Revelation, 18

1. After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven. So great was his authority that the whole earth was lit up with his glory.

2. In a strong voice he cried out: "Fallen is Babylon the great! Fallen! She has become a haunt of demons, a lodge for every unclean spirit, a nest for any filthy and disgusting bird.

3. She has made all nations drunk with the wine of her lewdness, fornicated with kings of the earth, and glutted the world's merchants with her wantonness and wealth."

4. Then I heard another voice from heaven: "Depart from her, my people, lest you share in her evil and so share in her punishments;

5. for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God keeps count of her crimes.

6. Give back to her as she has given, pay her twice for what she has done. Let her drink a double portion of what she made others do.

7. Give her as much torment and grief as the wantonness she enjoyed herself. For she said to herself, 'I sit as queen, I am not a widow, never will I go into mourning!'

8. And so, suddenly, her plagues will come - death, mourning and famine. She will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord, the judge, who has passed sentence on her."

9. The kings who shared her luxury and committed adultery with her will see the smoke as she burns, and they will weep and lament.

10. They will nevertheless keep their distance, terrified at her punishment, and exclaim: "Alas, alas! Great city that you are, O Babylon, seat of power! Your doom has come in a single hour!"

11. The merchants of the world will mourn over her, for they will lose a market for their goods -

12. their cargoes of gold and silver, precious stones and pearls, fine linen and purple garments, silk and scarlet cloth, fragrant wood, ivory pieces and expensive furniture, bronze, iron and marble,

13. cinnamon and spices, perfume, myrrh and frankincense, wine and olive oil, fine flour and grain, cattle and sheep, horses and carriages, slaves and human lives.

14. They will say: "Gone is the fruit you longed for. Gone are your luxury and splendor. Never will you recover them, never!"

15. The merchants who dealt in these goods, who grew rich from business with the city, will stand at a safe distance for fear of her punishment. Weeping and mourning,

16. they will cry out: "Woe, woe to the great city, to the linen and purple and scarlet you wore, to your gold and pearls, your finery,

17. your great wealth destroyed in an hour!" Every captain and navigator, every sailor and seafarer, will stand afar,

18. crying out on seeing the smoke going up as the city burns to the ground. "What city could have compared with this one?"

19. They will pour dust on their heads and cry out in mourning: "Alas, alas, great city, where all who had ships at sea grew rich through her trade! In an hour she has been devastated."

20. Rejoice over her, O heavens! Rejoice, prophets, saints and apostles! God has rendered justice to you.

21. A powerful angel picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea, saying: "With such violence will Babylon, the great city, be thrown down, never again to be seen.

22. Never again will tunes of harpists, minstrels, trumpeters and flutists be heard in you. Never again will an artisan of any trade be found in you. Never again will the noise of the mill be heard.

23. Never again will the light of a lamp shine in you. The voice of bridegroom and bride will never again be heard in you. Because your traders were the world's great and you led the nations astray by your magic spell.

24. In this city was found blood of prophets and saints - yes, the blood of all who have been slain on the earth."