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.”
Makoki a kan Babilon
1Bayan wannan sai na ga wani mala’ika yana saukowa daga sama. Yana da iko mai girma, aka haskaka duniya da darajarsa. 2Ya yi kira da babbar murya ya ce,
“Ta fāɗi! Babilon Mai Girma ta fāɗi.
Ta zama gidan aljanu
da kuma wurin zaman kowace irin mugun ruhu,
wurin zaman kowane irin tsuntsu marar tsabta da mai banƙyama.
3Gama dukan al’ummai sun sha ruwan inabin
haukan zinace zinacenta.
Sarakunan duniya sun yi zina tare da ita,
attajiran duniya kuma sun arzuta da almubazzarancinta.”
4Sai na ji wata murya daga sama ta ce,
“Ku fita daga cikinta, mutanena,
don kada zunubanta su shafe ku,
don kada wata annobarta ta same ku;
5gama zunubanta sun yi tsororuwa sun kai sama.
Allah kuma ya tuna da laifofinta.
6Ku sāka mata kamar yadda ta sāka muku;
ku sāka mata sau biyu na abin da ta yi.
Ku dama mata sau biyu na abin da yake cikin kwaf nata.
7Ku ba ta isashen azaba da baƙin ciki
kamar daraja da kuma jin daɗin da ta ba wa kanta.
A zuciyarta takan yi taƙama, ta ce,
‘Ina zama kamar sarauniya;
ni ba gwauruwa ba ce,
kuma ba zan taɓa yin makoki ba.’
8Saboda haka a rana ɗaya annobarta za su cim mata,
mutuwa, makoki da kuma yunwa.
Wuta zai cinye ta,
gama Ubangiji Allah mai girma ne, wanda yake shari’anta ta.
9“Sa’ad da sarakunan duniya da suka yi zina da ita suka kuma yi tarayya cikin jin daɗinta suka ga hayaƙin ƙunarta, za su yi kuka da makoki saboda ita. 10Don tsoron ganin azabarta za su tsaya daga nesa, su yi kuka suna cewa,
“ ‘Kaito! Kaito, ya birni mai girma.
Ya ke Babilon, birni mai iko!
Cikin sa’a guda hallakarki ta zo!’
11“Attajiran duniya za su yi kuka su kuma yi makoki a kanta, domin ba wanda yake ƙara sayen kayayyakinsu 12kayayyakin zinariya, azurfa, duwatsu masu daraja da lu’ulu’ai; lallausan lilin, tufa masu ruwan shunayya, siliki da jan tufa; da kowane irin katakai masu ƙanshi da kayayyaki na kowane iri da aka yi da hauren giwa, katakai masu tsada, tagulla, baƙin ƙarfe da dutse mai sheƙi; 13kayayyakin sinnamon da kayan yaji, na turaren wuta, mur da turare, na ruwan inabi da man zaitun, na gari mai laushi da alkama; shanu da tumaki; dawakai da kekunan doki, da jikuna da kuma rayukan mutane.
14“Za su ce, ‘Amfanin da kike marmari ya kuɓuce. Dukan arzikinki da darajarki sun ɓace, ba kuwa za a ƙara samunsu ba.’ 15Attajiran da suka sayar da waɗannan kayayyaki suka kuma sami arzikinsu daga gare ta za su tsaya daga nesa, cike da tsoron ganin azabarta. Za su yi kuka da makoki 16su ce,
“ ‘Kaito! Kaito, ya birni mai girma,
saye da lallausan lilin, shunayya da kuma ja,
mai walƙiya da zinariya, duwatsu masu daraja da kuma lu’ulu’ai!
17Cikin sa’a guda irin wannan dukiya mai yawa ta hallaka!’
“Duk matuƙan jirgin ruwa, da dukan waɗanda suke tafiya a jirgin ruwa, ma’aikatanta, da duk masu samun abin zama gari daga teku za su tsaya daga nesa. 18Sa’ad da suka ga hayaƙin ƙunarta, za su yi ihu su ce, ‘An taɓa samun birni kamar wannan babban birnin kuwa?’ 19Za su zuba ƙura a kawunansu, da kuka da makoki za su yi ta kururuwa,
“ ‘Kaito! Kaito, ya birni mai girma,
inda dukan waɗanda suke da jiragen ruwa a teku
suka arzuta da ɗumbun dukiyarsa!
Cikin sa’a ɗaya ta hallaka!’
20“Ki yi murna a kanta, ya sama!
Ku yi murna, ku tsarkaka!
Ku yi murna, ku manzanni da annabawa!
Allah ya hukunta shi
saboda abin da ya yi muku.”
21Sa’an nan wani mala’ika mai ƙarfi ya ɗauki dutse kamar girman babban dutsen niƙa ya jefa cikin teku ya ce,
“Da wannan irin giggitawa
za a jefar da birnin Babilon mai girma ƙasa,
ba za a ƙara ganin ta ba.
22Ba za a ƙara jin
ƙarar kiɗin masu garaya da muryar mawaƙa, da na masu bushe-bushe, da na masu busan ƙaho
a cikinki ba.
Ba za a ƙara samun ma’aikaci na kowace irin sana’a
a cikinki kuma ba.
Ba za a ƙara jin ƙarar dutsen niƙa
a cikinki kuma ba.
23Hasken fitila ba zai ƙara haskakawa
a cikinki ba.
Ba za a ƙara jin muryar ango da amarya
a cikinki ba.
Attajiranki, dā su ne manyan mutanen duniya.
Ta wurin sihirinki, dukan ƙasashe sun kauce.
24A cikinta aka sami jinin annabawa, da na tsarkaka,
da kuma na dukan waɗanda aka kashe a duniya.”
