(Isaiah 21:1–10)
1
And after these things I saw another messenger coming down out of Heaven, having great authority, and the earth was lightened from his glory,
2
and he cried in might [with] a great voice, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! And she became a habitation of demons, and a hold of every unclean spirit, and a hold of every unclean and hateful bird,
3
because all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her whoredom, and the kings of the earth committed whoredom with her, and merchants of the earth were made rich from the power of her indulgence.”
4
And I heard another voice out of Heaven, saying, “Come forth out of her, My people, that you may not partake with her sins, and that you may not receive of her plagues,
5
because her sins have reached up to Heaven, and God remembered her unrighteousness.
6
Render to her as she also rendered to you, and double to her twofold according to her works; in the cup that she mingled mingle to her double.
7
As much as she glorified herself and indulged, so much torment and sorrow give to her, because in her heart she says, I sit [as] queen, and I am not a widow, and I will not see sorrow;
8
because of this, in one day, will come her plagues: death, and sorrow, and famine; and she will be utterly burned in fire, because strong [is] the LORD God who is judging her;
Lament over Babylon
9
and the kings of the earth will weep over her and strike themselves for her, who committed whoredom and indulged with her, when they may see the smoke of her burning,
10
having stood from afar because of the fear of her torment, saying, Woe, woe, the great city! Babylon, the strong city! Because in one hour your judgment came.
11
And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, because no one buys their cargo anymore;
12
cargo of gold, and silver, and precious stone, and pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all fragrant wood, and every vessel of ivory, and every vessel of most precious wood, and brass, and iron, and marble,
13
and cinnamon, and amomum, and incense, and ointment, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and cattle, and sheep, and of horses, and of chariots, and of bodies and souls of men.
14
And the fruits of the desire of your soul went away from you, and all things—the sumptuous and the radiant—went away from you, and no more at all may you find them.
15
The merchants of these things, who were made rich by her, will stand far off because of the fear of her torment, weeping, and mourning,
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and saying, Woe, woe, the great city, that was clothed with fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and gilded in gold, and precious stone, and pearls—
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because in one hour so much riches were made desolate! And every shipmaster, and all the company on the ships, and sailors, and as many as work the sea, stood far off,
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and were crying, seeing the smoke of her burning, saying, What [city is] like to the great city?
19
And they cast dust on their heads, and were crying out, weeping and mourning, saying, Woe, woe, the great city! In which were made rich all having ships in the sea, out of her costliness—for in one hour was she made desolate.
20
Be glad over her, O Heaven, and you holy apostles and prophets, because God judged your judgment of her!”
The Doom of Babylon
21
And one strong messenger took up a stone as a great millstone, and cast [it] into the sea, saying, “Thus with violence will Babylon be cast, the great city, and may not be found anymore at all;
22
and voice of harpists, and musicians, and pipers, and trumpeters, may not be heard at all in you anymore; and any craftsman of any craft may not be found at all in you anymore; and noise of a millstone may not be heard at all in you anymore;
23
and light of a lamp may not shine at all in you anymore; and voice of bridegroom and of bride may not be heard at all in you anymore; because your merchants were the great ones of the earth, because all the nations were led astray in your sorcery,
24
and in her blood of prophets and of holy ones was found, and of all those who have been slain on the earth.”
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