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11 (A) Every merchant on earth will mourn, because there is no one to buy their goods. 12 (B) There won't be anyone to buy their gold, silver, jewels, pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk, scarlet cloth, sweet-smelling wood, fancy carvings of ivory and wood, as well as things made of bronze, iron, or marble. 13 No one will buy their cinnamon, spices, incense, myrrh, frankincense,[a] wine, olive oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle, sheep, horses, chariots, slaves, and other humans.

14 Babylon, the things
    your heart desired
have all escaped
    from you.
Every luxury
and all your glory
    will be lost forever.
You will never
    get them back.

15 (C) The merchants had become rich because of her. But when they saw her sufferings, they were terrified. They stood at a distance, crying and mourning. 16 Then they shouted,

“Pity the great city
    of Babylon!
She dressed in fine linen
and wore purple
    and scarlet cloth.
She had jewelry
    made of gold
and precious stones
    and pearls.
17 (D) Yet in a single hour
    her riches disappeared.”

Every ship captain and passenger and sailor stood at a distance, together with everyone who does business by traveling on the sea. 18 (E) When they saw the smoke from her fire, they shouted, “This was the greatest city ever!”

19 (F) They cried loudly, and in their sorrow they threw dust on their heads, as they said,

“Pity the great city
    of Babylon!
Everyone who sailed the seas
became rich
    from her treasures.
But in a single hour
    the city was destroyed.

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Footnotes

  1. 18.13 myrrh, frankincense: Myrrh was a valuable sweet-smelling powder often used in perfume. Frankincense was a valuable powder that was burned to make a sweet smell.

11 “The merchants(A) of the earth will weep and mourn(B) over her because no one buys their cargoes anymore(C) 12 cargoes of gold, silver, precious stones and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet cloth; every sort of citron wood, and articles of every kind made of ivory, costly wood, bronze, iron and marble;(D) 13 cargoes of cinnamon and spice, of incense, myrrh and frankincense, of wine and olive oil, of fine flour and wheat; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and human beings sold as slaves.(E)

14 “They will say, ‘The fruit you longed for is gone from you. All your luxury and splendor have vanished, never to be recovered.’ 15 The merchants who sold these things and gained their wealth from her(F) will stand far off,(G) terrified at her torment. They will weep and mourn(H) 16 and cry out:

“‘Woe! Woe to you, great city,(I)
    dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet,
    and glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls!(J)
17 In one hour(K) such great wealth has been brought to ruin!’(L)

“Every sea captain, and all who travel by ship, the sailors, and all who earn their living from the sea,(M) will stand far off.(N) 18 When they see the smoke of her burning,(O) they will exclaim, ‘Was there ever a city like this great city(P)?’(Q) 19 They will throw dust on their heads,(R) and with weeping and mourning(S) cry out:

“‘Woe! Woe to you, great city,(T)
    where all who had ships on the sea
    became rich through her wealth!
In one hour she has been brought to ruin!’(U)

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