18

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!’
   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,’
   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;
   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.”

18

Lub Nroog Npanpiloos Vau Lawm

1Tom qab ntawd kuv pom dua ib tug timtswv ceebtsheej los saum ntuj los. Nws muaj hwjchim thiab ci ntsa iab rau lub ntiajteb. 2Nws hais nrov nrov hais tias, “Lub nroog Npanpiloos uas loj dua ntais twb vau lawm! Nws twb vau lawm! Nimno tej dab thiab tej ntsujplig phem twb los nyob hauv lub nroog ntawd lawm; txhua yam noog uas phem thiab qias los nyob hauv lub nroog ntawd lawm thiab. 3Rau qhov lub nroog ntawd yog lub uas ce cawv txiv hmab los yuam rau txhua haivneeg haus. Cov cawv txiv hmab uas qab qab ntawd piv txog lub nroog ntawd tej kev phem kev qias. Tej vajntxwv uas nyob hauv ntiajteb no tuaj nrog nws sib dee, thiab tej tub lag tub luam uas nyob hauv ntiajteb npluanuj tas twb yog vim tej kev phem kev qias uas lub nroog ntawd ua tsis paub dhuav li!” 4Tom qab ntawd kuv rov hnov dua ib lub suab hais saum ntuj tuaj hais tias,
  “Kuv haivneeg, nej cia li tawm plaws
   hauv lub nroog ntawd mus!
  Nej tsis txhob nrog tus pojniam ntawd ua txhaum,
   nej thiaj li tsis nrog nws raug txim!
  5Rau qhov nws tej kev txhaum twb tib mus nto ntuj lawm,
  thiab Vajtswv yeej nco ntsoov tej kev phem kev qias
   uas lub nroog ntawd niaj hnub ua.
  6Nws ua li cas rau nej lawm, nej cia li
   ua li ntawd rov rau nws.
  Nej yuav tsum ua ntau tshaj ib
   npaug pauj tej uas nws tau ua rau nej lawm.
  Nws twb do cov tshuaj iab rau nej haus lawm,
  nej yuav tsum do cov tshuaj uas iab dua nws cov
   ib npaug rau nws haus.
  7Nws zoo siab thiab npluanuj heev npaum li cas,
   nej cia li ua kom nws tau kev ntxhov siab
  thiab raug kev txomnyem heev npaum li ntawd.
  Rau qhov nws pheej xav hais tias,
  ‘Kuv zaum ntawm no, kuv twb zoo
   ib yam li tus poj vajntxwv lawm!
  Kuv tsis yog pojntsuam.
  Kuv yuav tsis raug kev txomnyem ib zaug li!’
  8Yog li ntawd, tib hnub xwb tej sub
   tawg sub ntsha yuav los raug nws;
  tsis hais kev mob kev nkeeg, kev ntxhov siab
  thiab kev tshaib kev nqhis puavleej yuav raug nws,
  thiab hluavtaws yuav kub nws tas huv tibsi.
  Rau qhov tus Tswv uas yog Vajtswv
   uas txiav txim rau lub nroog ntawd,
  nws yog tus uas muaj hwjchim loj kawg nkaus.”
9Tej vajntxwv hauv ntiajteb uas nrog lub nroog ntawd sib dee thiab ua kev phem kev qias, thaum lawv pom lub nroog kub hnyiab pa taws ncho auv niab, lawv yuav quaj nyiav ntsoog qees. 10Lawv tuaj deb deb saib, rau qhov lawv tsis xav pom lub nroog ntawd raug kev puastsuaj. Lawv seev hais tias, “Lub nroog Npanpiloos uas loj thiab nto moo, koj twb puastsuaj lawm lauj! Nyuam qhuav tib txoos teev xwb koj txawm cia li raug txim lawm!”
11Tej tub lag tub luam uas nyob hauv ntiajteb no los quaj nyiav ntsoog qees rau lub nroog ntawd, vim tsis muaj neeg tuaj yuav lawv tej khoom lawm; 12tsis muaj leejtwg yuav lawv tej nyiaj tej kub, tej qe zeb ci ci uas muaj nqis, tej hlaws, tej ntaubmag zoo zoo, ntaub xiav, ntaub tshwbkab, ntaub liab thiab tej ntoo uas muaj nqis, tej uas muab kaus ntxhw ua, tej uas muab tooj dag, muab hlau thiab muab hlaws txaij ua; 13tej roj ntoos tsw qab xeenamoos, tej hwjtxob, tej hmoov tshuaj tsw qab, tej tshuaj tsw qab mules, tej ntoo tsw qab, tej cawv txiv hmab, tej roj, tej hmoov nplej, tej hmoov pobkws, tej nyuj, tej yaj, tej nees, tej tsheb nees thiab tej tubqhe, txawm yog neeg txojsia los tsis muaj leejtwg xav yuav. 14Tej tub lag tub luam hais rau lub nroog ntawd hais tias, “Txhua tsav yam zoo uas koj ntshaw twb ploj tas lawm, koj tej qhov txhia chaw thiab tej nyiaj tej kub uas ci ntsa iab los puavleej poob tas. Koj yuav nrhiav tsis tau tej ntawd rov los dua ib zaug li lawm!” 15Tej tub lag tub luam uas ua luam npluanuj hauv lub nroog ntawd, lawv yuav tuaj deb deb saib, rau qhov lawv tsis xav pom lub nroog ntawd raug kev puastsuaj. Lawv yuav quaj nyiav ntsoog qees 16thiab seev zom zaws hais tias, “Lub nroog uas loj, koj twb puastsuaj tas lawm! Koj puastsuaj lawm lauj! Koj ibtxwm hnav tej tsoos tsho ntaub yajpwm, ntaub xiav, ntaub liab, koj coj saw nyiaj saw kub, coj tej qe zeb ci ci uas muaj nqis thiab coj hlaws thoob plaws ibce! 17Ua li cas tib txoos teev xwb koj tej kev npluanuj txawm cia li ploj ntais mus lawm!”
 Tej neeg tsav nkoj, tej neeg caij nkoj, tej neeg ua haujlwm hauv lub nkoj thiab tej neeg uas nrhiav noj hauv hiavtxwv txhua tus puavleej tuaj deb deb saib;
18thaum lawv pom lub nroog ntawd kub hnyiab pa ncho auv niab, lawv qw nrov nrov hais tias, “Ibtxwm yeej tsis muaj ib lub nroog luaj li lub no!” 19Lawv tsuab hmoov av rau saum lawv taubhau, lawv quaj nyiav ntsoog qees hais tias, “Lub nroog uas loj, koj puastsuaj lawm! Koj puastsuaj lawm lauj! Lub nroog no yog lub uas ua rau tej neeg muaj nkoj khiav mus mus los los hauv hiavtxwv npluanuj tas! Ua li cas tib txoos teev xwb txhua tsav yam uas koj muaj hauv lub nroog no txawm siv ploj tas huv tibsi lawm.”
20Lub ntuj, koj cia li zoo siab rau qhov lub nroog no twb puastsuaj tas lawm! Vajtswv cov neeg, cov timthawj thiab cov cev Vajtswv lus, cia li zoo sab! Rau qhov Vajtswv twb rau txim rau lub nroog uas tsimtxom nej lawm!
21Ces ib tug timtswv ceebtsheej uas muaj hwjchim txawm muab ib lub pobzeb uas luaj li ib txhib zeb pov rau hauv hiavtxwv, thiab nws hais tias, “Luag yuav muab lub nroog Npanpiloos uas loj dua ntais ntawd ua kom puastsuaj tas ib yam li luag muab lub pobzeb no ntsawm. Txij no mus yuav tsis muaj leejtwg pom lub nroog no li lawm. 22Yuav tsis muaj leejtwg hnov suab raj suab xyu thiab suab nkauj nogncas nrov hauv lub nroog no li lawm. Yuav tsis muaj leejtwg ua vaj ua tsev, nchuav tooj nchuav hlau thiab yuav tsis muaj suab zom zeb tuav cos nrov li lawm! 23Yuav tsis muaj leejtwg pom teeb cig hauv lub nroog no; thiab yuav tsis muaj leejtwg hnov nkauj nyab nraug vauv lub suab li lawm. Tej tub lag tub luam uas nyob hauv lub nroog no puavleej yog cov uas muaj tswvyim loj dua tej tub lag tub luam hauv ntiajteb no huv tibsi. Thiab lub nroog no tau ua khawvkoob dag ntxias txhua haivneeg hauv ntiajteb no kom qaug siab rau nws!”
24Lub nroog Npanpiloos raug txim, rau qhov nws muab cov uas cev Vajtswv lus thiab Vajtswv cov neeg uas nyob hauv ntiajteb no tua povtseg tas lawm.