Revelation · Chapter 18

[ edit] And aftir þeſe þingis I ſiȝe an oþer aungel comyng doun fro heuen, hauynge greet power; and þe erþe is liȝtned of his glorie; and he criynge wiþ ſtrong vois, ſeiynge, Greet Babilon fel doun, fel doun, and is maad þe habitacioun of deuelis, and þe keping of ech vnclene ſpirit, and þe keping of ech vnclene foul, and haatful. For alle folkis drunken of þe wraþþe of þe fornicacioun of hir, and kinges of erþe, and marchauntes of erþe, diden fornycacioun wiþ hir; and þei ben maad riche of þe vertu of þe delicis of hir. And Y herde an oþer voys of heuen, ſeiyng, My puple, go ȝe out of it, and be ȝe not parceners of þe treſpaſſis of it, and ȝe ſhulen not receyue of þe plagis of it.

For þe ſynnes of it camen vn to heuen, and þe Lord hadde mynde of þe wickidneſſis of it. Ȝelde ȝe to it, as and ſhe ȝeldide to ȝou; and double ȝe double þinges, aftir hir werkis; in þe drinke þat ſhe medlide to ȝou, menge ȝe double to hir. Hou miche ſhe glorifiede hir ſilf, and was in delijcis, ſo miche tourment ȝiue ȝe to hir, and wepyng; for in hir herte ſhe ſeiþ, I ſitte a queen, and I am not a widewe, and I ſhal not ſee wepyng. And þerfore in oo day hir plages ſhulen come, deeþ, and moornyng, and hunger; and ſhe ſhal be brent in fijr, for God is ſtrong, þat ſhal deme hir.

And þe kinges of erþe ſhulen wepe, and weyle hem on hir, þe whiche diden fornycacioun wiþ hir, and lyueden in delicis, whan þei ſhulen ſe þe ſmoke of brennyng of hir; ſtondinge fer, for drede of tourmentis of hir, ſeiynge, Wo! wo! wo! þe þilke greet citee Babilon, and þe ilke ſtronge citee; for in oon hour þi doom comeþ.

And marchauntes of erþe ſhulen wepe vpon hir, and moorne, for no man ſhal bye more þe marchaundiſes of hem; þe marchaundiſes of gold, and ſiluer, and precious ſtoon, and of margarite, or peerl, and bijce, and purpur, and ſilk, and coccyn, and ech tre þyme, and alle veſſels of yuer, and alle veſſels of precious ſtoon, and of bras, and yren, and marble, and canel, and amome, þat is, a ſwete ſaueringe tree, and of odoramentis, and oynementis, and encenſe, and of wijn, and oyle, and floure, and wheete, and of iumentis, or werk beeſtes, and ſheep, and of horſes, and cartes, and of ſeruauntis, and of ſoulis, or lijfis, of men.

And þin apples, þe deſijres of þi lijf, wenten awey fro þee, and alle fatte þinges, and ful cleere periſchiden fro þee. And marchauntes of þes men ſhulen no more fynde þo þinges. Þei þat ben maad riche of hir, ſhulen ſtonde fer, for drede of tourmentis of hir, wepinge, and moornynge, and ſeiynge, Wo! wo! þe ilke greet citee, þat was cloþid wiþ bijce, and purpur, and cocke, and was goldid wiþ gold, and precious ſtoon, and margaritis, for in oon hour ſo many richeſſis ben deſtitute. And ech gouernour, and alle þat ſhippen in to place, and mariners, and þat werchen in þe ſe, ſtoden fer, and crieden, ſeeynge þe place of þe brennynge of hir, ſeiynge, What lijk to þis greet citee?

And þei ſenten poudir vpon her heedes, and crieden, wepinge, and moornynge, and ſeiynge, Wo! wo! þe ilke grete citee, in whom alle þat han ſhippes in þe ſee ben maad riche of priſis of it; for in oon our it is deſolate. Heuen, and holy apoſtles, and prophetes, glade ȝe on it, for God haþ demyd ȝoure doom of it. And oo ſtronge aungel toke vp a ſtoon, as a greet mylne ſtoon, and ſente in to þe ſe, ſeiynge, In þis bire þe ilke greet citee Babilon ſhal be ſent, and now ouer ſhal not be founde. And þe voys of harpers, and of men of muſike, and ſyngynge wiþ pijpe and trumpe, ſhal no more be herd in it. And ech crafty man, and ech craft, ſhal not be foundun in it.

And þe voys of mylne ſtoon ſhal no more be herd in þee, and þe liȝt of lanterne ſhal no more ſhijne to þee, and þe voys of þe huſbonde and of wijf ſhal not ȝit more be herd in þee; for þi marchauntes weren princes of erþe. For in þi venemous dedis alle folkes erreden. And þe blood of prophetis and ſeyntis is founden in it, and of alle men þat ben ſlayn in erþe.