الرؤيا 18 | الكتاب المقدس

الكتاب المقدس

سقوط بابل

1 بَعْدَ هَذَا رَأَيْتُ مَلاكاً آخَرَ نَازِلاً مِنَ السَّمَاءِ، لَهُ سُلْطَانٌ عَظِيمٌ، أَضَاءَ بَهَاؤُهُ الأَرْضَ. 2 وَصَاحَ بِأَعْلَى صَوْتِهِ: «سَقَطَتْ، سَقَطَتْ بَابِلُ الْعُظْمَى، وَصَارَتْ وَكْراً لِلشَّيَاطِينِ وَمَأْوىً لِكُلِّ رُوحٍ نَجِسٍ وَلِكُلِّ طَائِرٍ نَجِسٍ مَكْرُوهٍ، 3 لأَنَّ جَمِيعَ الأُمَمِ شَرِبَتْ مِنْ خَمْرِ زِنَاهَا، وَمُلُوكَ الأَرْضِ زَنَوْا مَعَهَا، وَتُجَّارَ الأَرْضِ اغْتَنَوْا مِنْ كَثْرَةِ تَرَفِهَا!»

تحذير للهروب من دينونة بابل

4 ثُمَّ سَمِعْتُ صَوْتاً آخَرَ يُنَادِي مِنَ السَّمَاءِ: «اخْرُجُوا مِنْهَا يَا شَعْبِي، لِئَلّا تَشْتَرِكُوا فِي خَطَايَاهَا، فَتُصَابُوا بِبَلايَاهَا، 5 فَقَدْ تَرَاكَمَتْ خَطَايَاهَا حَتَّى بَلَغَتِ السَّمَاءَ، وَتَذَكَّرَ اللهُ مَا ارْتَكَبَتْهُ مِنْ آثَامٍ! 6 افْعَلُوا بِها كَمَا فَعَلَتْ بِكُمْ، وَضَاعِفُوا لَهَا جَزَاءَ مَا اقْتَرَفَتْ. فِي الْكَأْسِ الَّتِي مَزَجَتْ فِيهَا لِلآخَرِينَ، امْزُجُوا لَهَا ضِعْفاً. 7 أَنْزِلُوا بِها مِنَ الْعَذَابِ وَالشَّقَاءِ عَلَى قَدْرِ مَا عَظَّمَتْ نَفْسَهَا وَتَرَفَّهَتْ. فَإِنَّهَا تَقُولُ فِي نَفْسِهَا: أَنَا مَلِكَةٌ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ، وَلَسْتُ أَرْمَلَةً، وَلَنْ أَذُوقَ طَعْمَ الْحُزْنِ. 8 لِذَلِكَ سَتَنْقَضُّ عَلَيْهَا الْبَلايَا فِي يَوْمٍ وَاحِدٍ، مِنْ مَوْتٍ وَحُزْنٍ وَجُوعٍ، وَسَتَحْتَرِقُ بِالنَّارِ، فَإِنَّ اللهَ الَّذِي يَدِينُهَا هُوَ رَبٌّ قَدِيرٌ.

الويل بسقوط بابل

9 وَسَيَبْكِي عَلَيْهَا مُلُوكُ الأَرْضِ الَّذِينَ زَنَوْا وَتَرَفَّهُوا مَعَهَا، وَسَيَنُوحُونَ وَهُمْ يَنْظُرُونَ إِلَى دُخَانِ حَرِيقِهَا، 10 فَيَقِفُونَ عَلَى بُعْدٍ مِنْهَا، خَوْفاً مِنْ عَذَابِهَا، وَهُمْ يَصْرُخُونَ: الْوَيْلُ، الْوَيْلُ، أَيَّتُهَا الْمَدِينَةُ الْعُظْمَى، بَابِلُ الْقَوِيَّةُ! فِي سَاعَةٍ وَاحِدَةٍ حَلَّ بِكِ الْعِقَابُ! 11 وَسَيَبْكِي تُجَّارُ الأَرْضِ وَيَحْزَنُونَ عَلَيْهَا، لأَنَّهُ لَمْ يَبْقَ أَحَدٌ لِيَشْتَرِيَ بَضَائِعَهُمْ، 12 فَقَدْ كَانَتْ هِيَ تَشْتَرِي مِنْهُمُ الذَّهَبَ وَالْفِضَّةَ وَالْحِجَارَةَ الْكَرِيمَةَ وَاللُّؤْلُؤَ، وَالْكَتَّانَ وَالأُرْجُوَانَ وَالْحَرِيرَ وَالْقِرْمِزَ، وَجَمِيعَ الأَخْشَابِ الْعَطِرَةِ وَأَدَوَاتِ الْعَاجِ وَالْمَصْنُوعَاتِ الْخَشَبِيَّةِ الثَّمِينَةِ، وَالنُّحَاسَ وَالْحَدِيدَ وَالرُّخَامَ، 13 وَالْقِرْفَةَ وَالْبَهَارَ، وَالعُطُورَ وَالطِّيبَ وَالْبَخُورَ، وَالْخَمْرَ وَالزَّيْتَ وَالدَّقِيقَ وَالْحُبُوبَ، وَالْبَهَائِمَ وَالْغَنَمَ، وَالْخَيْلَ وَالْمَرْكَبَاتِ، وَالأَجْسَادَ وَالنُّفُوسَ الْبَشَرِيَّةَ 14 وَسَيَقُولُونَ: مَضَى عَنْكِ الثَّمَرُ الَّذِي كَانَتْ تَشْتَهِيهِ نَفْسُكِ؛ وَزَالَتْ عَنْكِ مَظَاهِرُ التَّرَفِ وَالْعَظَمَةِ كُلُّهَا، وَلَنْ تَعُودَ! 15 هؤُلاءِ التُّجَّارُ الَّذِينَ اغْتَنَوْا مِنَ التِّجَارَةِ مَعَهَا، يَقِفُونَ عَلَى بُعْدٍ مِنْهَا، خَوْفاً مِنْ عَذَابِهَا، يَبْكُونَ وَيَنْتَحِبُونَ 16 قَائِلِينَ: الْوَيْلُ، الْوَيْلُ عَلَى الْمَدِينَةِ الْعُظْمَى! كَانَتْ تَرْتَدِي أَفْضَلَ الْكَتَّانِ وَالأُرْجُوَانِ وَالْقِرْمِزِ، وَتَتَحَلَّى بِالذَّهَبِ وَالأَحْجَارِ الْكَرِيمَةِ وَاللُّؤْلُوءِ، 17 وَقَدْ زَالَ هَذَا الْغِنَى كُلُّهُ فِي سَاعَةٍ وَاحِدَةٍ! وَيَقِفُ قَادَةُ السُّفُنِ وَرُكَّابُهَا وَمَلّاحُوهَا وَعُمَّالُ الْبَحْرِ جَمِيعاً عَلَى بُعْدٍ مِنْهَا 18 يَنْظُرُونَ إِلَى دُخَانِ حَرِيقِهَا، فَيَصْرُخُونَ: أَيَّةُ مَدِينَةٍ مِثْلُ هذِهِ الْمَدِينَةِ الْعُظْمَى؟ 19 وَيُذَرُّونَ التُّرَابَ عَلَى رُؤُوسِهِمْ وَهُمْ يَصْرُخُونَ بَاكِينَ مُنْتَحِبِينَ: الْوَيْلُ، الْوَيْلُ عَلَى الْمَدِينَةِ الْعُظْمَى الَّتِي اغْتَنَى أَصْحَابُ سُفُنِ الْبَحْرِ جَمِيعاً بِفَضْلِ ثَرْوَتِهَا! هَا هِيَ فِي سَاعَةٍ وَاحِدَةٍ قَدْ زَالَتْ! 20 اشْمَتِي بِها أَيَّتُهَا السَّمَاءُ! وَاشْمَتُوا بِها أَيُّهَا الْقِدِّيسُونَ وَالرُّسُلُ وَالأَنْبِيَاءُ، فَقَدْ أَصْدَرَ اللهُ حُكْمَهُ عَلَيْهَا بَعْدَمَا أَصْدَرَتْ أَحْكَامَهَا عَلَيْكُمْ».

نهاية بابل

21 وَتَنَاوَلَ مَلاكٌ قَوِيٌّ حَجَراً كَأَنَّهُ حَجَرُ طَاحُونَةٍ عَظِيمٌ وَأَلْقَاهُ فِي الْبَحْرِ قَائِلاً: «هكَذَا تُدْفَعُ وَتُطْرَحُ بَابِلُ الْمَدِينَةُ الْعُظْمَى، فَتَخْتَفِي إِلَى الأَبَدِ! 22 لَنْ يُسْمَعَ فِيكِ عَزْفُ مُوسِيقَى بَعْدُ، لَا صَوْتُ قِيثَارَةٍ وَلا مِزْمَارٍ وَلا بُوقٍ، وَلَنْ تَقُومَ فِيكِ صِنَاعَةٌ بَعْدَ الآنَ، وَلَنْ يُسْمَعَ فِيكِ صَوْتُ رَحىً 23 وَلَنْ يُضِيءَ فِيكِ نُورُ مِصْبَاحٍ. وَلَنْ يُسْمَعَ فِيكِ صَوْتُ عَرِيسٍ وَعَرُوسٍ. فَقَدْ كَانَ تُجَّارُكِ سَادَةَ الأَرْضِ، وَبِسِحْرِكِ ضَلَّلْتِ جَمِيعَ الأُمَمِ. 24 وَفِيهَا وُجِدَتْ دِمَاءُ أَنْبِيَاءَ وَقِدِّيسِينَ وَجَمِيعِ الَّذِينَ قُتِلُوا عَلَى الأَرْضِ».

New International Version

Lament over fallen Babylon

1 After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven. He had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendour. 2 With a mighty voice he shouted: ‘ “Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!” She has become a dwelling for demons and a haunt for every impure spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable animal. (إش 21:9) 3 For all the nations have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries. The kings of the earth committed adultery with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries.’

Warning to escape Babylon’s judgment

4 Then I heard another voice from heaven say: ‘ “Come out of her, my people,” so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues; (إر 51:45) 5 for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes. 6 Give back to her as she has given; pay her back double for what she has done. Pour her a double portion from her own cup. 7 Give her as much torment and grief as the glory and luxury she gave herself. In her heart she boasts, “I sit enthroned as queen. I am not a widow;^[1] I will never mourn.” (إش 47:7; إش 47:8) 8 Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her: death, mourning and famine. She will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.

Threefold woe over Babylon’s fall

9 ‘When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury see the smoke of her burning, they will weep and mourn over her. 10 Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off and cry: ‘ “Woe! Woe to you, great city, you mighty city of Babylon! In one hour your doom has come!” 11 ‘The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no-one buys their cargoes anymore – 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; 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. 14 ‘They will say, “The fruit you longed for is gone from you. All your luxury and splendour have vanished, never to be recovered.” 15 The merchants who sold these things and gained their wealth from her will stand far off, terrified at her torment. They will weep and mourn 16 and cry out: ‘ “Woe! Woe to you, great city, dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet, and glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls! 17 In one hour such great wealth has been brought to ruin!” ‘Every sea captain, and all who travel by ship, the sailors, and all who earn their living from the sea, will stand far off. 18 When they see the smoke of her burning, they will exclaim, “Was there ever a city like this great city?” 19 They will throw dust on their heads, and with weeping and mourning cry out: ‘ “Woe! Woe to you, great city, where all who had ships on the sea became rich through her wealth! In one hour she has been brought to ruin!” 20 ‘Rejoice over her, you heavens! Rejoice, you people of God! Rejoice, apostles and prophets! For God has judged her with the judgment she imposed on you.’

The finality of Babylon’s doom

21 Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea, and said: ‘With such violence the great city of Babylon will be thrown down, never to be found again. 22 The music of harpists and musicians, pipers and trumpeters, will never be heard in you again. No worker of any trade will ever be found in you again. The sound of a millstone will never be heard in you again. 23 The light of a lamp will never shine in you again. The voice of bridegroom and bride will never be heard in you again. Your merchants were the world’s important people. By your magic spell all the nations were led astray. 24 In her was found the blood of prophets and of God’s holy people, of all who have been slaughtered on the earth.’