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 aftir these thingis Y siy another aungel comynge doun fro heuene, hauynge greet power; and the erthe was liytned of 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 criede with strong vois, `and seide, Greet Babiloyn felde doun, felde doun, and is maad the habitacioun of deuelis, and the keping of ech vnclene spirit, and `the keping of ech vnclene foul, and hateful.
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 alle folkis drunkun of the wraththe of fornycacioun of hir, and kingis of the erthe, and marchauntis of the erthe, diden fornycacioun with hir; and thei ben maad riche of the vertu of delices of hir.
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 Y herde another vois of heuene, seiynge, My puple, go ye out of it, and be ye not parceneris of the trespassis of it, and ye schulen not resseyue of the woundis of it.
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 the synnes of it camen `til to heuene, and the Lord hadde mynde of the wickidnesse of it.
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].
Yelde ye to it, as sche yeldide to you; and double ye double thingis, aftir her werkis; in the drynke that she meddlid to you, mynge ye double to hir.
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]’!
As myche as sche glorifiede hir silf, and was in delicis, so myche turment yyue to hir, and weilyng; for in hir herte sche seith, Y sitte a queen, and Y am not a widewe, and Y schal not se weiling.
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.”
And therfor in o day hir woundis schulen come, deth, and mornyng, and hungur; and sche schal be brent in fier, for God is strong, that schal deme hir.
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 kingis of the erthe schulen biwepe, and biweile hem silf on hir, whiche diden fornicacioun with hir, and lyueden in delicis, whanne thei schulen se the smoke of the brennyng of it;
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]!’
stondynge fer, for drede of the turmentis of it, and seiynge, Wo! wo! wo! thilke greet citee Babiloyn, and thilke stronge citee; for in oon our thi dom cometh.
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 marchauntis of the erthe schulen wepe on it, and morne, for no man schal bie more the marchaundise of hem;
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 marchaundies of gold, and of siluer, and of preciouse stoon, and of peerl, and of bies, and of purpur, and of silk, and coctyn, and ech tre tymus, and alle vessels of yuer, and alle vessels of preciouse stoon, and of bras, and of yrun, and of marbil,
and canel, and amonye, and of swete smellinge thingis, and oynementis, and encense, and of wyn, and of oyle, and of flour, and of whete, and of werk beestis, and of scheep, and of horsis, and of cartis, and of seruauntis, and other lyues 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 thin applis of the desire of thi lijf wenten awei fro thee, and alle fatte thingis, and ful clere perischiden fro thee.
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],
And marchaundis of these thingis schulen no more fynde tho thingis. Thei that ben maad riche of it, schulen stonde fer, for drede of turmentis of it, wepynge, and mornynge, and seiynge, Wo!
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.
wo! thilke greet citee, that was clothid with bijs, and purpur, and reed scarlet, and was ouergild with gold, and preciouse stoon, and margaritis,
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 oon our so many richessis ben destitute. And ech gouernour, and alle that saylen bi schip in to place, and maryneris, and that worchen in the see, stoden fer,
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 crieden, seynge the place of the brennyng of it, seiynge, What is lijk this greet citee?
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 thei casten poudre on her heedis, and crieden, wepynge, and mornynge, and seiynge, Wo! wo! thilke greet citee, in which alle that han schippis in the see ben maad riche of pricis of it; for in oon our it is desolat.
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!”
Heuene, and hooli apostlis, and prophetis, make ye ful out ioye on it, for God hath demed youre dom of it.
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]!
And o stronge aungel took vp a stoon, as a greet mylne stoon, and keste in to the see, and seide, In this bire thilke greet citee Babiloyn schal be sent, and now it schal no more be foundun.
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 vois of harpis, and of men of musik, and syngynge with pipe and trumpe, schal no more be herd in it. And ech crafti man, and ech craft, schal no more be foundun in it. And the vois of mylne stoon schal no more be herde 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 liyt of lanterne schal no more schyne to thee, and the vois of the hosebonde and of the wijf schal no more yit be herd in thee; for thi marchauntis weren princis of the erthe. For in thi witchecraftis alle folkis erriden.
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 the blood of prophetis and seyntis is foundun in it, and of alle men that ben slayn in erthe.
