluer, and of precious stone, and of pearles, and of fine linnen, and of purple, and of silke, and of skarlet, and of all maner of Thyne wood, and of all vessels of yuorie, and of all vessels of most precious wood, and of brasse, and of yron, and of marble,
And of cinamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oyle, and fine floure, and wheate, and beastes, and sheepe, and horses, and charets, and seruants, and soules of men.
14 [The merchants will say], ‘The good things you people longed to have are gone! All your luxurious and splendid [DOU] [possessions have vanished!]! They will be gone forever/You will never have them again [LIT]!’
(And the apples that thy soule lusted after, are departed from thee, and all things which were fatte and excellent, are departed from thee, and thou shalt finde them no more)
15 The merchants [who sold] these things and who had become rich by [supplying them] for those [cities] will stand far away, because they will be afraid [that they will suffer just like] the people [of those cities] are suffering. They will weep and mourn [DOU],
The marchants of these thinges which were waxed riche, shall stand a farre off from her, for feare of her torment, weeping and wayling,
16 and they will say, ‘Terrible things [DOU] have happened to the awesome/great [MET] cities! [They were like queens] who dressed themselves in [clothes made of] [MTY] fine linen [cloth] and expensive cloth dyed purple and crimson, and who were adorned with gold, precious stones, and pearls.
And saying, Alas, alas, that great citie, that was clothed in fine linnen and purple, and skarlet, and gilded with gold, and precious stones, and pearles.
17 But suddenly and swiftly [MTY] [God] has destroyed these expensive things.’ Every ship captain, all people who travel by ship, all (sailors/those who work on ships), and all others who earn their living [by traveling on] the ocean will stand far away [from those cities].
For in one houre so great riches are come to desolation. And euery shipmaster, and all the people that occupie shippes, and shipmen, and whosoeuer traffike on the sea, shall stand a farre off,
18 When they see the smoke of the fire that is burning those cities, they will shout, ‘No [other] cities have ever been so awesome!’ [RHQ]
And crie, when they see that smoke of that her burning, saying, What citie was like vnto this great citie?
19 They will throw dust on their heads [to show that they are sad], and they will shout, weep, and mourn [DOU]. They will say, ‘Terrible things have happened to the awesome/great cities, the cities that made all people who own ships [that sail] on the ocean become rich by [carrying] their costly (things for them to sell/merchandise)! [God] has suddenly and swiftly destroyed [MTY] those cities!’”
And they shall cast dust on their heads, and crie, weeping, and wayling, and say, Alas, alas, that great citie, wherein were made rich all that had ships on the sea by her costlinesse: for in one houre she is made desolate.
20 Then someone spoke from heaven saying, “All you who live in heaven, rejoice over what has happened to [the cities represented by] Babylon! You who are God’s people, including you apostles, you (prophets/who speak messages that come directly from God), rejoice, because God has justly punished the people of those cities because they acted in an evil way toward you!”
O heauen, reioyce of her, and ye holy Apostles and Prophets: for God hath punished her to be reuenged on her for your sakes.
21 Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a large stone for grinding grain, and threw it into the ocean. Then he said, “O you people in [APO] the awesome/great cities [represented by] Babylon, your cities will be destroyed so that they will disappear just like that stone disappeared in the ocean! Your cities will be gone forever [LIT]!
Then a mightie Angell tooke vp a stone like a great milstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, With such violence shall that great citie Babylon be cast, and shalbe found no more.
22 In your cities there will never again be [anyone] playing harps, singing, playing flutes, and blowing trumpets. There will no longer be any (skilled workers/craftsmen) making things. There will never again be people grinding [grain at] [MTY] the mills.
And the voyce of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpetters shalbe heard no more in thee, and no craftesman, of whatsoeuer craft he be, shall be found any more in thee: and the sound of a milstone shalbe heard no more in thee.
23 No lamplight will ever again shine. There will never again be the [happy] voices of a bridegroom and his bride. [God will destroy your cities] because your merchants were the most [deceitful] men in the world. You persuaded them to deceive [people of] [MTY] all nations.
And the light of a candle shall shine no more in thee: and the voyce of the bridegrome and of the bride shalbe heard no more in thee: for thy marchants were the great men of the earth: and with thine inchantments were deceiued all nations.
24 You are also [responsible for killing] [MTY] [the] prophets and [others] of God’s people. Indeed, you are the ones who are guilty for the deaths of all those who have been {whom [others] have} killed on the earth!”
And in her was found the blood of the Prophets, and of the Saints, and of all that were slaine vpon the earth.