Revelation

Revelation 18

Fallen, Fallen Is Babylon

1 After these things I saw another messenger coming down out of heaven, having great authority, and the earth was lit up from his glory. 2 And he cried out with a mighty voice, saying:

“Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great,

and she became a dwelling place of demons

and a prison of every unclean spirit

and a prison of every unclean and hated bird

and a prison of every unclean and hated beast,

3 because out of the wine of the fury of her whoring all the nations have fallen,

and the kings of the earth committed whoring with her,

and the merchants of the earth grew rich out of the power of her luxury.”

Come Out of Her, My People

4 And I heard another voice out of heaven saying:

“Come out of her, my people,

so that you may not share together in her sins,

and so that you may not receive out of her blows;

5 because her sins were glued together as far as heaven,

and God remembered her wrongs.

6 Give back to her as she also gave back,

and double the double according to her works;

in the cup that she mixed, mix double for her.

7 As much as she glorified herself and lived in luxury,

so much give her torment and mourning.

Because in her heart she says, ‘I sit a queen,

and I am not a widow,

and I will certainly not see mourning.’

8 Because of this in one day her blows will come —

death and mourning and famine —

and she will be burned up with fire;

because strong is the Lord God who judged her.”

The Kings, the Merchants, and the Sailors

9 And the kings of the earth who committed whoring with her and lived in luxury will weep and mourn over her, when they see the smoke of her burning, 10 standing at a distance because of the fear of her torment, saying, “Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon the strong city, because in one hour your judgment came.”

11 And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her, because no one buys their cargo any longer — 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 every citron wood and every ivory vessel and every vessel of most precious wood and of bronze and of iron and of marble, 13 and cinnamon and amomum and incense and perfumed oil 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 — and souls of people.

14 “And the fruit your soul desired went away from you, and all the rich and bright things were destroyed away from you, and they will certainly never find them again.”

15 The merchants of these things, who grew 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, clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, and gilded with gold and precious stone and pearl, 17 because in one hour such great wealth was made desolate.” And every helmsman and everyone who sails to a place, and sailors and as many as work the sea, stood at a distance 18 and cried out, seeing the smoke of her burning, saying, “Who is like the great city?”

19 And they threw dust on their heads and cried out, weeping and mourning, saying, “Woe, woe, the great city, in which all who had the ships in the sea grew rich out of her costliness, because in one hour she was made desolate.” 20 “Be glad over her, heaven, and you holy ones and apostles and prophets, because God judged your judgment out of her.”

Thrown Down Like a Millstone

21 And one mighty messenger lifted a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying:

“So with a rush will Babylon the great city be thrown down,

and will certainly never be found again.

22 And the voice of lyre-players and musicians

and flute-players and trumpeters

will certainly not be heard in you any longer,

and every craftsman of every craft

will certainly not be found in you any longer,

and the voice of a mill

will certainly not be heard in you any longer,

23 and the light of a lamp

will certainly not shine in you any longer,

and the voice of a bridegroom and a bride

will certainly not be heard in you any longer;

because your merchants were the nobles of the earth,

because by your sorcery all the nations were deceived.

24 And in her was found the blood of prophets and of holy ones

and of all those slaughtered on the earth.”