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.”
Kugwa kwa Babuloni
1Zitatha izi ndinaona mngelo wina akutsika kuchokera kumwamba. Iye anali ndi ulamuliro waukulu, ndipo dziko lapansi linawala ndi ulemerero. 2Mngeloyo anafuwula ndi mawu amphamvu kuti:
“ ‘Wagwa! Wagwa Babuloni Wamkulu!’
Wasandulika mokhalamo ziwanda
ndi kofikako mizimu yonse yoyipa
ndi mbalame zonse zonyansa
ndi zodetsedwa.
3Pakuti mayiko onse amwa
vinyo ozunguza mutu wazigololo zake.
Mafumu a dziko lapansi achita naye chigololo,
ndipo amalonda a dziko lapansi analemera kuchokera pa zolakalaka zake zosefukira.”
Awachenjeza kuti Athawe Chiweruzo cha Babuloni
4Ndiponso ndinamva mawu ena kuchokera kumwamba akuti:
“ ‘Anthu anga tulukani, mwa iye,’
mungachimwe naye
kuti musadzalandire nawo gawo lililonse la miliri yake;
5pakuti machimo ake awunjikana mpaka kumwamba,
ndipo Mulungu wakumbukira milandu yake.
6Bwezerani Iye monga momwe iye anakuchitirani.
Mubwezereni mowirikiza pa zimene anachita.
Mumusakanizire magawo awiri kuchokera mʼchikho chake.
7Mumuzunze, kumumvetsa chisoni kwambiri
monga mwaulemerero ndi zolakalaka
zimene anadzaza mu mtima mwake. Iye anadzikuza nʼkumati,
‘Ndinakhala monga mfumu yayikazi,
ine sindine wamasiye
ndipo sindidzalira maliro.’
8Chifukwa chake miliri yake idzamugonjetsa tsiku limodzi;
imfa, kulira maliro ndi njala.
Iye adzanyeka ndi moto
pakuti wamphamvu ndi Mulungu Ambuye amene wamuweruza.
Tsoka la Babuloni
9“Mafumu a dziko lapansi, amene anachita naye chigololo nachita naye pamodzi zosangalatsa moyo uno, akadzaona utsi wa kunyeka kwake, adzalira nakhuza maliro ake. 10Iwo adzayima kutali nalira chifukwa choopsedwa ndi mazunzo ake.
“ ‘Tsoka! Tsoka mzinda waukulu
iwe, Babuloni mzinda wamphamvu!
Mu ora limodzi chiwonongeko chako chafika!’
11“Amalonda a dziko lapansi adzalira nakhuza maliro ake chifukwa palibenso amene akugula katundu wawo, 12katundu wagolide, siliva, miyala yamtengo wapamwamba ndi ngale; nsalu zoyera kwambiri zapamwamba ndi zofiira; nsalu zasilika ndi zapepo; mitengo iliyonse yonunkhira ndi zinthu zilizonse zopangidwa ndi mnyanga, kapena matabwa ogulidwa ndi ndalama zambiri kapena mkuwa kapena chitsulo ndi mwala wonyezimira; 13zokometsera zakudya, mure, lubani ndi zofukiza zina, vinyo ndi mafuta a olivi, ufa wosalala ndi tirigu; ngʼombe ndi nkhosa; akavalo ndi ngolo; ndi anthu adzagulitsidwa ukapolo.
14“Iwo adzanena kuti, ‘Chipatso chimene unachilakalaka chakuchokera. Chuma chako chonse ndi ulemerero zatha, sizidzapezekanso.’ 15Amalonda amene anagulitsa zinthu izi napeza chuma kuchokera kwa iye adzayima patali potero ataopsedwa ndi mazunzo ake. Adzalira ndi kukhuza maliro 16ndipo adzalira mokuwa kuti,
“ ‘Tsoka! Tsoka! Mzinda waukulu,
iwe wovala nsalu zoyera kwambiri, zapepo ndi zofiira,
ndi wonyezimira ndi golide, miyala yamtengo wapamwamba ndi ngale!
17Chuma chambiri choterechi chafika powonongeka mu ora limodzi!’
“Oyendetsa sitima ndi onse oyenda pa sitima ya pamadzi, ogwira ntchito mʼsitima ndi onse amene amadalira nyanja pamoyo wa tsiku ndi tsiku adzayima patali potero. 18Akadzaona utsi wa kunyeka kwake, adzakuwa kuti, ‘Kodi panalinso mzinda wina ngati mzinda waukuluwu?’ 19Adzathira fumbi pamitu pawo ndipo adzalira nakhuza maliro kuti,
“Tsoka! Tsoka mzinda waukulu iwe,
kumene onse anali ndi sitima pa nyanja
analemera kudzera mʼchuma chake!
Mu ora limodzi wawonongedwa.
20“Kondwerani chifukwa cha iye inu kumwamba!
Kondwerani oyera mtima
ndi atumwi ndi aneneri!
Mulungu wamuweruza iye
monga momwe anakuchitirani inu.”
Chiwonongeko Chotsiriza cha Babuloni
21Kenaka mngelo wamphamvu ananyamula mwala waukulu ngati mphero yayikulu nawuponya mʼnyanja nanena kuti,
“Mwa mphamvu chonchi
mzinda waukulu wa Babuloni udzaponyedwa pansi,
sudzapezekanso.
22Mwa iwe simudzamvekanso liwu la woyimba zeze, ndi akatswiri a zoyimbayimba,
oyimba zitoliro, ndi lipenga.
Mwa iwe simudzapezekanso
mʼmisiri wina aliyense.
Mwa iwe simudzapezekanso
phokoso la mphero.
23Kuwala kwa nyale
sikudzawunikanso mwa inu.
Mawu a mkwati ndi mkwatibwi
sadzamvekanso mwa iwe.
Amalonda anu anali akuluakulu a dziko lapansi.
Mitundu yonse inasokonezedwa ndi zamatsenga zako.
24Mwa iye munapezeka magazi a aneneri ndi a oyera mtima,
ndi onse amene anaphedwa pa dziko lapansi.”
