¹⁶ and saying, ‘Alas, alas, ^(A)that great city ^(B)that was clothed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls!

^5 (A)For her sins ^[a]have reached to heaven, and ^(B)God has remembered her iniquities. ^6 (C)Render to her just as she rendered ^[b]to you, and repay her double according to her works; ^(D)in the cup which she has mixed, ^(E)mix double for her. ^7 (F)In the measure that she glorified herself and lived ^[c]luxuriously, in the same measure give her torment and sorrow; for she says in her heart, ‘I sit as ^(G)queen, and am no widow, and will not see sorrow.’ ⁸ Therefore her plagues will come ^(H)in one day—death and mourning and famine. And ^(I)she will be utterly burned with fire, ^(J)for strong is the Lord God who ^[d]judges her.

The World Mourns Babylon’s Fall

^9 (K)“The kings of the earth who committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her ^(L)will weep and lament for her, ^(M)when they see the smoke of her burning, ¹⁰ standing at a distance for fear of her torment, saying, ^(N)‘Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! ^(O)For in one hour your judgment has come.’

The Scarlet Woman and the Scarlet Beast

17 Then ^(A)one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying ^[a]to me, “Come, ^(B)I will show you the judgment of ^(C)the great harlot ^(D)who sits on many waters, ^2 (E)with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and ^(F)the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication.”

³ So he carried me away in the Spirit ^(G)into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting ^(H)on a scarlet beast which was full of ^(I)names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. ⁴ The woman ^(J)was arrayed in purple and scarlet, ^(K)and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, ^(L)having in her hand a golden cup ^(M)full of abominations and the filthiness of ^[b]her fornication. ⁵ And on her forehead a name was written:

^(N)MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT,
THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS
AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS
OF THE EARTH.

⁶ I saw ^(O)the woman, drunk ^(P)with the blood of the saints and with the blood of ^(Q)the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement.

^5 (A)Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to ^(B)light the hidden things of darkness and ^(C)reveal the ^[a]counsels of the hearts. ^(D)Then each one’s praise will come from God.

² For with what ^[a]judgment you judge, you will be judged; ^(A)and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.

⁴⁵ But righteous men will ^(A)judge them after the manner of adulteresses, and after the manner of women who shed blood, because they are adulteresses, and ^(B)blood is on their hands.

^30 (A)So I sought for a man among them who would ^(B)make a wall, and ^(C)stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one. ³¹ Therefore I have ^(D)poured out My indignation on them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath; and I have recompensed ^(E)their deeds on their own heads,” says the Lord God.