The Fall of Babylon
1 I saw another angel come from heaven. This one had great power, and the earth was bright because of his glory. 2 The angel shouted,
“Fallen! Powerful Babylon
has fallen
and is now the home
of demons.
It is the den
of every filthy spirit
and of all unclean birds,
and every dirty
and hated animal.
3 Babylon's evil and immoral wine
has made all nations drunk.
Every king on earth
has slept with her,
and every merchant on earth
is rich because of
her evil desires.”
4 Then I heard another voice
from heaven shout,
“My people, you must escape
from Babylon.
Don't take part in her sins
and share her punishment.
5 Her sins are piled
as high as heaven.
God has remembered the evil
she has done.
6 Treat her as she
has treated others.
Make her pay double
for what she has done.
Make her drink twice as much
of what she mixed
for others.
7 That woman honored herself
with a life of luxury.
Reward her now
with suffering and pain.
“Deep in her heart
Babylon said,
‘I am the queen!
Never will I be a widow
or know what it means
to be sad.’
8 And so, in a single day
she will suffer the pain
of sorrow, hunger, and death.
Fire will destroy
her dead body,
because her judge
is the powerful Lord God.”
9 Every king on earth who slept with her and shared in her luxury will mourn. They will weep, when they see the smoke from that fire. 10 Her sufferings will frighten them, and they will stand at a distance and say,
“Pity that great
and powerful city!
Pity Babylon!
In a single hour
her judgment has come.”
11 Every merchant on earth will mourn, because there is no one to buy their goods. 12 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, 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 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 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 When they saw the smoke from her fire, they shouted, “This was the greatest city ever!”
19 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.
20 The heavens should be happy
with God's people
and apostles and prophets.
God has punished her
for them.”
21 A powerful angel then picked up a huge stone and threw it into the sea. The angel said,
“This is how the great city
of Babylon
will be thrown down,
never to rise again.
22 The music of harps and singers
and of flutes and trumpets
will no longer be heard.
No workers will ever
set up shop in that city,
and the sound
of grinding grain
will be silenced forever.
23 Lamps will no longer shine
anywhere in Babylon,
and couples will never again
say wedding vows there.
Her merchants ruled
the earth,
and by her witchcraft
she fooled all nations.
24 On the streets of Babylon
is found the blood
of God's people
and of his prophets,
and everyone else.”
Okuteka po kwaBabilon
1 Konima yaambika onda mono omuyengeli gulwe a kuluka megulu. Okwa li e na oonkondo oonene dhokupangela, neadhimo lye olya minikile evi alihe. 2 Okwi igidha newi enene a ti: “Sha teka po! Babilon, oshilando oshinene sha teka po! Ngashingeyi sha ningi ehala lyoompwidhuli nolyoombepo oombwinayi. Oondhila dhomaludhi agehe ndhoka dha nyata nodhi tondike, omo dha tungila. 3 Oshoka oshilando shika osha kolitha aantu ayehe yokombanda yevi, sho she ya nwetha omaviinu goluhondelo lwasho. Aakwaniilwa yokombanda yevi oya hondele naantu yasho, naahalithi yiipindi yomuuyuni oya likola uuyamba owindji omoluuholume washo.”
4 Nena ondu uvu ewi lilwe ekwawo lya zi megulu nolya ti:
“Zii mo mokati kawo, one aantu yandje!
Iyoololii mo muyo!
Inamu kwatathana noondjo dhawo;
inamu ihilila omageelo gawo!
5 Oshoka oondjo dhasho odha ndumbala
nodha thiki sigo okegulu,
nuulunde washo Kalunga okwe u dhimbulukwa.
6 Shi ningileni naanaa ngaashi she mu ningile.
Shi futitheni lwaali shi thike pushoka e shi longa.
Udheni oshitenga shasho noshinuwa oshilulu shi vule lwaali shoka she mu longekidhilile.
7 Shi peni omahepeko noluhodhi yi thike pesimano nopuukengeli mboka she u ikongela shoshene.
Oshoka oshi li po tashi ilombwele tashi ti:
‘Ongame otandi kuutumba mpaka, omukwaniilwa omukuluntu.
Kandi shi omuselekadhi noitandi ka adhika nando koluhodhi!’
8 Onkee ano iiponga ayihe otayi ke shi adha esiku limwe alike.
Eeno, oluhodhi nondjala.
Otashi ka fikwa po nomulilo,
oshoka Omuwa Kalunga ngoka te shi pangula,
oye omunankondo.”
9 Aakwaniilwa yokombanda yevi mboka ya li haa hondele naantu yasho noya kala muufukedhi pamwe nayo, otaa ka lila nokuyemata omolwoshilando shika, sho taa mono olwithi lwompile yasho. 10 Oyo otaa ka kala ya thikama kokule, oshoka oya tilithwa kokweehamekwa kwasho notaa ti:
“Iihuna oyi thike peni!
Oshilando ngoye oshinene, Babilon!
Egeelo lyoye olye ku adha muule wotundi yimwe ayike.”
11 Aahalithi yokombanda yevi nayo wo otaa lili nokunika oluhodhi omolwasho, oshoka kapu na we ngoka ta landa iinima yawo. 12 Kape na we ngoka ta landa oshingoli, oshisiliveli, omamanya gondilo nomagwe gawo; iiyata yawo yoliina, yopurpuri, yotheyi naambyoka iitiligane; niizimba iiwanawa, iihongomwa mbyoka ya hongwa momayego goondjamba nomiiti yondilo, mosheela shoshikushu, mosheela oshiluudhe nomemanya lyamarimori; 13 omunkunzi, omugwayo gwomafufu, omugwayo gwezimba ewanawa neka lyokutsinina; omaviinu nomagadhi, uusila niilya, oongombe noonzi, oonkambe nomatemba, aapika noomwenyo dhaantu nokuli.
14 Aahalithi otaye shi lombwele taa ti: “Iinima ayihe iiwanawa mbyoka wa li wa hala okulikola, oya kana po, nuuyamba woye auhe neopalo lyoye lya pepuka po, noku na we mpoka to ke yi mona.” 15 Aahalithi mboka ya ningi aayamba, sho ya landitha moshilando shiyaka, otaa ka kala ya thikama kokule, oshoka oya tilithwa kokweehamekwa kwasho. Oyo otaa ka lila nokunika oluhodhi, 16 e taa ti: “Iihuna oyi thike peni! Iihuna oyi thike peni yoshilando oshinene! Okwa li hashi izaleke oonguwo dholiina noonguwo oontiligane noshi iyopalekitha uulenga woshingoli, nomamanya gondilo nomagwe. 17 Ihe uuyamba mbuka auhe she u kanitha muule wotundi yimwe ayike!”
Aakuluntu yoosikepa ayehe, aayendi yomoosikepa, oonakulonga moosikepa naayendifuta ayehe oya thikama kokule 18 noyi igidha mokule, sho ya mono olwithi lwompile yasho ya ti: “Kaku na nando oshilando shimwe oshinene shi thike pushika!” 19 Oyo oyi ifundile omavi momitse noya lili nokunika oluhodhi ya ti “Iihuna oyi thike peni! Iihuna oyi thike peni ya adha oshilando shika oshinene! Aantu ayehe mboka haa ende momafuta noosikepa, oya mono uuyamba owindji omolwoshilando shika. Ihe uuyamba washo owa pepuka po muule wotundi yimwe ayike.
20 “Nyanyukwa, ngoye egulu, omolwokuhanagulwa po kwasho! Nane aantu yaKalunga, aayapostoli naahunganeki, nyanyukweni! Oshoka Kalunga okwe shi geelele uuwinayi auhe mboka she mu ningile.”
21 Nena omuyengeli omunankondo okwa kutha emanya li thike pemanya enene lyokukweya uusila nokwe li umbile mefuta e ta ti:
“Osho ngeyi oshilando shika oshinene Babilon tashi ka ekelwahi polumwe aluke noitashi ka monika we nando esiku limwe. 22 Olwiimbo lwaahiki yokashandja newi lyaayimbi nolyaahiki yohiya noyomankuma itali ka uvika we tali zi mungoye. Maantu yaandjeni itamu ka monika we onkulungu yoshilonga shasha. Osho wo itamu ka uvika we ekolokoto lyomamanya gokukweya uusila. 23 Uuyelele wolamba itau ka monika we mungoye newi lyomufuko nolyombushiki itali ka uvika mo we. Aahalithi yaandjeni oya li aanankondo ye vule aahalithi yomuuyuni auhe, nuumpulile woye owa pukitha aantu ayehe yomuuyuni.”
24 Babilon sha geelwa, oshoka musho omwa adhika ombinzi yaahunganeki noyaantu yaKalunga. Eeno, musho omwa monika ombinzi yaantu ayehe mboka ya dhipagwa kombanda yevi.
