1 After these things, I saw another angel come down from heaven; and he had great authority and the earth was illumined by his glory.
2 And he cried with a strong voice, saying: Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great: and hath become a cavern of demons, and the home of every unclean spirit, and the home of every unclean and hateful bird and the home of every unclean and hateful beast of prey.
3 For all the nations have drunken of the wine of her wrath; and the kings of the earth have practised whoredom with her; and the merchants of the earth have been enriched by the abundance of her luxuries.
4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying: Come ye out of her, my people; that ye may not participate in her sins, and may not partake of her plagues.
5 For her sins have reached up to heaven; and God hath remembered her iniquities.
6 Recompense ye to her, as she also hath recompensed; and render to her double, according to her deeds; in the cup which she hath mixed, mix ye to her two fold.
7 As much as she pleased herself with lasciviousness, so much of anguish and sorrow give ye to her. Because she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and I shall see no sorrow;
8 therefore, in one day, shall these her plagues come, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.
9 And the kings of the earth who committed whoredom and were lascivious with her, shall weep, and mourn, and bewail her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,
10 standing afar off, from fear of her torment, [and] saying, Alas, alas ! that great city Babylon, that powerful city; for in one hour is thy judgment come!
11 And the merchants of the earth will mourn over her, because no one purchaseth their cargo;
12 no more, the cargo of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and every aromatic wood, and all vessels of ivory, and all vessels of very precious wood, and of brass, and of iron, and of marble,
13 and cinnamon, and amomum, and aromatics, and unguents, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts of burden, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and the bodies and souls of men.
14 And the fruits which thy soul desired, have departed from thee; and all things delicious and splendid have perished from thee; and the traders in them shall obtain them no more.
15 And they who were enriched from her, will stand afar off, for fear of her torment; and will weep and mourn,
16 saying: Alas, alas! that great city, which was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and gilded with gold, and precious stones, and pearls; because, in one hour, such riches are laid waste.
17 And every pilot, and every navigator to the place, and the sailors, and all who do business by sea) stood afar off,
18 and cried, when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying: What [other] is like this great city !
19 And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping, and mourning, and saying: Alas, alas that great city, in which all that have ships in the sea became rich, by her preciousness; for in one hour she hath become desolate.
20 Rejoice over her, O heaven, and ye Angels, and Legates, and Prophets; because God judgeth your cause with her.
21 And an angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying: So shall Babylon, the great city, be thrown down with violence, and shall no more be found:
22 and the voice of harpers and musicians and pipers and trumpeters, shall no more be heard in thee; and no artificer of any trade, shall be found any more in thee.
23 And the light of a candle, shall not be seen in thee; and the voice of a bridegroom and bride, shall no more be heard in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth, because all nations were seduced by thy sorceries.
24 And in her was found the blood of prophets and saints, and of all those that have been slain on the earth. |