Babylon Is Fallen

1After these things I saw another angel coming down out of the heaven, having great authority; and the earth was lighted with his glory. 2And he cried with a strong voice, saying, Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, and has become the habitation of demons, and the hold of every unclean spirit, and the den of every unclean and hateful bird; 3because all nations have fallen of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich from the costliness of her delicacy.

4And I heard another voice out of the heaven, saying, Come out from her, my people, in order that you may not partake of her sins, and in order that you may not receive of her plagues; 5because her sins have mounted up to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. 6Give unto her as indeed she has given, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she mixed, mix unto her double: 7as to so many things as she has glorified herself, and lived wantonly, give unto her so much torment and sorrow. Because she says in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow; and I see no sorrow; 8therefore in one day shall her plagues come, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burnt up with fire: because God, the one judging her, is a mighty Lord.

Lament over Babylon

9And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication with her, and lived wantonly, will weep and wail over her, when they may see the smoke of her burning, 10and standing afar off on account of the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, the great city, the strong city, Babylon! because in one hour thy judgment came.

11And the merchants of the earth are weeping and mourning over her; because no one any longer buys their merchandise: 12their merchandise of gold, and of silver, and of precious stones, and of pearls, and of fine linen; and of purple, and of silk, and of scarlet, and all thyine wood, and every vessel of ivory, and every vessel of most valuable wood, and of brass, and of iron, and of marble; 13and cinnamon, and amomum, and incense, and myrrh, and libation, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and cattle, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and bodies and souls of men; 14and the fruit of thy soul's inordinate desire has departed from thee; and all things bright and shining have perished from thee, and they will no longer find them. 15The merchants of these things, who have grown rich from her, will stand a long way off on account of the fear of her torment, weeping and mourning; 16saying, Alas, alas, the great city, clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and gilded with gold, and precious stone, and pearl! because in one hour so great riches have come to desolation. 17And every pilot, and every one sailing to the place, both the sailors and so many as traverse the sea, stood a long way off, 18and they continued to cry seeing the smoke of her burning, saying, Who is like unto the great city? 19And they continued to cast dust upon their heads, and cry, weeping and mourning, saying, Alas, alas, the great city, in which all those having ships in the sea became rich from her costliness! that in one hour she is made desolate.

20Rejoice over her, O heaven, and the saints, and the apostles, and the prophets; because God has judged your judgment from her.

The Doom of Babylon

21And one strong angel lifted up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with a mighty fall shall Babylon the great city, be cast down, and can be found no more. 22And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and flute-players, and trumpeters, shall no more be heard in thee; and every artificer of every art shall no more be found in thee; and the sound of the mill shall no longer be heard in thee; 23and the light of a candle shall no more shine in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and the bride shall no longer be heard in thee: because thy merchants were the great men of the earth; because by thy sorcery all nations were deceived, 24truly in her is found the blood of prophets, and saints, and all those who have been slain upon the earth.