Babylon Is Fallen

1After this I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightned with his glory. 2and he cried with a strong voice, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the abode of demons, the dungeon of every foul spirit, and a cage of every impure ill-boding bird. 3for all nations have drunk of the poisonous wine of her idolatry, the kings of the earth have submitted to her idolatries, and the merchants of the earth are grown rich through the abundance of her delicacies.

4And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, come out of her, my people, that ye may not be partakers of her sins, nor share in her plagues: 5for her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembred her iniquities. 6reward her according to her dealings, and repay her double, according to her works: give her twice as much in the same cup which she gave you to drink, 7give her torment and pain in proportion to her pride and luxury; for she said in her heart, "I am enthron'd like a queen, I am no widow, and shall see no sorrow." 8therefore shall her plagues come, mortality, mourning, and famine all at once: and she shall be consumed with fire: for the Lord God, who condemns her, is almighty.

Lament over Babylon

9the kings of the earth, the accomplices of her licentiousness and luxury, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her conflagration, 10frightned at her torments they will stand afar off, and cry, "alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! what! is thy condemnation so suddenly come?"

11the merchants of the earth shall bewail and mourn over her, because there are none to purchase their cargo: 12their gold, and silver, precious stones, and pearls, fine linnen, and purple, their silk, scarlet, and all sort of citron wood, their various vessels of ivory, and of precious wood, of brass, iron, and marble: 13nor their cinnamon, perfumes, essences, and frankincense; nor their wine, oil, fine flour, and wheat; their cattle, sheep, horses, and chariots; nor the servile souls of men. 14the fruits, the object of your delight, are departed from thee, all your delicacy and magnificence are lost, beyond the possibility of a recovery! the merchants 15of these wares who were enrich'd by her, shall stand afar off, under the dread of her torments, with tears and lamentations, 16crying, alas, alas, that great city, that was cloathed in fine linnen, purple, and scarlet: decked with gold, precious stones and pearls: 17her wealth is all sunk in a moment! the pilots and the passengers: the ships-crew, and the super-cargo's shall stand afar off, 18and cry out, when they see the smoke of her burning, what city could be compar'd to this great city? 19they will scatter dust on their heads, and cry with tears, and bemoaning, "alas, alas, that great city, which enrich'd all the traders by sea, by the consumption she made: how is she reduc'd to a desert, in an instant!"

20O heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets, triumph at her ruin, since God hath avenged you on her.

The Doom of Babylon

21Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great milstone, and threw it into the sea, saying, "thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, never to be found any more. 22the musick of the harp, of the flute, and of the trumpet, shall never be heard again in thee: no artist of any kind shall be found again in thee; the sound of a milstone shall never be heard again in thee; 23the lamp shall no more be lighted in thee; the bridal-song shall be heard there no more: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; all nations were seduc'd by thy enchantments. 24here it was, that the blood of the prophets, of the saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth, was found."