新約聖經 和合本
啟示錄 第十八章
1此後,我看見另有一位有大權柄的天使從天降下,地就因他的榮耀發光。
2他大聲喊著說:巴比倫大城傾倒了!傾倒了!成了鬼魔的住處和各樣污穢之靈的巢穴(或作:牢獄;下同),並各樣污穢可憎之雀鳥的巢穴。
3因為列國都被他邪淫大怒的酒傾倒了。地上的君王與他行淫;地上的客商因他奢華太過就發了財。
4我又聽見從天上有聲音說:我的民哪,你們要從那城出來,免得與他一同有罪,受他所受的災殃;
5因他的罪惡滔天;他的不義神已經想起來了。
6他怎樣待人,也要怎樣待他,按他所行的加倍的報應他;用他調酒的杯加倍的調給他喝。
7他怎樣榮耀自己,怎樣奢華,也當叫他照樣痛苦悲哀,因他心裡說:我坐了皇后的位,並不是寡婦,決不至於悲哀。
8所以在一天之內,他的災殃要一齊來到,就是死亡、悲哀、饑荒。他又要被火燒盡了,因為審判他的主神大有能力。
9地上的君王,素來與他行淫、一同奢華的,看見燒他的煙,就必為他哭泣哀號。
10因怕他的痛苦,就遠遠的站著說:哀哉!哀哉!巴比倫大城,堅固的城阿,一時之間你的刑罰就來到了。
11地上的客商也都為他哭泣悲哀,因為沒有人再買他們的貨物了;
12這貨物就是金、銀、寶石、珍珠、細麻布、紫色料、綢子、朱紅色料、各樣香木、各樣象牙的器皿、各樣極寶貴的木頭,和銅、鐵、漢白玉的器皿,
13並肉桂、荳蔻、香料、香膏、乳香、酒、油、細麵、麥子、牛、羊、車、馬,和奴僕、人口。
14巴比倫哪,你所貪愛的果子離開了你;你一切的珍饈美味,和華美的物件也從你中間毀滅,決不能再見了。
15販賣這些貨物、藉著他發了財的客商,因怕他的痛苦,就遠遠的站著哭泣悲哀,說:
16哀哉!哀哉!這大城阿,素常穿著細麻、紫色、朱紅色的衣服,又用金子、寶石,和珍珠為妝飾。
17一時之間,這麼大的富厚就歸於無有了。凡船主和坐船往各處去的,並眾水手,連所有靠海為業的,都遠遠的站著,
18看見燒他的煙,就喊著說:有何城能比這大城呢﹖
19他們又把塵土撒在頭上,哭泣悲哀,喊著說:哀哉!哀哉!這大城阿。凡有船在海中的,都因他的珍寶成了富足!他在一時之間就成了荒場!
20天哪,眾聖徒、眾使徒、眾先知阿,你們都要因他歡喜,因為神已經在他身上伸了你們的冤。
21有一位大力的天使舉起一塊石頭,好像大磨石,扔在海裡,說:巴比倫大城也必這樣猛力的被扔下去,決不能再見了。
22彈琴、作樂、吹笛、吹號的聲音,在你中間決不能再聽見;各行手藝人在你中間決不能再遇見;推磨的聲音在你中間決不能再聽見;
23燈光在你中間決不能再照耀;新郎和新婦的聲音,在你中間決不能再聽見。你的客商原來是地上的尊貴人;萬國也被你的邪術迷惑了。
24先知和聖徒,並地上一切被殺之人的血,都在這城裡看見了。
Compile starting 18th December 2002.
After this I saw another angel coming down out of heaven. He had great authority, and his splendour brightened the whole earth.
He cried out in a loud voice: "She has fallen! Great Babylon has fallen! She is now haunted by demons and unclean spirits; all kinds of filthy and hateful birds live in her.
For all the nations have drunk her wine--the strong wine of her immoral lust. The kings of the earth practiced sexual immorality with her, and the businessmen of the world grew rich from her unrestrained lust."
Then I heard another voice from heaven, saying, "Come out, my people! Come out from her! You must not take part in her sins; you must not share in her punishment!
For her sins are piled up as high as heaven, and God remembers her wicked ways.
Treat her exactly as she has treated you; pay her back double for all she has done. Fill her cup with a drink twice as strong as the drink she prepared for you.
Give her as much suffering and grief as the glory and luxury she gave herself. For she keeps telling herself: 'Here I sit, a queen! I am no widow, I will never know grief!'
Because of this, in one day she will be struck with plagues--disease, grief, and famine. And she will be burned with fire, because the Lord God, who judges her, is mighty."
The kings of the earth who took part in her immorality and lust will cry and weep over the city when they see the smoke from the flames that consume her.
They stand a long way off, because they are afraid of sharing in her suffering. They say, "How terrible! How awful! This great and mighty city Babylon! In just one hour you have been punished!"
The businessmen of the earth also cry and mourn for her, because no one buys their goods any longer;
no one buys their gold, silver, precious stones, and pearls; their goods of linen, purple cloth, silk, and scarlet cloth; all kinds of rare woods and all kinds of objects made of ivory and of expensive wood, of bronze, iron, and marble;
and cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, and frankincense; wine and oil, flour and wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and carriages, slaves, and even human lives.
The businessmen say to her, "All the good things you longed to own have disappeared, and all your wealth and glamour are gone, and you will never find them again!"
The businessmen, who became rich from doing business in that city, will stand a long way off, because they are afraid of sharing in her suffering. They will cry and mourn,
and say, "How terrible! How awful for the great city! She used to dress herself in linen, purple, and scarlet, and cover herself with gold ornaments, precious stones, and pearls!
And in one hour she has lost all this wealth!" All the ships' captains and passengers, the sailors and all others who earn their living on the sea, stood a long way off,
and cried out as they saw the smoke from the flames that consumed her: "There never has been another city like this great city!"
They threw dust on their heads, they cried and mourned, saying, "How terrible! How awful for the great city! She is the city where all who have ships sailing the seas became rich on her wealth! And in one hour she has lost everything!"
Be glad, heaven, because of her destruction! Be glad, God's people and the apostles and prophets! For God has condemned her for what she did to you!
Then a mighty angel picked up a stone the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, "This is how the great city Babylon will be violently thrown down and will never be seen again.
The music of harps and of human voices of players of the flute and the trumpet, will never be heard in you again! No workman in any trade will ever be found in you again; and the sound of millstone will be heard no more!
Never again will the light of a lamp be seen in you; no more will the voices of brides and grooms be heard in you. Your businessmen were the most powerful in all the world, and with your false magic you deceived all the peoples of the world!"
Babylon was punished because the blood of prophets and of God's people was found in the city; yes, the blood of all those who have been killed on earth. (This might mean the mark on our forehead. Sealing is the first death. Therefore all the colourful description to distract people.)
King James Version
18:1 | And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. | |
18:2 | 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. | |
18:3 | 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. | |
18:4 | And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. | |
18:5 | For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. | |
18:6 | Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double. | |
18:7 | How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow. | |
18:8 | Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her. | |
18:9 | 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, | |
18:10 | Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come. | |
18:11 | And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more: | |
18:12 | The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble, | |
18:13 | And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men. | |
18:14 | And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all. | |
18:15 | The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, | |
18:16 | And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls! | |
18:17 | For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off, | |
18:18 | And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city! | |
18:19 | And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate. | |
18:20 | Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her. | |
18:21 | And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all. | |
18:22 | And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee; | |
18:23 | 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. | |
18:24 | And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth. |
Great Babylon's demise could be the America's downfall into secondary world position. It should not be the dominating country any more. The dominating country will be Singapore ruling the world with an iron rod.
Another meaning for this chapter is the Sealing the Mark on our forehead. The middle finger pock the nose-bridge as if an iron rod enter the bridge to kill the monster - Death. So we live forever or eternally.
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Edited on 11th June 2008