Babylon is Fallen

1After these things I saw another angel descending out of heaven, having great authority; and the earth was illuminated from his glory. 2And he cried out in a mighty voice, saying:

“Fallen, Fallen is Babylon the great!a

And she has become a habitation of demons,

and a prison of every unclean spirit,

and a prison of every unclean bird,

and a prison of every unclean creatureb also having been hated.

3For all the nations have drunk

ofc the wine of the wrath of her sexual immorality;

and the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality with her;

and the merchants of the earth have been enriched

through the power of her luxury.”

4And I heard another voice from heaven, saying:

“Come out of her, my people,d

so that you may not have fellowship in her sins,

and so that you may not receive of her plagues.

5For her sins have been heaped as high as heaven,

and God has remembered her iniquities.

6Give back to her as she also has rendered;

and pay back double to her, twofold according to her works.

In the cup which she has mixed,

mix double to her.

7So much as she has glorified herself and lived in luxury,

give to her as much torment and misery,

because in her heart she says, ‘I sit as a queen,

and I am never a widow,

and never shall I see mourning.’

8Because of this, her plagues will come in one day,

death and misery and famine,

and she will be burned up with fire,

because mighty is the Lord God, the One having judged her.”

Lament over Babylon

9And the kings of the earth, the ones having committed sexual immorality and having lived luxuriously with her, will weep and will wail for her when they see the smoke of her burning, 10standing from afar because of the fear of her torment, saying:

“Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon,

the strong city!

For in one hour

your judgment has come.”

11And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn for her, because no one buys their cargo any longer— 12cargo of gold, and of silver, and of precious stone, and of pearls; and of fine linen, and of purple, and of silk, and of scarlet; and all thyine wood and of every article of ivory and every article of most precious wood; and of bronze, and of iron, and of marble; 13and cinnamon, and spice, and incense, and myrrh, and frankincense; and wine, and oil, and finest flour, and wheat; and cattle, and sheep, and of horses, and of chariots; and of slaves and souls of men.

14“And the ripe fruits of the desire of your soul

are departed from you,

and all the sumptuous things and the splendid things have departed from you,

and they will not find them any longer.”

15The merchants of these things having been enriched from her will stand from afar, weeping and mourning because of the fear of her torment, 16saying:

“Woe, woe, the great city,

having been clothed with fine linen and purple and scarlet,

and having been adorned with gold and precious stone and pearl!

17For in one hour

such great wealth has been brought to desolation.”

And every shipmaster, and all those sailing to a place, and sailors, and as many as trade by the sea, stood at a distance, 18and were crying out, seeing the smoke of her burning, saying, ‘What is like the great city?’

19And they cast dust upon their heads, and they were crying out, weeping and mourning, saying:

“Woe, woe, the great city,

in which all those having ships in the sea

were enriched through her wealth!

For in one hour she has been brought to desolation.”

20“Rejoice over her, O heaven,

and you saints and apostles and prophets,

because God has judged for you

the judgment against her.”

The Doom of Babylon

21And one mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and cast it into the sea, saying:

“Thus Babylon will be cast down with violence,

the great city,

and shall never be found any longer.

22And the sound of harpists and musicians,

and flute players and trumpeters,

shall never be heard in you any longer.

And any craftsmen of any craft

shall never be found in you any longer,

and the sound of a millstone

shall never be heard in you any longer.

23And the light of lamp

shall never shine in you any longer,

and the voice of a bridegroom and a bride

shall never be heard in you any longer.

For your merchants were the great ones of the earth,

because by your sorcery all the nations were deceived.”

24And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints and of all those having been slain on the earth.