The judgment of Babylon
1 After these things I saw another angel descending from heaven with great authority. The earth was illuminated with his majesty, 2 and he called out in a mighty voice, “Fallen, fallen, is Babylon the Great! It has become the haunt of demons and a prison for every unclean spirit, unclean bird, unclean beast, and all that is despised. 3 For all the nations and kings of the earth have drunk the wine of the fury of her harlotry, and the merchants of the earth became rich from the power of her indulgence.”
4 And I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, so you don’t share in her sins or take her punishment! 5 For her sins have piled up to heaven and God has not forgotten her crimes. 6 Repay her as she has paid you and do twice as much to her as she’s done to you. Mix her a double helping from the cup she served to you. 7 Hand her as much torture and mourning as the honor and indulgence she demanded for herself, because in her heart she says, ‘I sit as queen; I am not a widow and will never mourn.’ 8 “So in one day all these disasters will come: death, mourning, and starvation. She will be burned down because the Master God Almighty is judging her.
Three woes for Babylon
9 The kings of the earth who indulged in harlotry with her will sob and grieve when they see the smoke from her burning. 10 They will stand far away out of the fear of her torture and say, ‘Woe, woe to the great city, mighty Babylon, because your judgment came in just one hour!’
11 “The merchants of the earth sob and mourn over her, because no one buys their cargo anymore: 12 gold, silver, precious stones, pearls, fine linen of purple and silk and crimson, all kinds of citrus wood, all kinds of things made of ivory or expensive wood, copper, iron, marble, 13 cinnamon, ginger, incense, perfumed oil, frankincense, wine, olive oil, fine wheat flour, grain, livestock, sheep, horses, carriages— and the bodies and souls of people.
14 “ ‘Babylon, the payoff that your soul craved has deserted you; all your delicacies and fancy things are gone from you and cannot be found.’ 15 The merchants who became rich from her will stand far away out of the fear of her torture, sobbing and mourning 16 and saying, ‘Woe, woe to the great city that was clothed in fine purple and crimson linen, and was decorated with gold, precious stones, and pearls! 17 For in only one hour all her immense wealth was desolated.’ ”
Every sea captain, every sailor and mariner, and all who make their living from the sea stood far away. 18 When they came out and saw the smoke of her burning they said, “Who is like that great city?” 19 And they threw dust on their heads and went out sobbing and mourning: “Woe, woe to that great city, by whose wealth all who have ships on the sea made themselves rich, for she was desolated in just one hour! 20 But celebrate her demise, heaven and holy people and apostles and prophets, for God has passed your sentence upon her instead.”
Babylon’s eternal doom
21 Then a strong angel lifted up a huge stone the size of a millstone and threw it into the sea and said, “This is how the great city Babylon will be thrown down and never found again! 22 No longer will the sounds of harpists and musicians and floutists and trumpeters be heard in you, Babylon; no more will designers of every kind of art be found in you; never again will anyone hear the sound of industry in you. 23 Not the tiniest light will shine in you again; the voices of bridegrooms and brides will never be heard in you again. For your merchants were the world’s magnates and by your sorcery they mislead all the nations.” 24 And in her was discovered the blood of all the prophets and holy people who had been slaughtered on the earth.