1AFTER this I saw another angel descending from heaven with great power, and the earth was lit up with his splendor. 2He shouted with a powerful voice, saying, "Babylon the Great has fallen, has fallen, and has become a habitation of demons and a stronghold of every impure spirit and a stronghold of every unclean and detested bird. 3For all the nations have drunk of the wine of her passion for lewdness and the kings of the earth have committed lewdness with her and by the excess of her luxury the merchants of the earth have grown rich." 4Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, "Come out of her, my people, that you may not take part in her sins nor receive a share in her plagues, 5for her sins have been heaped up to heaven and God has remembered her unrighteous deeds. 6Repay to her as she has paid, and make it double for her deeds. In the cup she mixed mix double for her. 7As much as she glorified herself and played the wanton, so much give her torture and woe. For in her heart she says, 'I sit here a queen; no widow am I and woe I shall not see.' 8For this reason in one day her plagues will come, death and woe and famine, and she shall be burned up in fire. For strong is the Lord God who has judged her. 9"The kings of the earth who have committed lewdness with her and have reveled luxuriously, when they see the smoke of her burning, will wail and beat their breasts. 10Standing afar because of their dismay at her torture, they will say, 'Alas, alas, O great city, Babylon the strong city, for in one hour your doom has come!' 11The merchants of the earth will weep and wail over her, for no one will any longer buy their cargoes, 12cargoes of gold and silver and precious stones and pearls and fine linen and purple and silk and scarlet, all kinds of citrus wood and their many kinds of articles of ivory and their many kinds of articles of costliest wood and brass and iron and marble, 13and cinnamon and spice and incense and ointment and frankincense and wine, and olive oil and fine flour and wheat, and cattle and sheep and horses and chariots, and bodies and souls of men. 14The ripe fruits for which your soul longed have gone from you, and all your dainty and splendid things are lost to you and they will never more be found. 15The traders in these things who grew rich from her will stand afar through dismay at her torture, weeping and wailing 16and saying: 'Alas, alas, for the great city, clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls! 17For in one hour this vast wealth has given place to desolation.' " Every ship captain and every one who sails anywhere, and sailors and all who gain their living on the sea, stood afar 18and shouted as they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, "What city could compare with the great city?" 19They threw dust upon their heads and shouted as they wept and wailed, saying, "Alas, alas, for the great city in which all who had ships on the sea grew rich from her wealth! For in an hour she has been desolated. 20Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you the holy and you apostles and prophets! For God has pronounced sentence in your behalf against her." 21Then one strong angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and hurled it into the sea, saying, "With such violence shall Babylon the great city be hurled down and she will never more be found. 22The music of harpers and musicians and flute-players and trumpeters will never more be heard in you. No master of any art will ever more be found in you. The sound of the mill will never more be heard in you. 23The light of a lamp will never more shine in you. The voices of bridegroom and bride will never again be heard in you. Your merchants were the great ones of the earth; for by your magic arts all the nations were led astray. 24In her was found the blood of prophets and of holy men and of all who had been slain on the earth."