Babylon is Destroyed

1After these things, I saw another angel descending from heaven, having great authority. The earth was illuminated with his glory. 2He cried with a mighty sound, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison of every unclean spirit, and a prison of every unclean bird and detestable beast! 3For all the ethnic groups have drunk the wine of her immoral sexual passion. The kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich from the force of her voluptuous sensuality.”

4I heard another sound from heaven, saying, “Y’all come out of her, my people, so that y’all won’t share in her sins, and so that y’all don’t receive any of her plagues, 5for her sins have piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes. 6Y’all are to pay back to her like she paid. And y’all should double it and according to her deeds. In the cup that she poured, y’all pour her a double portion. 7However much she glorified herself and lived sensuously, y’all are to give her that much torture and grief because she says in her heart, ‘I am seated as a queen, and am no widow, and will never see grief.’ 8For this reason her plagues will come in a single day: death, grief, and famine. She will be burned with fire, for strong is the Lord God who has judged her.

Three Woes Over Babylon

9The kings of the earth who committed sexual immorality and lived sensuously with her will weep and beat their chests in grief over her, when they see the smoke of her burning. 10They will stand far away in fear of her torment, saying, ‘Woe! Woe to the great city, Babylon, the strong city! For your judgment has come in single hour.’ 11The merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their cargo any longer: 12cargo of gold, silver, precious stones, pearls, fine linen, purple, silk, scarlet, every kind of citron wood, every ivory article, every article made of expensive wood, brass, iron, and marble, 13and cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, olive oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle, sheep, horses, chariots, and human bodies and souls. 14The fruits that your soul desired after have left you. All things that were sumptuous and shiny have been destroyed from you, and you will never find them. 15The merchants of these things, who became rich from her, will stand far away because of the fear of her torment, weeping and mourning, 16saying, ‘Woe! Woe to the great city, she who was dressed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, and gilded with gold, precious stones, and pearls! 17For in a single hour such vast riches have been laid waste.’ Every shipmaster, and everyone who sails somewhere, and sailor, and as many as earn their living by sea, stood far away 18as they saw at the smoke of her burning, and they began to cry out, saying, ‘What else was like the great city?’ 19They threw dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and mourning, saying, ‘Woe! Woe to the great city in which all who had ships in the sea became rich from her great wealth!’ For in a single hour she was laid waste.

20“Rejoice over her, O heaven, saints, apostles, and prophets, for God has pronounced judgment on her for y’all.”

21A strong angel picked up a stone like a massive millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “The great city of Babylon, will be thrown down with this kind of violence, and will never be found again. 22The sound of harpists, minstrels, flute players, and trumpeters will never be heard in you again. No craftsperson of any craft will ever be found in you again. The sound of a mill will never be heard in you again. 23The light of a lamp will never shine in you again. The sound of the bridegroom and of the bride will never be heard in you again. For your merchants were the tycoons of the earth, and all the ethnic groups were deceived with your magic drugs. 24The blood of prophets and of saints was found in her, along with all who have been butchered on the earth.”