Lament Over Fallen Babylon
18 After this I saw another angel(A) coming down from heaven.(B) He had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendor.(C) 2 With a mighty voice he shouted:
“‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!’[a](D)
She has become a dwelling for demons
and a haunt for every impure spirit,(E)
a haunt for every unclean bird,
a haunt for every unclean and detestable animal.(F)
3 For all the nations have drunk
the maddening wine of her adulteries.(G)
The kings of the earth committed adultery with her,(H)
and the merchants of the earth grew rich(I) from her excessive luxuries.”(J)
Warning to Escape Babylon’s Judgment
4 Then I heard another voice from heaven say:
“‘Come out of her, my people,’[b](K)
so that you will not share in her sins,
so that you will not receive any of her plagues;(L)
5 for her sins are piled up to heaven,(M)
and God has remembered(N) her crimes.
6 Give back to her as she has given;
pay her back(O) double(P) for what she has done.
Pour her a double portion from her own cup.(Q)
7 Give her as much torment and grief
as the glory and luxury she gave herself.(R)
In her heart she boasts,
‘I sit enthroned as queen.
I am not a widow;[c]
I will never mourn.’(S)
8 Therefore in one day(T) her plagues will overtake her:
death, mourning and famine.
She will be consumed by fire,(U)
for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.
Threefold Woe Over Babylon’s Fall
9 “When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her(V) and shared her luxury(W) see the smoke of her burning,(X) they will weep and mourn over her.(Y) 10 Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off(Z) and cry:
“‘Woe! Woe to you, great city,(AA)
you mighty city of Babylon!
In one hour(AB) your doom has come!’
11 “The merchants(AC) of the earth will weep and mourn(AD) over her because no one buys their cargoes anymore(AE)— 12 cargoes of gold, silver, precious stones and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet cloth; every sort of citron wood, and articles of every kind made of ivory, costly wood, bronze, iron and marble;(AF) 13 cargoes of cinnamon and spice, of incense, myrrh and frankincense, of wine and olive oil, of fine flour and wheat; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and human beings sold as slaves.(AG)
14 “They will say, ‘The fruit you longed for is gone from you. All your luxury and splendor have vanished, never to be recovered.’ 15 The merchants who sold these things and gained their wealth from her(AH) will stand far off,(AI) terrified at her torment. They will weep and mourn(AJ) 16 and cry out:
“‘Woe! Woe to you, great city,(AK)
dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet,
and glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls!(AL)
17 In one hour(AM) such great wealth has been brought to ruin!’(AN)
“Every sea captain, and all who travel by ship, the sailors, and all who earn their living from the sea,(AO) will stand far off.(AP) 18 When they see the smoke of her burning,(AQ) they will exclaim, ‘Was there ever a city like this great city(AR)?’(AS) 19 They will throw dust on their heads,(AT) and with weeping and mourning(AU) cry out:
“‘Woe! Woe to you, great city,(AV)
where all who had ships on the sea
became rich through her wealth!
In one hour she has been brought to ruin!’(AW)
20 “Rejoice over her, you heavens!(AX)
Rejoice, you people of God!
Rejoice, apostles and prophets!
For God has judged her
with the judgment she imposed on you.”(AY)
The Finality of Babylon’s Doom
21 Then a mighty angel(AZ) picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea,(BA) and said:
“With such violence
the great city(BB) of Babylon will be thrown down,
never to be found again.
22 The music of harpists and musicians, pipers and trumpeters,
will never be heard in you again.(BC)
No worker of any trade
will ever be found in you again.
The sound of a millstone
will never be heard in you again.(BD)
23 The light of a lamp
will never shine in you again.
The voice of bridegroom and bride
will never be heard in you again.(BE)
Your merchants were the world’s important people.(BF)
By your magic spell(BG) all the nations were led astray.
24 In her was found the blood of prophets and of God’s holy people,(BH)
of all who have been slaughtered on the earth.”(BI)
Footnotes
- Revelation 18:2 Isaiah 21:9
- Revelation 18:4 Jer. 51:45
- Revelation 18:7 See Isaiah 47:7,8.
Cross references
- Revelation 18:1 : Rev 17:1
- Revelation 18:1 : Rev 10:1; 20:1
- Revelation 18:1 : Eze 43:2
- Revelation 18:2 : S Rev 14:8
- Revelation 18:2 : Rev 16:13
- Revelation 18:2 : Isa 13:21, 22; 34:11, 13-15; Jer 50:39; 51:37; Zep 2:14, 15
- Revelation 18:3 : S Rev 14:8
- Revelation 18:3 : Rev 17:2
- Revelation 18:3 : ver 11, 15, 23; Eze 27:9-25
- Revelation 18:3 : ver 7, 9
- Revelation 18:4 : Isa 48:20; Jer 50:8; 51:6, 9, 45; 2Co 6:17
- Revelation 18:4 : Ge 19:15
- Revelation 18:5 : 2Ch 28:9; Ezr 9:6; Jer 51:9
- Revelation 18:5 : Rev 16:19
- Revelation 18:6 : Ps 137:8; Jer 50:15, 29
- Revelation 18:6 : Isa 40:2
- Revelation 18:6 : Rev 14:10; 16:19; 17:4
- Revelation 18:7 : Eze 28:2-8
- Revelation 18:7 : Ps 10:6; Isa 47:7, 8; Zep 2:15
- Revelation 18:8 : ver 10; Isa 9:14; 47:9; Jer 50:31, 32
- Revelation 18:8 : Rev 17:16
- Revelation 18:9 : ver 3; Rev 14:8; 17:2, 4
- Revelation 18:9 : ver 3, 7
- Revelation 18:9 : ver 18; Rev 14:11; 19:3
- Revelation 18:9 : Jer 51:8; Eze 26:17, 18
- Revelation 18:10 : ver 15, 17
- Revelation 18:10 : ver 16, 19
- Revelation 18:10 : ver 17; Rev 17:12
- Revelation 18:11 : Eze 27:27
- Revelation 18:11 : ver 15, 19; Eze 27:31
- Revelation 18:11 : S ver 3
- Revelation 18:12 : Eze 27:12-22; Rev 17:4
- Revelation 18:13 : Eze 27:13; 1Ti 1:10
- Revelation 18:15 : S ver 3
- Revelation 18:15 : ver 10, 17
- Revelation 18:15 : ver 11, 19; Eze 27:31
- Revelation 18:16 : ver 10, 19
- Revelation 18:16 : Rev 17:4
- Revelation 18:17 : ver 10; Rev 17:12
- Revelation 18:17 : Rev 17:16
- Revelation 18:17 : Eze 27:28-30
- Revelation 18:17 : ver 10, 15
- Revelation 18:18 : ver 9; Rev 19:3
- Revelation 18:18 : S Rev 17:18
- Revelation 18:18 : Eze 27:32; Rev 13:4
- Revelation 18:19 : Jos 7:6; La 2:10; Eze 27:30
- Revelation 18:19 : ver 11, 15; Eze 27:31
- Revelation 18:19 : ver 10, 16; Rev 17:18
- Revelation 18:19 : Rev 17:16
- Revelation 18:20 : Jer 51:48; S Rev 12:12
- Revelation 18:20 : Rev 19:2
- Revelation 18:21 : Rev 5:2; 10:1
- Revelation 18:21 : Jer 51:63
- Revelation 18:21 : S Rev 17:18
- Revelation 18:22 : Isa 24:8; Eze 26:13
- Revelation 18:22 : Jer 25:10
- Revelation 18:23 : Jer 7:34; 16:9; 25:10
- Revelation 18:23 : ver 3; Isa 23:8
- Revelation 18:23 : Na 3:4
- Revelation 18:24 : Rev 16:6; 17:6
- Revelation 18:24 : Jer 51:49; Mt 23:35