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.
After this I saw another angel, descending from heaven, invested with great authority; and the earth was illuminated by his splendour.
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.
With a mighty voice he cried – ‘She has fallen! She has fallen – Babylon the Great! She has become an abode of demons, a stronghold of every wicked spirit, a stronghold of every foul and hateful bird.
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, after drinking the maddening wine of her licentiousness, all the nations have fallen; while all the kings of the earth have had licentious intercourse with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown rich through the excess of her luxury.’
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.
Then I heard another voice from heaven saying – ‘Come out of her, my people, so that you may not participate in her sins, and that you may not suffer from the curses inflicted on her.
5 Her sins have piled up all the way to heaven, and God is very much aware of her wickedness.
For her sins are heaped up to the heavens, and God has not forgotten her misdeeds.
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.
Pay her back the treatment with which she has treated you; yes, repay twice over what her actions deserve; in the cup which she mixed for you, mix for her as much again;
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.’
for her self-glorification and her luxury, give her now an equal measure of torture and misery. In her heart she says “I sit here a queen; no widow am I; I will never know misery.”
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.
Therefore in one day will these curses strike her – death, misery, and famine, and she will be utterly consumed by fire; for mighty is the Lord God who condemned her.’
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.
All the kings of the earth who had licentious intercourse with her and shared her luxury will weep and lament over her, when they see the smoke from the burning city,
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!’
while they stand at a distance, horrified at her torture, and cry – ‘Alas! Alas! Great city! Mighty city of Babylon! In a single hour your judgment fell.’
11 The traders of the earth cry and grieve over her, because nobody is buying their goods any more—
And the merchants of the earth weep and wail over her, because no longer does anyone buy their cargoes –
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;
their cargoes of gold, or silver, or precious stones, or pearls, or fine linen, or purple robes, or silk, or scarlet cloth; nor their many scented woods; nor their many articles of ivory; nor their many articles of choicest wood, or brass, or iron, or 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.
nor their cinnamon, or spice, or incense, or perfumes, or frankincense, or wine, or oil, or fine flour, or wheat, or cattle, or sheep; nor their horses, or chariots, or slaves; nor the bodies and souls of people.
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.
The fruit that your soul craved is no longer within your reach, and all dainties and luxuries are lost to you, never to be found 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 who sold these things, and grew rich by her, will stand at a distance weeping and wailing, horrified at her torture, and crying –
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.
‘Alas! Alas! Great city! City clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet cloth! City adorned with gold ornaments, 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.
In a single hour your vast wealth vanished.’ Every ship’s captain and all who sail to any port, and sailors, and all who get their living from the sea, stood at a distance,
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 seeing the smoke from the burning city, cried – ‘What city can compare with the 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!’
They threw dust on their heads, and, as they wept and wailed, they cried – ‘Alas! Alas! Great city! All who have ships on the sea grew rich through her magnificence. In a single hour it has vanished.’
20 Celebrate what's happened to her, heaven and believers and apostles and prophets, for God has condemned her as she condemned you.”
Rejoice over her, heaven, and people of Christ, and apostles, and prophets, for God has avenged you on 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.”
Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and threw it into the sea, crying – ‘So will Babylon, the great city, be violently overthrown, never more to be seen.
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.
No more will the music of harpers, or minstrels, or flute players, or trumpeters be heard in you, no more will any worker, skilled in any art, be found in you; no more will the sound of a mill be heard in you;
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.
no more will the light of a lamp shine in you; no more will the voices of groom and bride be heard in you. Your merchants were the great men of the earth, for all the nations were deceived by your magical charms.’
24 In her the blood of prophets and believers was found, and of all those who have been killed on the earth.”
Yes, and in her was to be found the blood of the prophets and of Christ’s people, and of all who have been put to death on the earth.
