[1] After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great
authority; and the earth was made bright with his splendor. [2] And he
called out with a mighty voice, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! It
has become a dwelling place of demons, a haunt of every foul spirit, a
haunt of every foul and hateful bird; [3] for all nations have drunk the
wine of her impure passion, and the kings of the earth have committed
fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown rich with
the wealth of her wantonness." [4] Then I heard another voice from heaven
saying, "Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest
you share in her plagues; [5] for her sins are heaped high as heaven, and
God has remembered her iniquities. [6] Render to her as she herself has
rendered, and repay her double for her deeds; mix a double draught for her
in the cup she mixed. [7] As she glorified herself and played the wanton,
so give her a like measure of torment and mourning. Since in her heart she
says, `A queen I sit, I am no widow, mourning I shall never see,' [8] so
shall her plagues come in a single day, pestilence and mourning and famine,
and she shall be burned with fire; for mighty is the Lord God who judges
her." [9] And the kings of the earth, who committed fornication and were
wanton with her, will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her
burning; [10] they will stand far off, in fear of her torment, and say,
"Alas! alas! thou great city, thou mighty city, Babylon! In one hour has
thy judgment come." [11] And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn for
her, since no one buys their cargo any more, [12] cargo of gold, silver,
jewels and pearls, fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet, all kinds of
scented wood, all articles of ivory, all articles of costly wood, bronze,
iron and marble, [13] cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine,
oil, fine flour and wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and
slaves, that is, human souls. [14] "The fruit for which thy soul longed has
gone from thee, and all thy dainties and thy splendor are lost to thee,
never to be found again!" [15] The merchants of these wares, who gained
wealth from her, will stand far off, in fear of her torment, weeping and
mourning aloud, [16] "Alas, alas, for the great city that was clothed in
fine linen, in purple and scarlet, bedecked with gold, with jewels, and
with pearls! [17] In one hour all this wealth has been laid waste." And
all shipmasters and seafaring men, sailors and all whose trade is on the
sea, stood far off [18] and cried out as they saw the smoke of her burning,
"What city was like the great city?" [19] And they threw dust on their
heads, as they wept and mourned, crying out, "Alas, alas, for the great
city where all who had ships at sea grew rich by her wealth! In one hour
she has been laid waste. [20] Rejoice over her, O heaven, O saints and
apostles and prophets, for God has given judgment for you against her!"
[21] Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw
it into the sea, saying, "So shall Babylon the great city be thrown down
with violence, and shall be found no more; [22] and the sound of harpers
and minstrels, of flute players and trumpeters, shall be heard in thee no
more; and a craftsman of any craft shall be found in thee no more; and the
sound of the millstone shall be heard in thee no more; [23] and the light
of a lamp shall shine in thee no more; and the voice of bridegroom and
bride shall be heard in thee no more; for thy merchants were the great men
of the earth, and all nations were deceived by thy sorcery. [24] And in her
was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been
slain on earth."
