Revelation 18
1 After this, [in the vision] I saw another angel, who had great authority, coming down from heaven. The earth became bright [because] he was shining so intensely/brightly.
After this I saw another angel, descending from Heaven, invested with great authority; and the earth was illuminated by his splendour.
2 He shouted with a very loud voice, “[God is about to] completely destroy [DOU] all the very [evil] cities (OR, the very evil [city]) [that] Babylon [represents]. As a result, all [kinds of] evil spirits [DOU] will live there, and all [kinds of] foul and detestable [DOU] birds will live there.
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 [God will destroy those cities] because [their rulers have persuaded] the people of [MTY] all nations to act very immorally [and idolatrously with the people of] [MET] [those cities, just like] a prostitute persuades men to drink [strong] wine and then commit fornication with her. The rulers of the earth have also acted immorally [and idolatrously] with the people of [MTY] those cities. The merchants of the earth have become rich [because the people of those cities] strongly desired [and bought from the merchants] many (luxuries/expensive things).”
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 I heard [Jesus] speak from heaven. He said, “My people, flee from [those cities], in order that you do not sin as the people [of those cities do. If you sin as they do], I will punish you as I will punish them.
Then I heard another voice from Heaven saying — ‘Come out of her, my People, that you may not participate in her sins, and that you may not suffer from the Curses inflicted upon her.
5 [It is as though] their sins have been piled {have piled} up to heaven, and God remembers them [DOU], [so now he will punish them] [MTY].”
For her sins are heaped up to the heavens, and God has not forgotten her misdeeds.
6 [To the angels whom God assigned to punish those cities, Jesus said], “Pay back/Punish the people of those cities to the same extent that they harmed [other people]. Cause them to suffer twice as much [as they caused other people to suffer] [DOU, MET].
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 To the same extent that they have boasted about themselves and done the things that they wanted to do, to that extent torment them and cause them to grieve. [Do that because] in their minds they think, ‘We rule as queens! We are not widows, and we will never mourn [as widows do]’!
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 shall never know misery.’
8 So in one day terrible calamities/troubles will come upon them. [The people in those cities] will die, others will mourn for them, people will be hungry [because there will be no food], and [their cities] will be burned up. The Lord God is able to punish those cities [like that], because he is very powerful.”
Therefore in one day shall these Curses befall her — death, misery, and famine, and she shall be utterly consumed by fire; for mighty is the Lord God who condemned her.
9 “The kings of the earth who have acted immorally [with people of those cities] and have lived with the people of those cities, doing just what they wanted to do, will weep and mourn [DOU] for them when they see the smoke of the fire that is burning those cities.
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 They will stand far away [from those cities], because they will be afraid [that they will suffer just like the people of those cities] are suffering. They will say, ‘Terrible things will happen to the awesome and mighty cities [represented by] Babylon! [God] will punish them suddenly and swiftly [MTY]!’
while they stand at a distance, horrified at her torture, and cry — ‘Alas! Alas! Great City! O mighty City of Babylon! In a single hour your judgment fell.
11 The merchants of the earth will weep and will mourn [DOU] [for those cities], because no one will ever again buy the things that they have [to sell to the people in those cities].
And the merchants of the earth weep and wail over her, because no longer does any one buy their cargoes —
12 [They sell ornaments made] of gold, silver, precious stones, and pearls. They sell [expensive cloth made of] fine linen and silk, [expensive cloth that is dyed] purple and crimson. They sell all kinds of [rare] wood, all kinds of items [made of] ivory, costly wood, bronze, iron, and marble. They sell cinnamon, spice, perfume, frankincense, wine, olive oil, fine flour, and grain. They sell cattle, sheep, horses, and chariots. They even sell human beings [SYN, DOU] to become slaves.
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;
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 men.
14 [The merchants will say], ‘The good things you people longed to have are gone! All your luxurious and splendid [DOU] [possessions have vanished!]! They will be gone forever/You will never have them again [LIT]!’
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 merchants [who sold] these things and who had become rich by [supplying them] for those [cities] will stand far away, because they will be afraid [that they will suffer just like] the people [of those cities] are suffering. They will weep and mourn [DOU],
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 and they will say, ‘Terrible things [DOU] have happened to the awesome/great [MET] cities! [They were like queens] who dressed themselves in [clothes made of] [MTY] fine linen [cloth] and expensive cloth dyed purple and crimson, and who were adorned with gold, precious stones, and pearls.
‘Alas! Alas! Great City! O City clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet cloth! O City adorned with gold ornaments, and precious stones, and pearls!
17 But suddenly and swiftly [MTY] [God] has destroyed these expensive things.’ Every ship captain, all people who travel by ship, all (sailors/those who work on ships), and all others who earn their living [by traveling on] the ocean will stand far away [from those cities].
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 When they see the smoke of the fire that is burning those cities, they will shout, ‘No [other] cities have ever been so awesome!’ [RHQ]
and seeing the smoke from the burning city, cried — ‘What city can compare with the Great City?’
19 They will throw dust on their heads [to show that they are sad], and they will shout, weep, and mourn [DOU]. They will say, ‘Terrible things have happened to the awesome/great cities, the cities that made all people who own ships [that sail] on the ocean become rich by [carrying] their costly (things for them to sell/merchandise)! [God] has suddenly and swiftly destroyed [MTY] those cities!’”
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 Then someone spoke from heaven saying, “All you who live in heaven, rejoice over what has happened to [the cities represented by] Babylon! You who are God’s people, including you apostles, you (prophets/who speak messages that come directly from God), rejoice, because God has justly punished the people of those cities because they acted in an evil way toward you!”
Rejoice over her, O Heaven, and People of Christ, and Apostles, and Prophets, for God has avenged you on her!
21 Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a large stone for grinding grain, and threw it into the ocean. Then he said, “O you people in [APO] the awesome/great cities [represented by] Babylon, your cities will be destroyed so that they will disappear just like that stone disappeared in the ocean! Your cities will be gone forever [LIT]!
Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and threw it into the sea, crying — ‘So shall Babylon, the Great City, be violently overthrown, never more to be seen.
22 In your cities there will never again be [anyone] playing harps, singing, playing flutes, and blowing trumpets. There will no longer be any (skilled workers/craftsmen) making things. There will never again be people grinding [grain at] [MTY] the mills.
No more shall the music of harpers, or minstrels, or flute players, or trumpeters be heard in you, no more shall any worker, skilled in any art, be found in you; no more shall the sound of a mill be heard in you;
23 No lamplight will ever again shine. There will never again be the [happy] voices of a bridegroom and his bride. [God will destroy your cities] because your merchants were the most [deceitful] men in the world. You persuaded them to deceive [people of] [MTY] all nations.
no more shall the light of a lamp shine in you; no more shall the voices of bridegroom 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 You are also [responsible for killing] [MTY] [the] prophets and [others] of God’s people. Indeed, you are the ones who are guilty for the deaths of all those who have been {whom [others] have} 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 upon the earth.’
