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) 10} Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off^(E) and cry:

¹¹ “The merchants^(H) of the earth will weep and mourn^(I) over her because no one buys their cargoes anymore^(J)— 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;^{(K) 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.^(L)

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^(M) will stand far off,^(N) terrified at her torment. They will weep and mourn^{(O) 16} and cry out:

“Every sea captain, and all who travel by ship, the sailors, and all who earn their living from the sea,^(T) will stand far off.^{(U) 18} When they see the smoke of her burning,^(V) they will exclaim, ‘Was there ever a city like this great city^(W)?’^{(X) 19} They will throw dust on their heads,^(Y) and with weeping and mourning^(Z) cry out:

The Finality of Babylon’s Doom

²¹ Then a mighty angel^(AE) picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea,^(AF) and said:

On Not Loving the World

¹⁵ Do not love the world or anything in the world.^(A) If anyone loves the world, love for the Father^[a] is not in them.^{(B) 16} For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh,^(C) the lust of the eyes,^(D) and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. ¹⁷ The world and its desires pass away,^(E) but whoever does the will of God^(F) lives forever.

⁶⁰ Jeremiah had written on a scroll^(A) about all the disasters that would come upon Babylon—all that had been recorded concerning Babylon. ⁶¹ He said to Seraiah, “When you get to Babylon, see that you read all these words aloud. ⁶² Then say, ‘Lord, you have said you will destroy this place, so that neither people nor animals will live in it; it will be desolate^(B) forever.’ ⁶³ When you finish reading this scroll, tie a stone to it and throw it into the Euphrates.^{(C) 64} Then say, ‘So will Babylon sink to rise no more^(D) because of the disaster I will bring on her. And her people^(E) will fall.’”^(F)

The words of Jeremiah end^(G) here.