< Revelation 18 >
1 After these things I saw another angel coming down from Heaven, armed with great power. The earth shone with his splendor,
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.
2 and with a mighty voice he cried out, saying, "Great Babylon has fallen, has fallen, and has become a home for demons and a stronghold for every kind of foul spirit and for every kind of foul and hateful bird.
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.
3 For all the nations have drunk the wine of the anger provoked by her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown rich through her excessive luxury."
[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).”
4 Then I heard another voice from Heaven, which said, "Come out of her, My people, that you may not become partakers in her sins, nor receive a share of her plagues.
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.
5 For her sins are piled up to the sky, and God has called to mind her unrighteous deeds.
[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].”
6 Give back to her as she has given; repay her in accordance with her doings, twice as much; in the bowl that she has mixed, mix twice as much for her.
[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].
7 She has freely glorified herself and revelled in luxury; equally freely administer torment to her, and woe. For in her heart she boasts, saying, 'I sit enthroned as Queen: no widow am I: I shall never know sorrow.'
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]’!
8 "For this reason calamities shall come thick upon her on a single day--death and sorrow and famine--and she shall be burned to the ground. For strong is the Lord God who has judged her.
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.”
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,
“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.
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!'
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]!’
11 And the merchants of the earth weep aloud and lament over her, because now there is no sale for their cargoes--
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].
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.
[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.
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.
[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]!’
15 Those who traded in these things, who grew wealthy through her, will stand afar off, struck with terror at her punishment,
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],
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;
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.
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,
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].
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?'
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]
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!'
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!’”
20 Rejoice over her, O Heaven, and you saints and Apostles and Prophets; for God has taken vengeance upon her because of you."
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!”
21 Then a single angel of great strength took a stone which resembled a huge millstone, and hurled it into the sea, saying, "So shall Babylon, that great city, be violently hurled down and never again be found.
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]!
22 No harp or song, no flute or trumpet, shall ever again be heard in thee; no craftsman of any kind shall ever again be found in thee; nor shall the grinding of the mill ever again be heard in thee.
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.
23 Never again shall the light of a lamp shine in thee, and never again shall the voice of a bridegroom or of a bride be heard in thee. For thy merchants were the great men of the earth, and with the magic which thou didst practise all nations were led astray.
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.
24 And in her was found the blood of Prophets and of God's people and of all who had been put to death on the earth."
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!”