Babylon Is Fallen (Isaiah 21:1–10)
1 WBS And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. BSB BSB: After this I saw another angel descending from heaven with great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his glory.
2 WBS And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of demons, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. 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 WBS For all nations have drank of the wine of the wrath of her lewdness, and the kings of the earth have committed lewd deeds with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her delicacies. 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 WBS And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. 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 WBS For her sins have reached to heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. BSB BSB: For her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.
6 WBS Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double to her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled, fill to her double. 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 WBS How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow. 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 WBS Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her. 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 WBS And the kings of the earth, who have committed lewdness and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning, 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 WBS Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come. 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 WBS And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more: 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 WBS The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all vessels of ivory, and all vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble, 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;
13 WBS And cinnamon, and odors, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men. BSB BSB: of cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, and frankincense; of wine, olive oil, fine flour, and wheat; of cattle, sheep, horses, and carriages; of bodies and souls of slaves.
14 WBS And the fruits that thy soul lusted after have departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly have departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all. 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 WBS The merchants of these things who were made rich by her, shall stand afar off, for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, 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 WBS And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and 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 WBS For in one hour so great riches is come to naught. And every ship-master, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off, 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 WBS And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like this 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 WBS And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, in which were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her opulence! for in one hour is she made desolate. 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 WBS Rejoice over her thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her. 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 WBS And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be no more found. 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 WBS And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be no more heard in thee; and no artificer, of whatever craft he be , shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be no more heard in thee; 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 WBS And the light of a candle shall shine no more in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived. 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 WBS And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon 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.
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