Revelation 18
1 After this I saw another angel descending from heaven. He had great power and the earth was lit up by his glory.
And after these things, I saw another Angel, descending from heaven, having great authority. And the earth was illuminated by his glory.
2 He shouted out in a powerful voice, “Babylon the great has collapsed into ruins! She has become a place where demons live, the refuge of every unclean spirit, and the roost of every unclean and detestable bird.
And he cried out with strength, saying: “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great. And she has become the habitation of demons, and the keepsake of every unclean spirit, and the possession of every unclean and hateful flying thing.
3 For all the nations have drunk the wine of her mad sexual immorality. The kings of the earth have committed adultery with her, and the traders of the earth have grown rich from her excessive sensuality.”
For all the nations have imbibed the wine of the wrath of her fornication. And the kings of the earth have fornicated with her. And the merchants of the earth have become wealthy by the power of her pleasures.”
4 Then I heard another voice from heaven calling out, “My people, come out of her, so that you don't participate in her sinful ways, and so that you don't experience her plagues.
And I heard another voice from heaven, saying: “Go away from her, my people, so that you may not be participants in her pleasures, and so that you may not be recipients of her afflictions.
5 Her sins have piled up all the way to heaven, and God is very much aware of her wickedness.
For her sins have pierced through even to heaven, and the Lord has remembered her iniquities.
6 Give back to her what she gave; repay her double for what she did. In her own cup mix double the trouble she mixed for others.
Render to her, as she has also rendered to you. And repay her doubly, according to her works. Mix for her a double portion, in the cup with which she mixed.
7 As much as she boasted about herself and indulged her lusts, give her back just as much anguish and sorrow. She told herself, ‘I reign as queen. I am no widow; I will never be in mourning.’
As much as she has glorified herself and lived in pleasure, so much so give to her torment and grief. For in her heart, she has said: ‘I am enthroned as queen,’ and, ‘I am not a widow,’ and, ‘I shall not see sorrow.’
8 Because of this her plagues will come upon her in just one day: death, mourning, and famine. She will be completely destroyed by fire, for the Lord God who condemns her has great power.
For this reason, her afflictions shall arrive in one day: death and grief and famine. And she shall be burned with fire. For God, who will judge her, is strong.
9 The kings of the earth who had committed adultery with her and indulged their lusts with her will cry and mourn over her when they see the smoke of the fire that destroys her.
And the kings of the earth, who have fornicated with her and lived in luxury, shall weep and mourn for themselves over her, when they see the smoke of her conflagration,
10 Standing off at a distance because they are afraid they will suffer the same agony as her, they say, ‘Disaster, disaster has struck Babylon, the great city! In just one hour your sentence of doom was executed!’
standing far away, out of fear of her torments, saying: ‘Woe! Woe! to Babylon, that great city, that strong city. For in one hour, your judgment has arrived.’
11 The traders of the earth cry and grieve over her, because nobody is buying their goods any more—
And the businessmen of the earth shall weep and mourn over her, because no one will buy their merchandise anymore:
12 products made of gold, silver, gems and pearls; fine linen, purple cloth, silk, and scarlet material; all kinds of objects made of scented wood, or from ivory, or expensive woods, or bronze, iron, or marble;
merchandise of gold and silver and precious stones and pearls, and of fine linen and purple and silk and scarlet, and of every citrus tree wood, and of every tool of ivory, and of every tool from precious stone and brass and iron and marble,
13 shipments of cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, olive oil, fine flour and wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and wagons, and slaves and prisoners.
and of cinnamon and black cardamom, and of fragrances and ointments and incense, and of wine and oil and fine flour and wheat, and of beasts of burden and sheep and horses and four-wheeled wagons, and of slaves and the souls of men.
14 You've lost the sweet pleasures you loved so much; all your luxurious, glittering possessions are gone—you'll never get any of them back.
And the fruits of the desires of your soul have gone away from you. And all things fat and splendid have perished from you. And they shall never find these things again.
15 The traders who sold these things and became rich from trading with her will stand at a distance because they are afraid they will suffer the same agony as her. They will cry and grieve, saying,
The merchants of these things, who were made wealthy, shall stand far away from her, out of fear of her torments, weeping and mourning,
16 ‘Disaster, disaster has hit the great city! She was clothed in fine linen and purple robes, and wore jewelry made of gold and gems and pearls.
and saying: ‘Woe! Woe! to that great city, which was clothed with fine linen and purple and scarlet, and which was adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls.’
17 In just one hour all this wealth was destroyed!’ Every sea captain and everyone who travels by sea and every sailor and everyone who earns their living from the sea stood at a distance.
For such great wealth was brought to destitution in one hour. And every shipmaster, and all who navigate on lakes, and mariners, and those who work at sea, stood far away.
18 As they watched the smoke of the fire that destroys her, they shouted out, ‘What city could ever compare to this great city?’
And they cried out, seeing the place of her conflagration, saying: ‘What city resembles this great city?’
19 They threw dust on their heads, shouting and crying and grieving, ‘Disaster, disaster has struck the great city that made every ship-owner rich because of her extravagance! In just one hour she was destroyed!’
And they cast dust upon their heads. And they cried out, weeping and mourning, saying: ‘Woe! Woe! to that great city, by which all who had ships at sea were made rich from her treasures. For she has been made desolate in one hour.
20 Celebrate what's happened to her, heaven and believers and apostles and prophets, for God has condemned her as she condemned you.”
Exult over her, O heaven, O holy Apostles and Prophets. For God has judged your judgment upon her.’”
21 A powerful angel picked up a rock the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “With this kind of violence the great city of Babylon will be thrown down, and will never exist again.”
And a certain strong Angel took up a stone, similar to a great millstone, and he cast it into the sea, saying: “With this force shall Babylon, that great city, be cast down. And she shall never be found again.
22 “Never again will anyone hear music in you: the sound of harps, singers, flutes, and trumpets. Never again will craftsmen of any trade work in you. Never again will the sound of a mill be heard in you.
And the sound of singers, and musicians, and flute and trumpet players shall not be heard in you again. And every artisan of every art shall not be found in you again. And the sound of the mill shall not be heard in you again.
23 Never again will the light of a lamp shine in you. Never again will the voices of bridegroom and bride be heard in you. Your traders led the world. Through your witchcraft all the nations were deceived.
And the light of the lamp shall not shine in you again. And the voice of the groom and of the bride shall not be heard in you anymore. For your merchants were the leaders of the earth. For all the nations were led astray by your drugs.
24 In her the blood of prophets and believers was found, and of all those who have been killed on the earth.”
And in her was found the blood of the Prophets and of the Saints, and of all who were slain upon the earth.”
