< Revelation 18 >
1 After this I saw another angel, descending from Heaven, invested with great authority; and the earth was illuminated by his splendour.
After these things, I saw another angel coming down out of the sky, having great authority. The earth was illuminated with his glory.
2 With a mighty voice he cried — ‘She has fallen! She has fallen — Babylon the Great! She has become an abode of demons, a stronghold of every wicked spirit, a stronghold of every foul and hateful bird.
He shouted with a mighty voice, saying, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, and she has become a habitation of demons, a prison of every unclean spirit, and a prison of every unclean bird, and a prison of every unclean and detestable beast.
3 For, after drinking the maddening wine of her licentiousness, all the nations have fallen; while all the kings of the earth have had licentious intercourse with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown rich through the excess of her luxury.’
For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her sexual immorality, the kings of the earth committed sexual immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from the abundance of her luxury."
4 Then I heard another voice from Heaven saying — ‘Come out of her, my People, that you may not participate in her sins, and that you may not suffer from the Curses inflicted upon her.
I heard another voice from heaven, saying, "Come out of her, my people, that you have no participation in her sins, and that you do not receive of her plagues,
5 For her sins are heaped up to the heavens, and God has not forgotten her misdeeds.
for her sins have reached to the sky, and God has remembered her iniquities.
6 Pay her back the treatment with which she has treated you; yes, repay twice over what her actions deserve; in the cup which she mixed for you, mix for her as much again;
Return to her just as she returned, and repay her double as she did, and according to her works. In the cup which she mixed, mix to her double.
7 for her self-glorification and her luxury, give her now an equal measure of torture and misery. In her heart she says ‘I sit here a queen; no widow am I; I shall never know misery.’
However much she glorified herself, and grew wanton, so much give her of torment and mourning. For she says in her heart, 'I sit a queen, and am no widow, and will in no way see mourning.'
8 Therefore in one day shall these Curses befall her — death, misery, and famine, and she shall be utterly consumed by fire; for mighty is the Lord God who condemned her.
Therefore in one day her plagues will come: death, mourning, and famine; and she will be utterly burned with fire; for the Lord God who has judged her is strong.
9 All the kings of the earth who had licentious intercourse with her and shared her luxury will weep and lament over her, when they see the smoke from the burning city,
The kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality and lived wantonly with her, will weep and wail over her, when they look at the smoke of her burning,
10 while they stand at a distance, horrified at her torture, and cry — ‘Alas! Alas! Great City! O mighty City of Babylon! In a single hour your judgment fell.
standing far away for the fear of her torment, saying, 'Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city. For your judgment has come in one hour.'
11 And the merchants of the earth weep and wail over her, because no longer does any one buy their cargoes —
The merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise any more;
12 their cargoes of gold, or silver, or precious stones, or pearls, or fine linen, or purple robes, or silk, or scarlet cloth; nor their many scented woods; nor their many articles of ivory; nor their many articles of choicest wood, or brass, or iron, or marble;
merchandise of gold, silver, precious stones, pearls, fine linen, purple, silk, scarlet, all expensive wood, every vessel of ivory, every vessel made of most precious wood, and of bronze, and iron, and marble;
13 nor their cinnamon, or spice, or incense, or perfumes, or frankincense, or wine, or oil, or fine flour, or wheat, or cattle, or sheep; nor their horses, or chariots, or slaves; nor the bodies and souls of men.
and cinnamon, spice, incense, perfume, frankincense, wine, olive oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle, sheep, horses, chariots, slaves and human lives.
14 The fruit that your soul craved is no longer within your reach, and all dainties and luxuries are lost to you, never to be found again.’
The fruits which your soul lusted after have been lost to you, and all things that were luxury and splendor have perished from you, and you will never ever find them again.
15 The merchants who sold these things, and grew rich by her, will stand at a distance weeping and wailing, horrified at her torture, and crying —
The merchants of these things, who were made rich by her, will stand far away for the fear of her torment, weeping and mourning;
16 ‘Alas! Alas! Great City! O City clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet cloth! O City adorned with gold ornaments, and precious stones, and pearls!
saying, 'Woe, woe, the great city, she who was dressed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls.
17 In a single hour your vast wealth vanished.’ Every ship’s captain and all who sail to any port, and sailors, and all who get their living from the sea, stood at a distance,
For in an hour such great riches are made desolate.' Every shipmaster, and everyone who sails anywhere, and mariners, and as many as gain their living by sea, stood far away,
18 and seeing the smoke from the burning city, cried — ‘What city can compare with the Great City?’
and exclaimed as they looked at the smoke of her burning, saying, 'What is like the great city?'
19 They threw dust on their heads, and, as they wept and wailed, they cried — ‘Alas! Alas! Great City! All who have ships on the sea grew rich through her magnificence. In a single hour it has vanished.’
They cast dust on their heads, and shouting, weeping and mourning, saying, 'Woe, woe, the great city, in which all who had their ships in the sea were made rich by reason of her great wealth.' For in one hour is she made desolate.
20 Rejoice over her, O Heaven, and People of Christ, and Apostles, and Prophets, for God has avenged you on her!
"Rejoice over her, O heaven, you saints, apostles, and prophets; for God has judged your judgment on her."
21 Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and threw it into the sea, crying — ‘So shall Babylon, the Great City, be violently overthrown, never more to be seen.
A mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and cast it into the sea, saying, "Thus with violence will Babylon, the great city, be thrown down, and will be found no more at all.
22 No more shall the music of harpers, or minstrels, or flute players, or trumpeters be heard in you, no more shall any worker, skilled in any art, be found in you; no more shall the sound of a mill be heard in you;
The voice of harpists, minstrels, flute players, and trumpeters will be heard no more at all in you. No craftsman, of whatever craft, will be found any more at all in you. The sound of a mill will be heard no more at all in you.
23 no more shall the light of a lamp shine in you; no more shall the voices of bridegroom and bride be heard in you. Your merchants were the great men of the earth, for all the nations were deceived by your magical charms.
The light of a lamp will shine no more at all in you. The voice of the bridegroom and of the bride will be heard no more at all in you; for your merchants were the princes of the earth; for with your sorcery all the nations were deceived.
24 Yes, and in her was to be found the blood of the Prophets and of Christ’s People, and of all who have been put to death upon the earth.’
In her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slain on the earth."