Lament Over Fallen Babylon
1After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven. He had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendor. 2With a mighty voice he shouted:
“ ‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!’18:2 Isaiah 21:9
She has become a dwelling for demons
and a haunt for every impure spirit,
a haunt for every unclean bird,
a haunt for every unclean and detestable animal.
3For all the nations have drunk
the maddening wine of her adulteries.
The kings of the earth committed adultery with her,
and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries.”
Warning to Escape Babylon’s Judgment
4Then I heard another voice from heaven say:
“ ‘Come out of her, my people,’18:4 Jer. 51:45
so that you will not share in her sins,
so that you will not receive any of her plagues;
5for her sins are piled up to heaven,
and God has remembered her crimes.
6Give back to her as she has given;
pay her back double for what she has done.
Pour her a double portion from her own cup.
7Give her as much torment and grief
as the glory and luxury she gave herself.
In her heart she boasts,
‘I sit enthroned as queen.
I am not a widow;18:7 See Isaiah 47:7,8.
I will never mourn.’
8Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her:
death, mourning and famine.
She will be consumed by fire,
for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.
Threefold Woe Over Babylon’s Fall
9“When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury see the smoke of her burning, they will weep and mourn over her. 10Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off and cry:
“ ‘Woe! Woe to you, great city,
you mighty city of Babylon!
In one hour your doom has come!’
11“The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes anymore— 12cargoes of gold, silver, precious stones and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet cloth; every sort of citron wood, and articles of every kind made of ivory, costly wood, bronze, iron and marble; 13cargoes of cinnamon and spice, of incense, myrrh and frankincense, of wine and olive oil, of fine flour and wheat; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and human beings sold as slaves.
14“They will say, ‘The fruit you longed for is gone from you. All your luxury and splendor have vanished, never to be recovered.’ 15The merchants who sold these things and gained their wealth from her will stand far off, terrified at her torment. They will weep and mourn 16and cry out:
“ ‘Woe! Woe to you, great city,
dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet,
and glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls!
17In one hour such great wealth has been brought to ruin!’
“Every sea captain, and all who travel by ship, the sailors, and all who earn their living from the sea, will stand far off. 18When they see the smoke of her burning, they will exclaim, ‘Was there ever a city like this great city?’ 19They will throw dust on their heads, and with weeping and mourning cry out:
“ ‘Woe! Woe to you, great city,
where all who had ships on the sea
became rich through her wealth!
In one hour she has been brought to ruin!’
20“Rejoice over her, you heavens!
Rejoice, you people of God!
Rejoice, apostles and prophets!
For God has judged her
with the judgment she imposed on you.”
The Finality of Babylon’s Doom
21Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea, and said:
“With such violence
the great city of Babylon will be thrown down,
never to be found again.
22The music of harpists and musicians, pipers and trumpeters,
will never be heard in you again.
No worker of any trade
will ever be found in you again.
The sound of a millstone
will never be heard in you again.
23The light of a lamp
will never shine in you again.
The voice of bridegroom and bride
will never be heard in you again.
Your merchants were the world’s important people.
By your magic spell all the nations were led astray.
24In her was found the blood of prophets and of God’s holy people,
of all who have been slaughtered on the earth.”
Babilonia Asehweɛ
1Yei akyi, mehunuu ɔbɔfoɔ foforɔ sɛ ɔfiri ɔsoro reba fam. Na ɔwɔ tumi kɛseɛ na nʼanimuonyam hyerɛn asase so nyinaa. 2Ɔteaam dendeenden sɛ,
“ ‘Wahwe ase! Babilonia kɛseɛ ahwe ase!’
Adane ahonhommɔne tenaberɛ
ne ahonhom efi nyinaa atɛeɛ.
Nnomaa a wɔyɛ efi a wɔkyiri wɔn nyinaa te ne mu.
3Ɔde ne nsã a ɛyɛ nʼadwamammɔ a
ano yɛ den no maa nnipa nyinaa nomeeɛ.
Asase so ahene ne no bɔɔ adwaman,
na asase so adwadifoɔ nam nʼahonya mmorosoɔ so nyaa wɔn ho.”
4Afei, metee nne foforɔ bi a ɛfiri ɔsoro ka sɛ,
“Momfiri, me nkurɔfoɔ,
na moamfa mo ho amfra bɔne a ɔyɛ no mu,
na mo ne no ankyɛre nʼasotweɛ!
5Ɛfiri sɛ, wɔahyehyɛ ne bɔne atoatoa abɛduru soro,
na Onyankopɔn akae nʼawudie no.
6Sɛdeɛ ɔyɛɛ mo no, monyɛ no saa pɛpɛɛpɛ;
deɛ ɔyɛɛ mo biara no, montua ne so ka mprenu.
Nsa a ɔde maa mo no, monhyɛ no deɛ ano yɛ den mmɔho mmienu.
7Momma nʼayayadeɛ ne nʼawerɛhoɔ nnɔɔso
sɛ animuonyam ne ahonya a ɔpɛ maa ne ho no.
Ɛfiri sɛ, daa ɔka sɛ,
‘Mete ha sɛ ɔhemmaa;
menyɛ okunafoɔ,
na me werɛ renho da!’
8Yei enti, nʼamanehunu a ɛyɛ yadeɛ
awerɛhoɔ ne ɛkɔm bɛba ne so da bi.
Na wɔde ogya ahye no,
ɛfiri sɛ, Awurade Onyankopɔn a ɔbu no atɛn no yɛ kɛseɛ.
9“Sɛ asase so ahene a wɔne no bɔɔ adwaman, dii dɛ no hunu hye a wɔrehye no no wisie a, wɔbɛsu atwa agyaadwoɔ. 10Nʼamanehunu no hu a ɛyɛ enti, wɔbɛgyina akyiri asu sɛ,
“ ‘Due! Due, Ao, kuropɔn kɛseɛ,
Ao Babilonia, kuropɔn a ɛwɔ tumi!
Dɔnhwere baako pɛ mu, wʼatemmuo aba.’
11“Adwadifoɔ a wɔwɔ asase so nso su no ɛfiri sɛ, obiara ntɔ wɔn nneɛma bio. 12Obiara ntɔ sikakɔkɔɔ ne dwetɛ, ne aboɔden aboɔ ne nhweneɛ pa, ne nwera pa ne ntoma afasebire ne serekye ne tam kɔkɔɔ, ne nnua a ɛyɛ hwam nyinaa ne asonse adwinneɛ nyinaa, ne adwinneɛ a wɔde nnua a ɛwɔ din ayɛ, ne ayowaa ne dadeɛ ne abohemaa, 13ne pɛperɛ ne mmorɔngo, ne nnuhwam ne kurobo, ne hwamfufuo ne nsã ne ngo, ne asikyiresiam muhumuhu ne ayuo, ne nyɛmmoa ne nnwan ne apɔnkɔ ne nteaseɛnam ne nkoa ne nnipa akra.
14“Adwadifoɔ no bɛka sɛ, ‘Nneɛma pa a wopere hwehwɛeɛ no nyinaa ayera, na wʼahonya ne wʼanimuonyam no kɔ, na wo nsa renka bio.’ 15Adwadifoɔ a wɔnyaa wɔn ho wɔ kuro no mu no bɛgyina akyirikyiri ɛfiri sɛ, wɔsuro amanehunu a ɔrehunu no. Wɔbɛsu na wɔatwa agyaadwoɔ, 16na wɔaka sɛ:
“ ‘Due! Due, Ao, kuropɔn kɛseɛ a
ɔfira nwera pa ne ntoma afasebire ne tam kɔkɔɔ,
na sika ne aboɔden aboɔ ne nhwene pa bobɔ mu.
17Dɔnhwere pɛ, na saa ahonya dodoɔ yi asɛe.’
“Ahyɛnkafoɔ panin ne ɛhyɛn no mu nnipa, ne ɛhyɛn no mu adwumayɛfoɔ, ne wɔn a wɔka ho a wɔnya wɔn anoduane firi ɛhyɛn adwumayɛ mu no nyinaa gyinaa akyirikyiri. 18Wɔsuiɛ wɔ ɛberɛ a wɔhunuu ogya a ɛrehyeɛ no wisie no, wɔteam ka sɛ ‘Kuropɔn biara a ne kɛseɛ te sɛi mmaa da.’ ” 19Wɔtoo mfuturo guu wɔn atifi na wɔsu twaa agyaadwoɔ sɛ,
“ ‘Due! Due Ao kuropɔn kɛseɛ,
wo a wɔn a wɔwɔ ahyɛn wɔ wo mu no
nam wʼahonya so yɛɛ adefoɔ.
Na dɔnhwereɛ baako pɛ mu, wɔahwere biribiara!’
20“Ma wʼani nnye ne ho. Ao, ɔsoro!
Ahotefoɔ ne asomafoɔ ne
adiyifoɔ mo ani nnye!
Ɛkwan a ɔde mo faa so enti,
Onyankopɔn abu no atɛn.”
21Afei, ɔbɔfoɔ hoɔdenfoɔ bi faa ɛboɔ a ne kɛseɛ bɛyɛ sɛ owiyammoɔ to twenee ɛpo mu kaa sɛ,
“Saa ahoɔden yi ara
na wɔde bɛto Babilonia kɛseɛ no atwene,
a wɔrenhunu no bio.
22Wɔrente sankubɔfoɔ ne nnwomtofoɔ, atɛntɛbɛnbɔfoɔ ne totorobɛntohyɛnfoɔ nka bio wɔ mo mu.
Wɔrenhunu odwumfoɔ biara wɔ wo mu bio.
Na wɔrente owiyamfoɔ biara nka wɔ wo mu bio.
23Kanea hann
renhyerɛn wɔ wo mu bio.
Wɔrente ayeforɔkunu ne ayeforɔyere
nne wɔ wo mu bio.
Wʼadwadifoɔ yɛ ewiase mu nnipa titire.
Na wɔde wo ntafowayie adaadaa aman nyinaa.
24Wɔ ne mu na wɔhunuu adiyifoɔ ne ahotefoɔ
ne wɔn a wɔkumm wɔn asase so nyinaa mogya.”
