Book of Common Prayer

¹⁵ The merchants of these things, who had gotten rich, will stand afar off from her, for fear of her punishment, weeping and wailing, ¹⁶ and saying, Alas, alas, that great city, which was clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls! ¹⁷ For at one hour such great riches have come to nothing.

And every ship captain, and all they that occupied ships, and sailors who work at sea, stood afar off, ¹⁸ and cried out when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like this great city? ¹⁹ And they cast dust on their heads and cried out, weeping and wailing, and said, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein all who had ships in the sea were made rich by reason of her great wealth. For at one hour she is made desolate.

²⁰ Rejoice over her, O heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets, for God has given your judgment on her.

²¹ And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and cast it into the sea, saying, With such violence shall that great city Babylon be cast down, and shall be found no more. ²² And the sound of harpers and musicians, and of pipers and trumpeters, shall be heard no more in you. And no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in you. And the sound of a mill shall be heard no more in you. ²³ And the light of the candle shall no more shine in you. And the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more in you. For your merchants were the great men of the earth, and with your enchantment were deceived all nations. ²⁴ And in her was found the blood of the prophets and of the saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.

¹² Then he said also to the man who had asked him to dinner, When you give a dinner or a supper, do not call your friends or your brethren, neither your kinsfolk or rich neighbours, lest they return the invitation and a recompense be made you. ¹³ But when you put on a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, and the blind, ¹⁴ and you will be happy; for they cannot recompense you, but you shall be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.

¹⁵ When one of those who sat at food also heard that, he said to Jesus, Happy is he who eats bread in the kingdom of God! 

¹⁶ Then Jesus said to him, A certain man prepared a great supper and invited many people. ¹⁷ And he sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were bidden, Come, for all things are now ready. ¹⁸ And they all at once began to make excuse. The first said to him, I have bought a farm, and I need to go and see it; I pray you, have me excused. ¹⁹ And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen and I’m going to inspect them; I pray you, have me excused. ²⁰ The third said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.

²¹ And the servant went and brought his master word of this. Then was the lord of the house displeased, and said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and quarters of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind.

²² And the servant said, Lord, it is done as you ordered, and still there is room. ²³ And the lord said to the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel the people to come in, so that my house may be filled. ²⁴ For I say to you that none of those men that were bidden shall taste of my supper.