Babylon Is Fallen (Isaiah 21:1–10)
1 UDB After this I saw another angel, one who had great authority, coming down from heaven. The earth became bright because he was shining so intensely. BSB BSB: After this I saw another angel descending from heaven with great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his glory.
2 UDB He shouted with a very loud voice, "God is about to completely destroy the very evil city of Babylon. As a result, all kinds of evil spirits will live there, and all kinds of foul and detestable birds will live there. Babylon is like a prostitute BSB BSB: And he cried out in a mighty voice: “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a lair for demons and a haunt for every unclean spirit, every unclean bird, and every detestable beast.
3 UDB with whom all the people of the nations have engaged in the passion of sexual immorality, which is like getting drunk on too much wine. Yes, and the kings of the earth have done the same things with her. The world's merchants became rich because she wanted to commit so much sexual immorality." BSB BSB: All the nations have drunk the wine of the passion of her immorality. The kings of the earth were immoral with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown wealthy from the extravagance of her luxury.”
4 UDB I heard Jesus speak from heaven. He said, "My people, flee from that Babylon so that you do not sin as those people do. If you sin as they do, I will punish you in those seven different ways, just as I will punish them. BSB BSB: Then I heard another voice from heaven say: “Come out of her, My people, so that you will not share in her sins or contract any of her plagues.
5 UDB It is as though their sins have been piled up to heaven and God remembers them, so now he will punish them." BSB BSB: For her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.
6 UDB To the angels whom God assigned to punish Babylon, Jesus said, "Pay back the people of that city to the same extent that they harmed other people. Cause them to suffer twice as much as they caused other people to suffer. BSB BSB: Give back to her as she has done to others; pay her back double for what she has done; mix her a double portion in her own cup.
7 UDB To the same extent that Babylon, like a woman, has honored herself and done the things she wanted to do, to that extent torment her and cause her to grieve. Do that because in her mind she thought, 'I rule as a queen! I am not a widow, and I will never mourn as widows do!' BSB BSB: As much as she has glorified herself and lived in luxury, give her the same measure of torment and grief. In her heart she says, ‘I sit as queen; I am not a widow and will never see grief.’
8 UDB So in one day, terrible calamities will come upon her. The people in that city will die, others will mourn for them, people will be hungry because there will be no food, and the city will burn up. The Lord God is able to punish her because he is mighty." BSB BSB: Therefore her plagues will come in one day—death and grief and famine—and she will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.”
Lament over Babylon 9 UDB The kings on earth who have acted immorally with her and have done just what they wanted to do with her will weep and mourn for her when they see the smoke of the fire that will burn there. BSB BSB: Then the kings of the earth who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her will weep and wail at the sight of the smoke rising from the fire that consumes her.
10 UDB They will stand far away from Babylon because they will be afraid that they will suffer just as she does. They will say, "How terrible it is for Babylon, that strong city! God is punishing her suddenly and swiftly!" BSB BSB: In fear of her torment, they will stand at a distance and cry out: “Woe, woe to the great city, the mighty city of Babylon! For in a single hour your judgment has come.”
11 UDB The merchants of the earth will weep and will mourn for her because no one in her will ever again buy the things that they have to sell. BSB BSB: And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, because there is no one left to buy their cargo—
12 UDB They sell ornaments made of gold, silver, precious stones, and pearls. They sell fine linen cloth, silk cloth, cloth that is dyed purple, and cloth that is dyed crimson. They sell all kinds of rare wood, all kinds of items made of ivory, costly wood, bronze, iron, and marble. They sell cinnamon, spice, perfume, frankincense, wine, olive oil, fine flour, and grain. They sell cattle, sheep, horses, and chariots. They even sell human beings as slaves. BSB BSB: cargo of gold, silver, precious stones, and pearls; of fine linen, purple, silk, and scarlet; of all kinds of citron wood and every article of ivory, precious wood, bronze, iron, and marble;
14 UDB The good things you people longed to have are gone! All your luxurious and splendid possessions have vanished! They will be gone forever! BSB BSB: And they will say: “The fruit of your soul’s desire has departed from you; all your luxury and splendor have vanished, never to be seen again.”
15 UDB The merchants who sold these things and who had become rich will stand far away because they will be afraid that they will suffer just as the city has. They will weep and mourn, BSB BSB: The merchants who sold these things and gained their wealth from her will stand at a distance, in fear of her torment. They will weep and mourn,
16 UDB and they will say, "Terrible things have happened to that great city! That city was like a woman dressed in clothes made of fine linen cloth and expensive cloth dyed purple and crimson and adorned with gold, precious stones, and pearls. BSB BSB: saying: “Woe, woe to the great city, clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls!
17 UDB But suddenly and swiftly God has destroyed all these expensive things." Every ship's captain, all people who travel by ship, all sailors, and all others who earn their living by traveling on the ocean will stand far away from the city." BSB BSB: For in a single hour such fabulous wealth has been destroyed!” Every shipmaster, passenger, and sailor, and all who make their living from the sea, will stand at a distance
18 UDB When they see the smoke of the fire that is burning there, they will shout, "No other city has ever been like that great city!" BSB BSB: and cry out at the sight of the smoke rising from the fire that consumes her. “What city was ever like this great city?” they will exclaim.
19 UDB They will throw dust on their heads to show that they are sad, and they will shout, weep, and mourn. They will say, "Terrible things have happened to Babylon. That city made many people rich—the people who had ships that sail on the ocean in order to sell their expensive things. God has suddenly and swiftly destroyed that city!" BSB BSB: Then they will throw dust on their heads as they weep and mourn and cry out: “Woe, woe to the great city, where all who had ships on the sea were enriched by her wealth! For in a single hour she has been destroyed.”
20 UDB Then someone spoke from heaven, saying, "You who live in heaven, rejoice over what has happened to Babylon! You who are God's people, including you apostles and prophets, rejoice. You must rejoice; God has justly punished the people there because they acted so terribly toward you!" BSB BSB: Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, because God has pronounced for you His judgment against her.
The Doom of Babylon 21 UDB Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a large stone for grinding grain, and he threw it into the ocean. Then he said, "You people in the great city of Babylon, God will throw down your city so that it will disappear just as that stone disappeared in the ocean! Your city will be gone forever! BSB BSB: Then a mighty angel picked up a stone the size of a great millstone and cast it into the sea, saying: “With such violence the great city of Babylon will be cast down, never to be seen again.
22 UDB In your city, there will never again be anyone playing harps, singing, playing flutes, or blowing trumpets. There will no longer be any skilled workers making things. There will never again be people grinding grain at the mills. BSB BSB: And the sound of harpists and musicians, of flute players and trumpeters, will never ring out in you again. Nor will any craftsmen of any trade be found in you again, nor the sound of a millstone be heard in you again.
23 UDB No lamp will ever again shine there. There will never again be the happy voices of any bridegroom and his bride. God will destroy your city because your merchants were the most important men in the world. You used witchcraft to deceive all the people of the nations. BSB BSB: The light of a lamp will never shine in you again, and the voices of a bride and bridegroom will never call out in you again. For your merchants were the great ones of the earth, because all the nations were deceived by your sorcery.”
24 UDB You are also responsible for killing the prophets and others of God's people. Indeed, you are guilty of every murder committed on the earth!" BSB BSB: And there was found in her the blood of prophets and saints, and of all who had been slain on the earth.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.