² With her the kings of the earth committed adultery, and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries.”^(A)

⁸ A second angel followed and said, “‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great,’^[a](A) which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries.”^(B)

Threefold Woe Over Babylon’s Fall

⁹ “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)

¹¹ “The merchants^(A) of the earth will weep and mourn^(B) over her because no one buys their cargoes anymore^(C)— ¹² cargoes 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;^{(D) 13} cargoes 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.^(E)

¹⁴ “They will say, ‘The fruit you longed for is gone from you. All your luxury and splendor have vanished, never to be recovered.’ ¹⁵ The merchants who sold these things and gained their wealth from her^(F) will stand far off,^(G) terrified at her torment. They will weep and mourn^{(H) 16} and cry out:

“Every sea captain, and all who travel by ship, the sailors, and all who earn their living from the sea,^(M) will stand far off.^(N)

False Teachers and Their Destruction

2 But there were also false prophets^(A) among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you.^(B) They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord^(C) who bought them^(D)—bringing swift destruction on themselves. ² Many will follow their depraved conduct^(E) and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. ³ In their greed^(F) these teachers will exploit you^(G) with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.