Babylon Is Fallen
(Isaiah 21:1–10)

1After these things I saw another angel† coming down out of heaven, having great authority; and the earth was illuminated from his glory. 2And he cried out in a strong voice, saying:

“Fallen, fallen is Babylon† the great!†

And she has become a habitation of demons,

and a prison of every unclean spirit,

and a prison of every unclean bird,

and a prison of every unclean creature also having been hated.†

3For all the nations have drunk of† the wine

of the wrath of her sexual immorality;

and the kings of the earth committed sexual immorality with her;

and the merchants of the earth became rich

through the power of her luxury.”

4And I heard another voice out of heaven saying:

“Come forth out of her, My people,†

so that you⁺ may not share together in her sins,

and so that you⁺ may not receive of her plagues.

5For her sins were heaped up to† heaven,

and God remembered her unrighteousnesses.

6Render to her as she also rendered;

and double to her double according to her works.

In the cup that she mixed, mix double to her.

7As much as she glorified herself and lived in luxury,

give to her as much torment and mourning,†

because in her heart she says, ‘I sit as queen,

and I am not a widow, and never shall I see mourning.’

8Because of this, her plagues will come in one day,

death and mourning and famine,

and in fire she will be burned up,

because strong is the Lord God, the One having judged her.”

Lament over Babylon

9And the kings of the earth, the ones having committed sexual immorality and having lived luxuriously with her, will weep† and will wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning,† 10standing from afar because of the fear of her torment, saying:

“Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon,

the strong city!

For in one hour

your judgment came.”

11And the merchants of the earth weep† and mourn over her, because no one buys their cargo any longer— 12cargo of gold, and of silver, and of precious stone, and of pearls; and of fine linen, and of purple, and of silk, and of scarlet; and all thyine wood, and every vessel of ivory, and every vessel of most precious wood, and of bronze, and of iron, and of marble; 13and cinnamon, and spice,† and incense, and myrrh, and frankincense; and wine, and oil, and finest flour, and wheat; and cattle, and sheep, and of horses, and of chariots; and of bodies and souls of men. 14And:†

“The ripe fruit of the desire of your soul

departed from you,

and all the sumptuous things and the splendid things

perished from you,

and they will never find them any longer.”

15The merchants of these things, those having become rich from her, will stand from afar, weeping and mourning because of the fear of her torment, 16saying:

“Woe, woe, the great city,

having been clothed with fine linen and purple and scarlet,

and having been adorned in gold and precious stone and pearl!

17For in one hour

such great wealth was brought to desolation!”

And every shipmaster, and all those sailing to a place, and sailors, and as many as work the sea, stood from afar, 18and they were crying out, seeing the smoke of her burning, saying, “What is like the great city?”

19And they cast dust upon their heads, and they were crying out, weeping and mourning, saying:

“Woe, woe, the great city,

in which all those having ships in the sea

became rich through her wealth!

For in one hour

she was brought to desolation.”

20Rejoice over her, O heaven,

and you saints and apostles† and prophets,

because God judged the judgment of you⁺

against her.

The Doom of Babylon

21And one strong angel took up a stone like a great millstone and cast it into the sea, saying:

“Thus Babylon will be cast down with violence,

the great city,

and shall never be found any longer.

22And the sound of harpists and musicians

and flute players and trumpeters

shall never be heard in you any longer.

And any craftsmen of any craft

shall never be found in you any longer,

and the sound of a millstone

shall never be heard in you any longer.

23And the light of a lamp

shall never shine in you any longer,

and the voice of a bridegroom and a bride

shall never be heard in you any longer.

For your merchants were the great ones of the earth,

because in your sorcery all the nations were deceived.”

24And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints and of all those having been slain on the earth.

Footnotes:

1 Stephanus TR an angel
2 RP “Fallen is Babylon
2 See Isaiah 21:9 and Revelation 14:8.
2 NE, WH, BYZ, and TR a prison of every unclean spirit, and a prison of every unclean bird also having been hated.
3 SBL and WH have fallen by
4 See Jeremiah 51:45.
5 Stephanus TR have reached as far as
7 F35 does not include and mourning.
9 GOC and TR weep for her
9 Or at the sight of the smoking rising from the fire that consumes her; also in verse 18
11 RP will weep
13 BYZ and TR do not include and spice.
14 Or And they will say:
20 TR holy apostles