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Thursday, July 24th, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Read the Bible

Weymouth New Testament

Revelation 18:19

And they threw dust upon their heads, and cried out, weeping aloud and sorrowing. `Alas, alas,' they said, `for this great city, in which, through her vast wealth, the owners of all the ships on the sea have grown rich; because in one short hour she has been laid waste!'

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Thompson Chain Reference - Ashes;   Dust;   The Topic Concordance - Judges;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Commerce;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Poetry of the Hebrews;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - City;   Head;   Ship;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Dust;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Babylon;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Debt, Debtor;   Dust ;   Head;   Mourning;   Numbers;   Sea ;   Ship ;   Witness;   King James Dictionary - Costliness;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Babylon the Great ;   Dust;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Babel;   Babylon;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Babylon in the New Testament:;   Costliness;   Dust;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Attitudes;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
They threw dust on their heads and kept crying out, weeping, and mourning,
King James Version (1611)
And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping, and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great citie, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea, by reason of her costlinesse, for in one houre is she made desolate.
King James Version
And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.
New American Standard Bible
"And they threw dust on their heads and were crying out, weeping and mourning, saying, 'Woe, woe, the great city, in which all who had ships at sea became rich from her prosperity, for in one hour she has been laid waste!'
New Century Version
And they threw dust on their heads and cried out, weeping and being sad. They said: "Terrible! How terrible for the great city! All the people who had ships on the sea became rich because of her wealth! But she has been destroyed in one hour!
THE MESSAGE
Doom to the City of Darkness Following this I saw another Angel descend from Heaven. His authority was immense, his glory flooded earth with brightness, his voice thunderous: Ruined, ruined, Great Babylon, ruined! A ghost town for demons is all that's left! A garrison of carrion spirits, garrison of loathsome, carrion birds. All nations drank the wild wine of her whoring; kings of the earth went whoring with her; entrepreneurs made millions exploiting her. Just then I heard another shout out of Heaven: Get out, my people, as fast as you can, so you don't get mixed up in her sins, so you don't get caught in her doom. Her sins stink to high Heaven; God has remembered every evil she's done. Give her back what she's given, double what she's doubled in her works, double the recipe in the cup she mixed; Bring her flaunting and wild ways to torment and tears. Because she gloated, "I'm queen over all, and no widow, never a tear on my face," In one day, disasters will crush her— death, heartbreak, and famine— Then she'll be burned by fire, because God, the Strong God who judges her, has had enough. "The kings of the earth will see the smoke of her burning, and they'll cry and carry on, the kings who went night after night to her brothel. They'll keep their distance for fear they'll get burned, and they'll cry their lament: Doom, doom, the great city doomed! City of Babylon, strong city! In one hour it's over, your judgment come! "The traders will cry and carry on because the bottom dropped out of business, no more market for their goods: gold, silver, precious gems, pearls; fabrics of fine linen, purple, silk, scarlet; perfumed wood and vessels of ivory, precious woods, bronze, iron, and marble; cinnamon and spice, incense, myrrh, and frankincense; wine and oil, flour and wheat; cattle, sheep, horses, and chariots. And slaves—their terrible traffic in human lives. Everything you've lived for, gone! All delicate and delectable luxury, lost! Not a scrap, not a thread to be found! "The traders who made millions off her kept their distance for fear of getting burned, and cried and carried on all the more: Doom, doom, the great city doomed! Dressed in the latest fashions, adorned with the finest jewels, in one hour such wealth wiped out! "All the ship captains and travelers by sea, sailors and toilers of the sea, stood off at a distance and cried their lament when they saw the smoke from her burning: ‘Oh, what a city! There was never a city like her!' They threw dust on their heads and cried as if the world had come to an end: Doom, doom, the great city doomed! All who owned ships or did business by sea Got rich on her getting and spending. And now it's over—wiped out in one hour!
English Standard Version
And they threw dust on their heads as they wept and mourned, crying out, "Alas, alas, for the great city where all who had ships at sea grew rich by her wealth! For in a single hour she has been laid waste.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"And they threw dust on their heads and were crying out, weeping and mourning, saying, 'Woe, woe, the great city, in which all who had ships at sea became rich by her wealth, for in one hour she has been laid waste!'
Berean Standard Bible
Then they will throw dust on their heads as they weep and mourn and cry out: "Woe, woe to the great city, where all who had ships on the sea were enriched by her wealth! For in a single hour she has been destroyed."
Contemporary English Version
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.
Complete Jewish Bible
And they threw dust on their heads as they wept and mourned, saying, "Oh no! The great city! The abundance of her wealth made all the ship owners rich! In a single hour she is ruined!"
Darby Translation
and cast dust upon their heads, and cried, weeping and grieving, saying, Woe, woe, the great city, in which all that had ships in the sea were enriched through her costliness! for in one hour she has been made desolate.
Easy-to-Read Version
They threw dust on their heads and cried loudly to show the deep sorrow they felt. They said, ‘Terrible! How terrible for the great city! All those who had ships on the sea became rich because of her wealth! But she has been destroyed in one hour!
Geneva Bible (1587)
And they shall cast dust on their heads, and crie, weeping, and wayling, and say, Alas, alas, that great citie, wherein were made rich all that had ships on the sea by her costlinesse: for in one houre she is made desolate.
George Lamsa Translation
And they threw dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Woe, woe, that great city, where all who had ships on the sea were made rich by reason of her preciousness! for in one hour she is destroyed.
Good News Translation
They threw dust on their heads, they cried and mourned, saying, "How terrible! How awful for the great city! She is the city where all who have ships sailing the seas became rich on her wealth! And in one hour she has lost everything!"
Lexham English Bible
And they threw dust on their heads and were crying out, weeping and mourning, saying, "Woe, woe, the great city, in which all those who had ships on the sea became rich from her prosperity, because in one hour she has been laid waste!"
Literal Translation
And they threw dust on their heads, and cried out, weeping and mourning, saying, Woe! Woe to the great city, by which all those having ships in the sea were rich, from her costliness, because in one hour she was ruined.
Amplified Bible
"And they threw dust on their heads and were crying out, weeping and mourning, saying, 'Woe, woe, for the great city, where all who had ships at sea grew rich from her great wealth, because in one hour she has been laid waste!'
American Standard Version
And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and mourning, saying, Woe, woe, the great city, wherein all that had their ships in the sea were made rich by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.
Bible in Basic English
And they put dust on their heads, and were sad, weeping and crying, and saying, Sorrow, sorrow for the great town, in which was increased the wealth of all who had their ships on the sea because of her great stores! for in one hour she is made waste.
Hebrew Names Version
They cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and mourning, saying, 'Woe, woe, the great city, in which all who had their ships in the sea were made rich by reason of her great wealth!' For in one hour is she made desolate.
International Standard Version
Then they threw dust on their heads and shouted while crying and mourning,Joshua 7:6; 1 Samuel 4:12; Job 1:2:12; Ezekiel 27:30; Revelation 18:8;">[xr] "How terrible, how terrible it is for the great city, where all who had ships at sea became rich because of her wealth! For in one hour she has been destroyed!
Etheridge Translation
And they cast dust upon their heads, and cried, weeping and lamenting, and saying, Woe, woe, that great city, in which were made rich all they who have ships in the sea, from the preciousness of her ! For in one hour she becometh desolate !
Murdock Translation
And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping, and mourning, and saying: Alas, alas that great city, in which all that have ships in the sea became rich, by her preciousness; for in one hour she hath become desolate.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And they cast dust on their heades, & cryed, wepyng & waylyng, and saying: Alas, alas, that great citie, wherein were made riche all that had shippes in the sea, by reason of her costlynesse, for at one houre is she made desolate.
English Revised Version
And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and mourning, saying, Woe, woe, the great city, wherein were made rich all that had their ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.
World English Bible
They cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and mourning, saying, 'Woe, woe, the great city, in which all who had their ships in the sea were made rich by reason of her great wealth!' For in one hour is she made desolate.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and mourning, saying, Alas, alas! The great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea, by reason of her costliness; for in one hour she is made desolate.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And thei casten poudre on her heedis, and crieden, wepynge, and mornynge, and seiynge, Wo! wo! thilke greet citee, in which alle that han schippis in the see ben maad riche of pricis of it; for in oon our it is desolat.
Update Bible Version
And they cast dust on their heads, and cried out, weeping and mourning, saying, Woe, woe, the great city, wherein all that had their ships in the sea were made rich by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.
Webster's Bible Translation
And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, in which were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her opulence! for in one hour is she made desolate.
New English Translation
And they threw dust on their heads and were shouting with weeping and mourning, "Woe, Woe, O great city— in which all those who had ships on the sea got rich from her wealth— because in a single hour she has been destroyed!"
New King James Version
"They threw dust on their heads and cried out, weeping and wailing, and saying, "Alas, alas, that great city, in which all who had ships on the sea became rich by her wealth! For in one hour she is made desolate.'
New Living Translation
And they will weep and throw dust on their heads to show their grief. And they will cry out, "How terrible, how terrible for that great city! The shipowners became wealthy by transporting her great wealth on the seas. In a single moment it is all gone."
New Life Bible
They threw dirt on their heads. They cried out with much sorrow and said, ‘It is bad! It is bad for the powerful city! She is the place where all those who owned ships on the sea became rich from all her riches. For in one hour everything is gone!'
New Revised Standard
And they threw dust on their heads, as they wept and mourned, crying out, "Alas, alas, the great city, where all who had ships at sea grew rich by her wealth! For in one hour she has been laid waste."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And they cast dust upon their heads, and cried out, weeping and grieving, saying - Alas! alas! the great city! Whereby were made rich all that had ships in the sea, by reason of her costliness, - that, in one hour, she hath been laid waste!
Douay-Rheims Bible
And they cast dust upon their heads and cried, weeping and mourning, saying: Alas! alas! that great city, wherein all were made rich, that had ships at sea, by reason of her prices. For, in one hour she is made desolate.
Revised Standard Version
And they threw dust on their heads, as they wept and mourned, crying out, "Alas, alas, for the great city where all who had ships at sea grew rich by her wealth! In one hour she has been laid waste.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And they cast dust on their heddes and cryed wepynge and waylinge and sayed: Alas Alas yt greate cite wherin were made ryche all that had shyppes in the see by the reason of her costlynes for atone houre is she made desolate
Young's Literal Translation
and they did cast dust upon their heads, and were crying out, weeping and sorrowing, saying, Wo, wo, the great city! in which were made rich all having ships in the sea, out of her costliness -- for in one hour was she made waste.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And they cast dust on their heades, and cryed wepynge, and waylinge, and sayde: Alas, Alas the greate cite, wherin were made ryche all that had shippes in the see, by the reason of her wares: for at one houre is she made desolate.
Mace New Testament (1729)
they will scatter dust on their heads, and cry with tears, and bemoaning, "alas, alas, that great city, which enrich'd all the traders by sea, by the consumption she made: how is she reduc'd to a desert, in an instant!"
Simplified Cowboy Version
They will paw at the dirt and cry and wail, saying, 'This is such terrible loss. This is the worst thing that has ever happened. She made all the ships of the world rich. All of it is gone in one hour.'

Contextual Overview

9 The kings of the earth who have committed fornication with her, and have revelled in luxury, shall weep aloud and lament over her when they see the smoke of her burning, 10 while they stand afar off because of their terror at her heavy punishment, and say, `Alas, alas, thou great city, O Babylon, the mighty city! For in one short hour thy doom has come!' 11 And the merchants of the earth weep aloud and lament over her, because now there is no sale for their cargoes-- 12 cargoes of gold and silver, of jewels and pearls, of fine linen, purple and silk, and of scarlet stuff; all kinds of rare woods, and all kinds of goods in ivory and in very costly wood, in bronze, steel and marble. 13 Also cinnamon and amomum; odors to burn as incense or for perfume; frankincense, wine, oil; fine flour, wheat, cattle and sheep; horses and carriages and slaves; and the lives of men. 14 The dainties that thy soul longed for are gone from thee, and all thine elegance and splendor have perished, and never again shall they be found. 15 Those who traded in these things, who grew wealthy through her, will stand afar off, struck with terror at her punishment, 16 weeping aloud and sorrowing, and saying, `Alas, alas, for this great city, which was brilliantly arrayed in fine linen, and purple and scarlet stuff, and beautified with gold, jewels and pearls; 17 because in one short hour all this great wealth has been laid waste!' And every shipmaster and every passenger by sea and the crews and all who ply their trade on the sea, 18 stood afar off, and cried aloud when they saw the smoke of her burning. And they said, `What city is like this great city?'

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

they cast: Joshua 7:6, 1 Samuel 4:12, 2 Samuel 13:19, Nehemiah 9:1, Job 2:12, Ezekiel 27:30

weeping: Revelation 18:10, Revelation 18:15, Revelation 18:16

for: Revelation 18:8

Reciprocal: Exodus 11:6 - General 2 Kings 6:5 - master Ecclesiastes 7:16 - destroy thyself Isaiah 25:2 - palace Jeremiah 51:13 - and the Lamentations 2:10 - cast up Lamentations 3:11 - he hath made Ezekiel 27:33 - thy wares Ezekiel 31:15 - I caused a Amos 5:16 - Wailing Revelation 14:7 - hour

Cross-References

John 10:14
"I am the Good Shepherd. And I know my sheep and my sheep know me,
John 21:17
A third time Jesus put the question: "Simon, son of John, am I dear to you?" It grieved Peter that Jesus asked him the third time, "Am I dear to you?" "Master," he replied, "you know everything, you can see that you are dear to me." "Then feed my much-loved sheep," said Jesus.
Acts 27:31
But Paul, addressing Julius and the soldiers, said, "Your lives will be sacrificed, unless these men remain on board."
Ephesians 6:4
And you, fathers, do not irritate your children, but bring them up tenderly with true Christian training and advice.
1 Timothy 3:12
A deacon must be true to his one wife, and rule his children and his own household wisely and well.
2 Timothy 1:5
For I recall the sincere faith which is in your heart--a faith which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and then in your mother Eunice, and, I am fully convinced, now dwells in you also.
2 Timothy 2:19
Yet God's solid foundation stands unmoved, bearing this inscription, "The Lord knows those who really belong to Him." And this also, "Let every one who names the Name of the Lord renounce all wickedness."
2 Timothy 3:15
and that from infancy you have known the sacred writings which are able to make you wise to obtain salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And they cast dust on their heads,.... As the seafaring men on account of Tyre, Ezekiel 27:30 this was a gesture used in mourning when persons were in afflicted and distressed circumstances, denoting disorder, confusion, and debasement; see Joshua 7:6

and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, alas, alas! that great city; as in Revelation 18:10 so it was once, though now in flames:

wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea; not only the merchants of the earth, as in Revelation 18:3 the cardinals, archbishops, and bishops, but the governors of religious houses; these accumulated great wealth to themselves, and got the best of lands into their possession for the use and support of their abbeys and monasteries:

by reason of her costliness; or costly things; pardons, indulgences, absolution, saying Mass, and praying souls out of purgatory, all which are costly, and hereby these traders have been enriched; and now the remembrance of these things, of which they will be deprived, will affect and grieve them, as well as the suddenness of Rome's ruin:

for in one hour is she made desolate; her judgment come, and her riches come to nought, Revelation 18:10.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And they cast dust on their heads - A common sign of lamentation and mourning among the Orientals. See the notes on Job 2:12.

By reason of her costliness - The word rendered “costliness” - τιμιότητος timiotētos - means, properly, “preciousness, costliness”; their magnificence, costly merchandise. The luxury of a great city enriches many individuals, however much it may impoverish itself.

For in one hour is she made desolate - So it seemed to them. See the notes on Revelation 18:17.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Revelation 18:19. They cast dust on their heads — They showed every sign of the sincerest grief. The lamentation over this great ruined city, Revelation 18:9-19, is exceedingly strong and well drawn. Here is no dissembled sorrow; all is real to the mourners, and affecting to the spectators.


 
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