Ministry Commons

¹AFTER these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lit by his glory. ²And he cried with a mighty voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen and has become a habitation of those possessed with devils and the shelter of every foul spirit and the shelter of every unclean and detestable bird and the shelter of every unclean and loathsome wild animal. ³Because all nations have drunk of the wine of her wrath and the kings of the earth have committed adultery with her and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the power of her trade. ⁴And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, oh my people, so that you may not become partakers of her sins and lest you be struck by her plagues. ⁵For her sins have reached up to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. ⁶Reward her even as she has rewarded you, and return to her a double portion according to her works; in the cup which she has mixed, mix for her double. ⁷For as much as she has glorified herself and lived deliciously, give her so much torment and sorrow; for she says in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow and will see no sorrow. ⁸Therefore, her plagues will come in 1 day, death and mourning and famine, and she will be burned with fire; for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.

⁹And the kings of the earth who committed adultery and lived deliciously with her will weep and mourn and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning. ¹⁰Standing far away for the fear of her torment, saying, Woe, woe, that great city Babylon, that mighty city. For in one hour you have been condemned. ¹¹And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her; for no man buys their merchandise any longer. ¹²Never again will there be cargoes of gold and silver and precious stones, and pearls and fine linen and purple and silk and scarlet and every kind of aromatic wood, and all manner of vessels of ivory, and all manner of vessels of most precious wood, and of brass and iron and marble ¹³And cinnamon and perfumes and spices and myrrh and frankincense and wine, and oil and fine flour and wheat and cattle and sheep, and horses and chariots and hides and slaves. ¹⁴And the fruits which your soul lusted after are departed from you, and all things which were luxurious and attractive are lost to you, and you will not find them at all any longer. ¹⁵The merchants of these things, who were made rich by her, will stand far away for the fear of her torment, and they will weep and wail, ¹⁶Saying, Woe, woe, that great city, which was clothed with fine linen and purple and scarlet, inlaid with gold, and precious stones and pearls. For in one hour these great riches are destroyed. ¹⁷And every shipmaster and all the travelers in ships and sailors and all those who labor at sea stood far away, ¹⁸And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like to this great city. ¹⁹And they threw dust on their heads and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Woe, woe, that great city, where all who had ships on the sea were made rich by reason of her preciousness. For in one hour she is destroyed. ²⁰Rejoice over her, oh heaven and angels, apostles and prophets, for God has avenged you on her. ²¹And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and cast it into the sea, saying, So will that great city Babylon be overthrown with violence and will not be found at all any longer. ²²And the sound of harpers and musicians and singers and trumpeters will not be heard in you again and no craftsman of whatever craft he be will be found in you at all any longer; ²³And the light of a lamp will not shine in you at all any longer; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride will not be heard in you at all any longer; for your merchants were the great men of the earth; for by your sorceries were all peoples deceived. ²⁴And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints and of all who were slain on the earth.