Another Angel Says, Babylon The Great Fell, It Fell!
18 After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority. And the earth was illuminated by his glory. 2 And he cried-out with a strong voice, saying “Babylon the great fell, it fell! And it became a dwelling-place of demons, and a prison of every unclean spirit, and a prison of every unclean bird, and a prison of every unclean and hated wild-beast. 3 Because all the nations have drunk from[a] the wine of the passion[b] of her sexual-immorality, and the kings of the earth committed-sexual-immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth became-rich by the power of her luxury”.
A Voice Says, Come Out of Her, My People. Babylon’s Judgment Comes In One Day
4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying “Come out of her, my people, so-that you will not participate in her sins, and so that you will not receive of her plagues, 5 because her sins reached as far as heaven, and God remembered her wrongs. 6 Render[c] to her as indeed she herself rendered, and double[d] the doubles in accordance with her works. Mix double for her in the cup in which she mixed. 7 To the degree she glorified herself and lived-luxuriously[e], to that degree give her torment and mourning. Because she says in her heart that ‘I sit as queen and I am not a widow, and I will never see mourning’, 8 for this reason her plagues will come in one day— death[f] and mourning and famine— and she will be burned-up with fire, because the Lord God, the One having judged her, is strong[g].
The Kings of The Earth Weep
9 “And the kings of the earth having committed-sexual-immorality with her and lived-luxuriously will weep and beat-their-breasts over her when they see the smoke of her burning, 10 while standing at a distance because of the fear of her torment, saying ‘Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city— because your judgment came in one hour’.
The Merchants of The Earth Weep
11 “And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargo[h] anymore— 12 cargo of gold and of silver and of precious stone and of pearls, and of fine-linen and of purple and of silk and of scarlet, and everything made-of-citron wood, and every object made-of-ivory, and every object from very-precious wood and brass and iron and marble, 13 and cinnamon and spice and incense and perfume and frankincense, and wine and olive-oil and fine-flour and wheat and cattle and sheep, and of horses and of carriages, and of bodies[i]— even[j] souls of people. 14 And[k] the fruit of [l] the desire of your soul departed from you; indeed all the rich things and shining things perished from you, and people will never find them anymore. 15 The merchants of these things, the ones having become-rich from her, will stand at a distance because of the fear of her torment, weeping and mourning, 16 saying ‘Woe, woe, the great city, the one having been clothed-with fine-linen and purple and scarlet, and having been gilded with gold, and with precious stone and pearl— 17 because so much wealth was desolated in one hour!’
All Who Work The Sea Weep
“And every helmsman[m] and everyone sailing to a place and sailors and all-who work the sea stood at a distance, 18 and were crying-out while seeing the smoke of her burning, saying ‘What city is like the great city?’ 19 And they threw dirt on their heads and were crying-out, weeping and mourning, saying ‘Woe, woe, the great city by which all the ones having ships at sea became-rich because-of her preciousness[n]— because she was desolated in one hour!’
Saints Celebrate
20 “Celebrate[o] over her, heaven and saints and apostles and prophets— because God judged your judgment[p] from her!”
A Strong Angel Says Babylon Will Never Be Seen Again
21 And one strong angel picked-up a stone like a large millstone and threw it into the sea, saying “In this manner, Babylon the great city will be thrown-down with violence and never found again. 22 And a sound of harpists and musicians and flute-players and trumpeters will never be heard in you again. And every craftsman of every craft will never be found in you again. And a sound of a mill will never be heard in you again. 23 And a light of a lamp will never shine in you again. And a sound of a bridegroom and bride will never be heard in you again. Because your merchants were the princes of the earth. Because all the nations were deceived by your sorcery, 24 and in her the blood of prophets and saints was found, even of all the ones having been slain upon the earth”.
Footnotes
- Revelation 18:3 Some manuscripts say, fallen because-of.
- Revelation 18:3 See 14:8.
- Revelation 18:6 This may be addressed to God’s agents for Babylon’s destruction (17:16-17); or, this may be a prayer to God by the voice in v 4.
- Revelation 18:6 That is, give back to her double for the things she doubled to others.
- Revelation 18:7 Or, lived-sensually.
- Revelation 18:8 Or, pestilence.
- Revelation 18:8 Or, mighty, powerful.
- Revelation 18:11 Or, freight.
- Revelation 18:13 That is, slaves, human livestock.
- Revelation 18:13 Or, bodies, and.
- Revelation 18:14 Here the voice of v 4 addresses Babylon directly.
- Revelation 18:14 That is, sought by.
- Revelation 18:17 That is, pilot of a ship.
- Revelation 18:19 Or, costliness. That is, because of the costly nature of Babylon’s things.
- Revelation 18:20 The voice directly addresses believers again, as in v 4.
- Revelation 18:20 That is, exacted your verdict.