Revelation 18
18
Lament Over Fallen Babylon
1After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven. He had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendor. 2With a mighty voice he shouted:
“ ‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!’#18:2 Isaiah 21:9
She has become a dwelling for demons
and a haunt for every impure spirit,
a haunt for every unclean bird,
a haunt for every unclean and detestable animal.
3For all the nations have drunk
the maddening wine of her adulteries.
The kings of the earth committed adultery with her,
and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries.”
Warning to Escape Babylonʼs Judgment
4Then I heard another voice from heaven say:
“ ‘Come out of her, my people,’#18:4 Jer. 51:45
so that you will not share in her sins,
so that you will not receive any of her plagues;
5for her sins are piled up to heaven,
and God has remembered her crimes.
6Give back to her as she has given;
pay her back double for what she has done.
Pour her a double portion from her own cup.
7Give her as much torment and grief
as the glory and luxury she gave herself.
In her heart she boasts,
‘I sit enthroned as queen.
I am not a widow;#18:7 See Isaiah 47:7,8.
I will never mourn.’
8Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her:
death, mourning and famine.
She will be consumed by fire,
for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.
Threefold Woe Over Babylonʼs Fall
9“When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury see the smoke of her burning, they will weep and mourn over her. 10Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off and cry:
“ ‘Woe! Woe to you, great city,
you mighty city of Babylon!
In one hour your doom has come!’
11“The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes anymore — 12cargoes of gold, silver, precious stones and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet cloth; every sort of citron wood, and articles of every kind made of ivory, costly wood, bronze, iron and marble; 13cargoes of cinnamon and spice, of incense, myrrh and frankincense, of wine and olive oil, of fine flour and wheat; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and human beings sold as slaves.
14“They will say, ‘The fruit you longed for is gone from you. All your luxury and splendor have vanished, never to be recovered.’ 15The merchants who sold these things and gained their wealth from her will stand far off, terrified at her torment. They will weep and mourn 16and cry out:
“ ‘Woe! Woe to you, great city,
dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet,
and glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls!
17In one hour such great wealth has been brought to ruin!’
“Every sea captain, and all who travel by ship, the sailors, and all who earn their living from the sea, will stand far off. 18When they see the smoke of her burning, they will exclaim, ‘Was there ever a city like this great city?’ 19They will throw dust on their heads, and with weeping and mourning cry out:
“ ‘Woe! Woe to you, great city,
where all who had ships on the sea
became rich through her wealth!
In one hour she has been brought to ruin!’
20“Rejoice over her, you heavens!
Rejoice, you people of God!
Rejoice, apostles and prophets!
For God has judged her
with the judgment she imposed on you.”
The Finality of Babylonʼs Doom
21Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea, and said:
“With such violence
the great city of Babylon will be thrown down,
never to be found again.
22The music of harpists and musicians, pipers and trumpeters,
will never be heard in you again.
No worker of any trade
will ever be found in you again.
The sound of a millstone
will never be heard in you again.
23The light of a lamp
will never shine in you again.
The voice of bridegroom and bride
will never be heard in you again.
Your merchants were the worldʼs important people.
By your magic spell all the nations were led astray.
24In her was found the blood of prophets and of Godʼs holy people,
of all who have been slaughtered on the earth.”
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Ḥazon (Revelation) 18
18
1And after this I saw another messenger coming down from the heaven, having great authority, and the earth was lightened from his esteem.
2And he cried with a mighty voice, saying, “Baḇel the great is fallen, is fallen,#Isa. 21:9 and has become a dwelling place of demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, and a haunt for every unclean and hated bird,
3because all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her whoring, and the sovereigns of the earth have committed whoring with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the power of her riotous living.”
4And I heard another voice from the heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.#See Jer. 51:6; Jer. 51:9; Jer. 51:45. See also Jer. 50:8; Jer. 50:13; Jer. 50:28
5“Because her sins have piled up to reach the heaven, and Elohim has remembered her unrighteousnesses.
6“Render to her as she indeed did render, and repay her double according to her works. In the cup which she has mixed, mix for her double.
7“As much as she esteemed herself and lived riotously, so much torture and grief give to her, because in her heart she says, ‘I sit as sovereigness, and I am not a widow, and I do not see mourning at all.’
8“Because of this her plagues shall come in one day: death and mourning and scarcity of food. And she shall be burned up with fire, because יהוה Elohim who judges her is mighty.
9“And the sovereigns of the earth who committed whoring and lived riotously with her shall weep and mourn over her, when they see the smoke of her burning,
10standing at a distance for fear of her torture, saying, ‘Woe! Woe, the great city Baḇel, the mighty city, because your judgment has come in one hour!’
11“And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her, because no one buys their merchandise any more –
12merchandise of gold and silver, and precious stone and pearls, and fine linen and purple, and silk and scarlet, and all citron wood, and every object of ivory, and every object of most precious wood and bronze and iron and marble,
13and cinnamon and incense, and fragrant oil and frankincense, and wine and oil, and fine flour and wheat, and cattle and sheep, and horses and carriages, and bodies and lives of men.
14“And the fruit that your being longed for has gone from you. And all your riches and splendour are lost to you, and you shall find them no more, not at all.
15“The merchants of these, those who became rich by her, shall stand at a distance for fear of her torture, weeping and mourning,
16and saying, ‘Woe! Woe, the great city that was dressed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls!
17For in one hour such great riches was laid waste.’ And every shipmaster, and every passenger, and sailors, and as many as work the sea for their living, stood at a distance,
18and cried out when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, ‘What is like this great city?’
19“And they threw dust on their heads and cried out, weeping and mourning, and saying, ‘Woe! Woe, the great city, in which all who had ships on the sea became rich by her wealth! For in one hour she was laid waste.’
20“Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you set-apart emissaries and prophets, for Elohim has completely avenged you on her!”
21And one mighty messenger picked up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “With such a rush the great city Baḇel shall be thrown down, and shall not be found any more at all.
22“And the sound of harpists, and musicians, and flautists, and trumpeters shall not be heard in you any more at all. And no craftsman of any trade shall be found in you any more at all. And the sound of a millstone shall not be heard in you any more at all.
23“And the light of a lamp shall not shine in you any more at all. And the voice of bridegroom and bride shall not be heard in you any more at all. For your merchants were the great ones of the earth, for by your drug sorcery all the nations were led astray.
24“And in her was found the blood of prophets and set-apart ones, and of all who were slain on the earth.”
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