Part 62 (1/2)

XVIII.

AFTER these things I saw another angel coming down out of heaven, having great authority; and the earth was lightened with his glory.

(2)And he cried with a strong voice, saying: Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become a habitation of demons, and a hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.

(3)Because all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth became rich out of the abundance of her luxury.

(4)And I heard another voice out of heaven, saying: Come out of her, my people, that ye partake not in her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. (5)For her sins reached unto heaven, and G.o.d remembered her iniquities. (6)Reward her as she also rewarded, and render twofold according to her works; in the cup which she mixed, mix for her twofold. (7)By as much as she glorified herself, and lived luxuriously, so much torment and mourning give her; because in her heart she says: I sit a queen, and not a widow, and shall not see mourning. (8)Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be burned up with fire because strong is the Lord G.o.d who judged her.

(9)And the kings of the earth, who committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her, shall weep, and shall lament for her, when they see the smoke of her burning; (10)standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying: Alas, alas, the great city Babylon, the mighty city! Because in one hour thy judgment is come.

(11)And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her, because no one buys their lading any more; (12)the lading of gold, and of silver, and of precious stones, and of pearls, and of fine linen, and of purple, and of silk, and of scarlet; and all citron wood, and every vessel of ivory, and every vessel of most precious wood, and of bra.s.s, and of iron and of marble, (13)and cinnamon, and amomum, and odors, and ointment, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and cattle, and sheep; and [lading] of horses, and of chariots, and of slaves; and souls of men. (14)And the fruit that thy soul desired departed from thee, and all the dainty and goodly things perished from thee, and thou shalt no more find them.

(15)The merchants of these things, who became rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and mourning, (16)saying: Alas, alas, the great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and gilded with gold, and precious stone, and pearls; (17)because in one hour so great riches are made desolate.

And every pilot, and every one that sails to any place, and seamen, and as many as do business at sea, stood afar off, (18)and cried out when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying: Who is like to the great city! (19)And they cast dust upon their heads, and cried out, weeping and mourning, saying: Alas, alas, the great city, whereby all that have the s.h.i.+ps in the sea became rich by reason of her costliness; because in one hour she is made desolate.

(20)Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye saints, ye apostles, and ye prophets; because G.o.d judged your cause upon her.

(21)And a strong angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying: Thus with violence shall Babylon the great city be cast down, and shall be found no more. (22)And the voice of harpers, and of musicians, and of pipers, and of trumpeters, shall be heard in thee no more; and no craftsman, of whatever craft, shall be found any more in thee, and the sound of a millstone shall be heard in thee no more; (23)and the light of a lamp shall s.h.i.+ne in thee no more; and the voice of bridegroom and of bride shall be heard in thee no more; because thy merchants were the great men of the earth; because by thy sorcery all the nations were led astray.

(24)And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints and of all that have been slain upon the earth.

XIX.

AFTER these things, I heard as it were a loud voice of a great mult.i.tude in heaven, of those saying: Alleluia; the salvation, and the glory, and the power, are our G.o.d's; (2)because true and righteous are his judgments; because he judged the great harlot, who corrupted the earth with her fornication, and avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. (3)And a second time they said: Alleluia. And her smoke goes up forever and ever.

(4)And the twenty-four elders, and the four animals, fell down and wors.h.i.+ped G.o.d, who sits on the throne, saying: Amen; Alleluia.

(5)And a voice came out from the throne, saying: Praise our G.o.d, all ye his servants, and ye who fear him, the small and the great.

(6)And I heard as it were the voice of a great mult.i.tude, and as the sound of many waters, and as the sound of mighty thunders, saying: Alleluia; because the Lord G.o.d the Almighty reigns. (7)Let us rejoice and exult, and we will give to him the glory; because the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife made herself ready. (8)And it was given her that she should be clothed in fine linen, pure and s.h.i.+ning; for the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints.

(9)And he says to me: Write, Happy are they who are called to the marriage-supper of the Lamb. And he says to me: These are the true sayings of G.o.d. (10)And I fell before his feet to wors.h.i.+p him. And he said to me: See thou do it not. I am a fellow-servant of thee and of thy brethren who have the testimony of Jesus; wors.h.i.+p G.o.d. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

(11)And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse, and he who sat upon him, called Faithful and True; and in righteousness he judges, and makes war. (12)His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, which no one knows but he himself. (13)And he was clothed with a garment dipped in blood; and his name is called, The Word of G.o.d. (14)And the armies which are in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white, pure. (15)And out of his mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it he may smite the nations; and he will rule them with a rod of iron; and he treads the wine-press of the fierceness of the wrath of G.o.d the Almighty. (16)And he has on his garment, and on his thigh, a name written: KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

(17)And I saw an angel standing in the sun. And he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in mid-heaven: Come, and gather yourselves together to the great supper of G.o.d; (18)that ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains of thousands, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all, both free and bond, both small and great.

(19)And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war with him who sat on the horse, and with his army. (20)And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet that wrought the signs in his presence, with which he led astray those who received the mark of the beast, and who wars.h.i.+p his image. The two were cast alive into the lake of fire, that burns with brimstone.

(21)And the rest were slain with the sword of him who sat upon the horse, which went forth out of his mouth; and all the birds were filled with their flesh.

XX.

AND I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key of the abyss, and a great chain in his hand. (2)And he laid hold of the dragon, the old serpent, which is the Devil and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, (3)and cast him into the abyss, and shut it, and set a seal over him, that he mislead the nations no more, until the thousand years are finished; after these he must be loosed a little time.

(4)And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given to them; and the souls of those beheaded on account of the testimony of Jesus, and on account of the word of G.o.d, and whoever did not wors.h.i.+p the beast, neither his image, and did not receive the mark upon the forehead, or upon their hand; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (5)The rest of the dead lived not until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. (6)Happy and holy is he that has part in the first resurrection; on these the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of G.o.d and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.