Lament Over Babylon the Great

18 After these things I saw another angel descending from heaven, who had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendor. 2 And he cried out with a powerful voice, saying,

“Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great,

and it has become a dwelling place of demons

and a haunt of every unclean spirit

and a haunt of every unclean bird

and a haunt of every unclean and detested animal.

3 For all the nations have drunka

from the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality,

and the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality with her,

and the merchants of the earth have become rich

from the power of her sensuality.”

4 And I heard another voice from heaven saying,

“Come out from her, my people,

so that you will not participate in her sins,

and so that you will not receive her plagues,

5 because her sins have reached up to heaven,

and God has remembered her crimes.

6 Pay back to her as she herself also paid out,

and ⌊pay back double⌋b according to her deeds;

in the cup that she mixed, mix double for her.

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

give to her so much torment and mourning,

because in her heart she said,

‘I sit as a queen, and am not a widow,

and I will never see mourning!’

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

death and mourning and famine—

and she will be burned up with fire,

because the Lord God who passes judgment on her is powerful!”