Because of the multitude of the whoredoms of the wellfavoured harlot, the mistress of witchcrafts, that selleth nations through her whoredoms, and families through her witchcrafts.

Read full chapter

all because of the wanton lust of a prostitute,
    alluring, the mistress of sorceries,(A)
who enslaved nations by her prostitution(B)
    and peoples by her witchcraft.

Read full chapter

But these two things shall come to thee in a moment in one day, the loss of children, and widowhood: they shall come upon thee in their perfection for the multitude of thy sorceries, and for the great abundance of thine enchantments.

Read full chapter

Both of these will overtake you
    in a moment,(A) on a single day:
    loss of children(B) and widowhood.(C)
They will come upon you in full measure,
    in spite of your many sorceries(D)
    and all your potent spells.(E)

Read full chapter

12 Stand now with thine enchantments, and with the multitude of thy sorceries, wherein thou hast laboured from thy youth; if so be thou shalt be able to profit, if so be thou mayest prevail.

13 Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels. Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, the monthly prognosticators, stand up, and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee.

Read full chapter

12 “Keep on, then, with your magic spells
    and with your many sorceries,(A)
    which you have labored at since childhood.
Perhaps you will succeed,
    perhaps you will cause terror.
13 All the counsel you have received has only worn you out!(B)
    Let your astrologers(C) come forward,
those stargazers who make predictions month by month,
    let them save(D) you from what is coming upon you.

Read full chapter

And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.

For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.

Read full chapter

With a mighty voice he shouted:

“‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!’[a](A)
    She has become a dwelling for demons
and a haunt for every impure spirit,(B)
    a haunt for every unclean bird,
    a haunt for every unclean and detestable animal.(C)
For all the nations have drunk
    the maddening wine of her adulteries.(D)
The kings of the earth committed adultery with her,(E)
    and the merchants of the earth grew rich(F) from her excessive luxuries.”(G)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 18:2 Isaiah 21:9

17 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:

With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.

So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.

And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:

And upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon The Great, The Mother Of Harlots And Abominations Of The Earth.

Read full chapter

Babylon, the Prostitute on the Beast

17 One of the seven angels(A) who had the seven bowls(B) came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the punishment(C) of the great prostitute,(D) who sits by many waters.(E) With her the kings of the earth committed adultery, and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries.”(F)

Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit(G) into a wilderness.(H) There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet(I) beast that was covered with blasphemous names(J) and had seven heads and ten horns.(K) The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls.(L) She held a golden cup(M) in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries.(N) The name written on her forehead was a mystery:(O)

babylon the great(P)

the mother of prostitutes(Q)

and of the abominations of the earth.

Read full chapter

25 Thou hast built thy high place at every head of the way, and hast made thy beauty to be abhorred, and hast opened thy feet to every one that passed by, and multiplied thy whoredoms.

26 Thou hast also committed fornication with the Egyptians thy neighbours, great of flesh; and hast increased thy whoredoms, to provoke me to anger.

27 Behold, therefore I have stretched out my hand over thee, and have diminished thine ordinary food, and delivered thee unto the will of them that hate thee, the daughters of the Philistines, which are ashamed of thy lewd way.

28 Thou hast played the whore also with the Assyrians, because thou wast unsatiable; yea, thou hast played the harlot with them, and yet couldest not be satisfied.

29 Thou hast moreover multiplied thy fornication in the land of Canaan unto Chaldea; and yet thou wast not satisfied therewith.

Read full chapter

25 At every street corner(A) you built your lofty shrines and degraded your beauty, spreading your legs with increasing promiscuity to anyone who passed by.(B) 26 You engaged in prostitution(C) with the Egyptians,(D) your neighbors with large genitals, and aroused my anger(E) with your increasing promiscuity.(F) 27 So I stretched out my hand(G) against you and reduced your territory; I gave you over(H) to the greed of your enemies, the daughters of the Philistines,(I) who were shocked by your lewd conduct. 28 You engaged in prostitution with the Assyrians(J) too, because you were insatiable; and even after that, you still were not satisfied.(K) 29 Then you increased your promiscuity to include Babylonia,[a](L) a land of merchants, but even with this you were not satisfied.(M)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 16:29 Or Chaldea

23 And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.

Read full chapter

23 The light of a lamp
    will never shine in you again.
The voice of bridegroom and bride
    will never be heard in you again.(A)
Your merchants were the world’s important people.(B)
    By your magic spell(C) all the nations were led astray.

Read full chapter

And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,

Read full chapter

Threefold Woe Over Babylon’s Fall

“When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her(A) and shared her luxury(B) see the smoke of her burning,(C) they will weep and mourn over her.(D)

Read full chapter

15 And it shall come to pass in that day, that Tyre shall be forgotten seventy years, according to the days of one king: after the end of seventy years shall Tyre sing as an harlot.

16 Take an harp, go about the city, thou harlot that hast been forgotten; make sweet melody, sing many songs, that thou mayest be remembered.

17 And it shall come to pass after the end of seventy years, that the Lord will visit Tyre, and she shall turn to her hire, and shall commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth.

Read full chapter

15 At that time Tyre(A) will be forgotten for seventy years,(B) the span of a king’s life. But at the end of these seventy years, it will happen to Tyre as in the song of the prostitute:

16 “Take up a harp, walk through the city,
    you forgotten prostitute;(C)
play the harp well, sing many a song,
    so that you will be remembered.”

17 At the end of seventy years,(D) the Lord will deal with Tyre. She will return to her lucrative prostitution(E) and will ply her trade with all the kingdoms on the face of the earth.(F)

Read full chapter