Revelation 18

Lament Over Babylon the Great

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

“Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great!

And she has become a dwelling place for demons

and a haunt for every unclean spirit,*

and a haunt for every unclean bird*

and a haunt for every unclean and detested animal.*

3 For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality,

and the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality with her,

and the merchants of the earth have amassed wealth from the power of her extravagant life.”

Warning to God’s People to Escape Babylon

4 Then I heard another voice from heaven saying,

“Come out of her, My people,

so that you will not be accomplices in her sins,

and so that you will not receive her plagues,

5 because her sins have piled up to heaven,*

and God has remembered her criminal acts.

6 Repay her even as she herself has repaid others*

and render her double according to her works;

in the cup which she has mixed,

mix double for her.

7 In proportion to the extent she has glorified herself

and lived extravagantly,

give her torment and grief,*

because in her heart she says,

‘I sit as a queen,

and am not a widow,

and I will never experience grief.

8 For this reason, her plagues will come in one day,

death and grief and famine,

and she will be burned up with fire,

because mighty is the Lord God who judges her.”

Threefold Pronouncement of God’s Judgment on Babylon

9 And the kings of the earth will weep and lament over her, those who committed sexual immorality and lived extravagantly with 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 mighty city,

because in one hour your judgment has come!”

11 The merchants of the world will grieve as well, because no one purchases their cargo anymore— 12 cargo of gold, and silver, and precious stone, and pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and every kind of citron wood, and every article of ivory, and every article made* from most valuable wood, and bronze, and iron, and marble; 13 and cinnamon, and spice, and aromatic substances for burning, and myrrh, and frankincense, and wine, and olive oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and cattle, and sheep, and horses, and carriages, and slaves, and human lives.*

14 “And the ripe fruit your soul desires

has gone from you,

and all the luxurious things

and the magnificent things have perished from you,

and they will never find them any more.”

15 The merchants of these things, who amassed wealth from her, will stand at a distance, weeping and grieving because of the fear of her torment, 16 saying,

“Woe, woe, the great city,

clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet,

and adorned with gold and precious stone and pearl,

17 because in one hour such great wealth has been brought to desolation!”

And every shipmaster, and every seafarer,* and sailors, and all those who trade by the sea, stood at a distance 18 and were crying out when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying,

“What city* is like the great city?”

19 And they threw dust on their heads and were crying out, weeping and grieving, saying,

“Woe, woe, the great city,

in which all those who had ships on the sea amassed wealth from her magnificence,

because in one hour she has been brought to desolation!”

20 Rejoice over her, O heaven

and you saints and the apostles and the prophets,

because God has executed judgment for you against her!”*

The Climax of Babylon’s Destruction

21 Then one mighty angel picked up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying,

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

and never to be found again.

22 And the sound of harpists, and musicians, and flute players, and trumpeters,

will never be heard in you again;

and no craftsman of any craft

will ever be found in you again;

and the sound of a mill

will never be heard in you again;*

23 and the light of a lamp

will never shine in you again;

and the voice of bridegroom and bride

will never be heard in you again.

For your merchants were the great ones of the earth,

because all the nations were led astray by your witchcraft.

24 And in her was found the blood of prophets and saints,

and all those who have been slain on the earth.”

Notes

2 One ancient Greek manuscript omits the coordinate noun phrase and a haunt for every unclean spirit

2 Some ancient manuscripts omit the coordinate noun phrase and a haunt for every unclean bird

2 Some ancient manuscripts read and a haunt for every unclean animal

5 Greek the heaven

6 The word others is supplied to the text as the direct object of has repaid on a contextual basis for the purpose of clarification

7 One ancient Greek manuscript omits and grief as part of the compound direct object of the verb give

12 The verb made is supplied to the text on a contextual basis for the purpose of clarification

13 Greek souls of men

17 Greek all who travel by sea to a place

18 The noun city is supplied to the text on a contextual basis for the purpose of clarification

20 Greek because God has judged the judgment for you against her

22 One ancient Greek manuscript omits one of the parallel series of the three independent clauses used in the verse, specifically, and the sound of a mill will never be heard in you again

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