THE APOCALYPSE OF IOHN THE APOSTLE — CHAPTER XVIII
Nota Bene: Before proceeding, the reader is advised to review our post titled, PREFATORY TO THE TRANSCRIPTION OF THE APOCALYPSE OF JOHN THE APOSTLE as well as our post titled, THE ARGVMENT OF THE APOCALYPSE OF S. IOHN. The reader is also advised that the source text of THE APOCALYPSE OF IOHN THE APOSTLE — CHAPTER XVIII transcribed herewith can be accessed online by referring to pp. 732–734 of the original Rheims New Testament through the following link: THE NEVV TESTAMENT OF IESVS CHRIST, TRANSLATED FAITHFVLLY INTO ENGLISH, out of the authentical Latin, according to the beſt corrected copies of the ſame, diligently conferred vvith the Greeke and other editions in diuers languages: Vvith Argvments of bookes and chapters, Annotations, and other neceſſarie helpes, for the better vnderſtanding of the text, and ſpecially for the diſcouerie of the Corrvptions of diuers late tranſlations, and for cleering the Controversies in religion, of theſe daies: In the English College of Rhemes. PRINTED AT RHEMES, by Iohn Fogny. 1582.
Chap. XVIII.
The fall of Babylon, her iudgement, plagues and reuenges : for the vvhich, 9 the kings, 16 and marchants of the earth that ſometime did cleaue vnto her, ſhal mourne bitterly : 20 but heauen, and the Apoſtles and Prophets ſhal reioyce.
1. And after theſe things I ſavv an other Angel cõming dovvne from heauen, hauing great povver: & the earth vvas illuminated of his glorie. † 2. And he cried out in force, ſaying, * Fallen fallen is Babylon the great Apo. 14,8. : and it is become the habitation of Deuils, and c the cuſtodie of euery vncleane ſpirit, and the cuſtodie of euery vncleane and hateful bird : c φυλακή † 3. becauſe al nations haue drunke of the vvine of the vvrath of her fornication : and the kings of the earth have fornicated vvith her : and the marchants of the earth vvere made riche by the vertue of her delicacies.
† 4. And I heard an other voice from heauen, ſaying, Goe out from her my people : that you be not partakers of her ſinnes, and receiue not of her plagues. † 5. Becauſe her ſinnes are come euen to heauen, and God hath remembred her iniquities. † 6. Render to her as ſhe alſo hath rendred to you: & double ye double according to her vvorkes: In the cuppe vvherein ſhe hath mingled, mingle ye double vnto to her. † 7. As much as ſhe hath glorified her ſelf, & hath been in delicacies ⸬ ſo much giue her torment and mourning: becauſe ſhe ſaith in her hart, * I ſit a queene, & Widow I am not, Eſ. 47,8. and mourning I ſhal not ſee. ⸬ The meaſüre of paines & damnation, according to the wicked pleaſures or vnlawful delicacies of this life. which is a fore ſentence for ſuch people as turne their whole life to luſt and riot. † 8. Therfore in one day ſhal her plagues come, death, and mourning, and famine, and vvith fire ſhe ſhal be burnt : becauſe God is ſtrong that ſhal iudge her.
† 9. And ⸬ the kings of the earth, vvhich haue fornicated vvith her, & haue liued in delicacies, ſhal vveepe, & bevvaile them ſelues vpon her, vvhen they ſhal ſee the ſmoke of her burnings: ⸬ Kings and Marchants are moſt encombered, dangered and drovvned in the pleaſures of this vvorld : vvhoſe vvhole life & traficke is (if they be not exceding vertuous) to finde varietie of earthy pleaſures. Vvho ſeing once the extreme end of their ioyes and of al that made their heauen here, to be turned into paines & damnation eternal, then ſhal houle & vveepe to late. † 10. ſtanding farre of for the feare of her tormentes, ſaying Vvo, vvo, that great citie Babylon, that ſtrong citie: becauſe in one houre is thy iudgement come.
† 11. And the marchãtes of the earth ſhall vveepe, & mourne vpon her : becauſe no man ſhal bye their merchandiſe any more, † 12. merchandiſe of gold and ſiluer and precious ſtone, and of pearle, and fine linnen, and purple, and ſilk, & ſcarlet, and al Thyne vvood, and al veſſels of yuorie, and al veſſels of precious ſtone and of braſſe and yron and marble, † 13. and cynamon, and of odours, and ointement, and frankeincenſe, and vvine, and oile, and floure, & vvheate, and beaſtes, & ſheepe, and horſes, and chariotes, & ſlaues, and ſoules of men. † 14. And the apples of the deſire of thy ſoul are departed from thee, & al fat and goodly thinges are periſhed from thee, and they ſhal no more finde them. † 15. The marchantes of theſe things vvhich are made riche, ſhal ſtand farre from her for fear of her tormẽtes, vveeping and mourning. † 16. & ſaying, Vvo, wo, that great citie, vvhich vvas clothed vvith ſilke, and purple, and ſcarlet, and vvas gilted vvith gold, and pretious ſtone, & pearles: † 17. becauſe in one houre are ſo great riches made deſolate : and euery gouernour, and euery one that ſaileth into the lake, and the ſhipmen, and they that vvorke in the ſea, ſtoode a farre of, † 18. and cried ſeeing the place of her burning, ſaying, Vvhat other is like to this great citie? † 19. And they threvv duſt vpon their heades, and cried vveeping and mourning, ſaying: Vvo, vvo, that great citie, in the vvhich al vvere made riche that had ſhippes in the ſea, of her prices: becauſe in one hour ſhe is deſolate.
† 20. c Reioyce ouer her, heauen, and ye holy Apoſtles and Prophetes : becauſe God hath iudged your iudgement of her. c The Angels and al Saincts ſhal reioyce and laude God to ſee the wicked confounded, and Gods iuſtice executed vpon their oppreſſors & perſecutors. and this is that vvhich the Martyrs praied for, chap. 6. † 21. And one ſtrong Angel tooke vp as it vvere a great milſtone, and threvv it into the ſea, ſaying, * Ier. 51.63. Vvith this violence ſhal ⸬ Babylon that great citie be throwen, and ſhal novv be found no more. ⸬ By this it ſeemeth cleere that the Apoſtle meaneth not any one citie, but the vniuerſal companie of the reprobate, vvhich ſhal periſh in the day of iudgement : the old prophets alſo naming the vvhole nũber of Gods enemies myſtically, Babylon. as Ierem. 6.52. † 22. † And the voice of harpers, & of Muſicians, and of them that ſing on ſhalme and trompet, ſhal no more be heard in thee, & euery artificer of euery art ſhal be found no more in thee, and the noiſe of the mill ſhal no more be heard in thee, 23. and the light of the lampe ſhal no more ſhine in thee, and the voice of the bridegrome and the bride ſhal no more be heard in thee : becauſe thy marchantes were the princes of the earth, becauſe al nations haue erred in thine inchauntments. † 24. And in her is found the bloud of the Prophets and Sainctes, and of al that vvere ſlaine in the earth.