50
Fall of Babylon, it’s richess destroyed in one hour
Revelation 18: 1- 24
Hereafter, I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power, and the earth was overglown with his glory. And he cried mightily, with a strong voice: Fallen, fallen is Babylon, the great, and is become a habitation of devils and the hold for every foul spirit, and a cage for all unclean and hateful birds, because all peoples have drunk of the wine of wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the unheard abundance of her delicacies.
And the one mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying: Thus, with such a sweep, shall Babylon, the great city, be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all. And the voice of harpers, and singers, and pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in you. And no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found anymore in you; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in you; and the light of the candle shall shine no more in you at all; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall not be heard at all in you; for your merchants were the great men of the earth and by your magic potion all people were deceived, and in you was found the blood of the prophets and saints, which were slaughtered on earth.
And I heard another voice from heaven, saying: Come out of her, my people, that you do not become partakers of her sins and receive not of her plagues; for her sins have reached to heaven and God has considered her offenses. Reward her even as she rewarded, and double it to her, according to her works! In the cup that she has mixed, mix her double! How much she has glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much sorrow and torment give her. For she speaks in her heart: Here I sit as a queen, and am no widow, and shall see never sorrow. Therefore shall her plagues come in one day: death, and suffering, and famine, and she shall be burned with fire; for of strong force is the Lord and God, who has judged her.
Rejoice over her, o heaven, you saints and you apostles, and you prophets, for God has judged over her because of you.
And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication with her and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning, standing far off for the fear of her torment; and they will say: Alas, alas, you great city Babylon, you mighty city! For in one hour came your divine judgment.
And every shipmaster, and every master of a coaster and all the company in ships and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood far off and cried when they saw the smoke of her burning: What city is like to this city, the great? And they cast dust on their heads and cried, weeping and wailing: Alas, alas, that great city, wherin were made rich all that had ships in the sea! And in one hour she was destroyed!
And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her, for no man purchases their merchandise anymore; merchandise of gold and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and bales of silk of purple and scarlet, and all kinds of fragrant wood, and of vessels of ivory and vessels of precious wood, and brass and iron and marble; and cinnamon and odors, and ointments and incense, and wine and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and cattle, and sheep, horses and chariots, and slaves and souls of men. [And the fruits that your soul lusted after are departed from you, and all things that were daintly and goodly are departed from you and you shall find them no more at all.] The merchants of all these goods, which were made rich by her, shall stand far off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing: Alas, alas, you great city, clothed in fine linen, purple and scarlet, and decked with gold and precious stones, and pearls. It was destroyed in one hour, so great richess.
Hereafter, I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power, and the earth was overglown with his glory. And he cried mightily, with a strong voice: Fallen, fallen is Babylon, the great, and is become a habitation of devils and the hold for every foul spirit, and a cage for all unclean and hateful birds, because all peoples have drunk of the wine of wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the unheard abundance of her delicacies.
And I heard another voice from heaven, saying: Come out of her, my people, that you do not become partakers of her sins and receive not of her plagues; for her sins have reached to heaven and God has considered her offenses. Reward her even as she rewarded, and double it to her, according to her works! In the cup that she has mixed, mix her double! How much she has glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much sorrow and torment give her. For she speaks in her heart: Here I sit as a queen, and am no widow, and shall see never sorrow. Therefore shall her plagues come in one day: death, and suffering, and famine, and she shall be burned with fire; for of strong force is the Lord and God, who has judged her.
And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication with her and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning, standing far off for the fear of her torment; and they will say: Alas, alas, you great city Babylon, you mighty city! For in one hour came your divine judgment.
And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her, for no man purchases their merchandise anymore; merchandise of gold and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and bales of silk of purple and scarlet, and all kinds of fragrant wood, and of vessels of ivory and vessels of precious wood, and brass and iron and marble; and cinnamon and odors, and ointments and incense, and wine and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and cattle, and sheep, horses and chariots, and slaves and souls of men. [And the fruits that your soul lusted after are departed from you, and all things that were daintly and goodly are departed from you and you shall find them no more at all.] The merchants of all these goods, which were made rich by her, shall stand far off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing: Alas, alas, you great city, clothed in fine linen, purple and scarlet, and decked with gold and precious stones, and pearls. It was destroyed in one hour, so great richess.
And every shipmaster, and every master of a coaster and all the company in ships and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood far off and cried when they saw the smoke of her burning: What city is like to this city, the great? And they cast dust on their heads and cried, weeping and wailing: Alas, alas, that great city, wherin were made rich all that had ships in the sea! And in one hour she was destroyed!
Rejoice over her, o heaven, you saints and you apostles, and you prophets, for God has judged over her because of you.
EAnd the one mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying: Thus, with such a sweep, shall Babylon, the great city, be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all. And the voice of harpers, and singers, and pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in you. And no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found anymore in you; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in you; and the light of the candle shall shine no more in you at all; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall not be heard at all in you; for your merchants were the great men of the earth and by your magic potion all people were deceived, and in you was found the blood of the prophets and saints, which were slaughtered on earth.
In art
Revelation 18: 1- 24
Grande Bible de Tours, Gustav Doré, woodcut, 1866, Babylon destroyed in one hour
