Revelation 17-18

GOD’S WORD Translation

Babylon the Great

17 One of the seven angels who held the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of that notorious prostitute who sits on raging waters. ² The kings of the earth had sex with her, and those living on earth became drunk on the wine of her sexual sins.” ³ Then the angel carried me by his power into the wilderness.

I saw a woman sitting on a bright red beast covered with insulting names. It had seven heads and ten horns. ⁴ The woman wore purple clothes, bright red clothes, gold jewelry, gems, and pearls. In her hand she was holding a gold cup filled with detestable and evil things from her sexual sins. ⁵ A name was written on her forehead. The name was Mystery: Babylon the Great, the Mother of Prostitutes and Detestable Things of the Earth. ⁶ I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God’s holy people and of those who testify about Jesus. I was very surprised when I saw her.

⁷ The angel asked me, “Why are you surprised? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and the beast with the seven heads and the ten horns that carries her.

⁸ “You saw the beast which once was, is no longer, and will come from the bottomless pit and go to its destruction. Those living on earth, whose names were not written in the Book of Life when the world was created, will be surprised when they see the beast because it was, is no longer, and will come again.

⁹ “In this situation a wise mind is needed. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is sitting. ¹⁰ They are also seven kings. Five of them have fallen, one is ruling now, and the other has not yet come. When he comes, he must remain for a little while. ¹¹ The beast that was and is no longer is the eighth king. It belongs with the seven kings and goes to its destruction.

¹² “The ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet started to rule. They will receive authority to rule as kings with the beast for one hour. ¹³ They have one purpose—to give their power and authority to the beast. ¹⁴ They will go to war against the lamb. The lamb will conquer them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings. Those who are called, chosen, and faithful are with him.”

¹⁵ The angel also said to me, “The waters you saw, on which the prostitute is sitting, are people, crowds, nations, and languages. ¹⁶ The ten horns and the beast you saw will hate the prostitute. They will leave her abandoned and naked. They will eat her flesh and burn her up in a fire. ¹⁷ God has made them do what he wants them to do. So they will give their kingdom to the beast until God’s words are carried out. ¹⁸ The woman you saw is the important city which dominates the kings of the earth.”

Babylon’s Fall

18 After these things I saw another angel come from heaven. He had tremendous power, and his glory lit up the earth. ² He cried out in a powerful voice, “Fallen! Babylon the Great has fallen! She has become a home for demons. She is a prison for every evil spirit, every unclean ^[a] bird, and every unclean and hated beast. ³ All the nations fell because of the wine of her sexual sins. The kings of the earth had sex with her. Her luxurious wealth has made the merchants of the earth rich.”

⁴ I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of Babylon, my people, so that you do not participate in her sins and suffer from any of her plagues. ⁵ Her sins are piled as high as heaven, and God has remembered her crimes. ⁶ Do to her what she has done. Give her twice as much as she gave. Serve her a drink in her own cup twice as large as the drink she served others. ⁷ She gave herself glory and luxury. Now give her just as much torture and misery. She says to herself, ‘I’m a queen on a throne, not a widow. I’ll never be miserable.’ ⁸ For this reason her plagues of death, misery, and starvation will come in a single day. She will be burned up in a fire, because the Lord God, who judges her, is powerful.

⁹ “The kings of the earth who had sex with her and lived in luxury with her will cry and mourn over her when they see the smoke rise from her raging fire. ¹⁰ Frightened by her torture, they will stand far away and say,

¹¹ “The merchants of the earth cry and mourn over her, because no one buys their cargo anymore. ¹² No one buys their cargo of gold, silver, gems, pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk, bright red cloth, all kinds of citron wood, articles made of ivory and very costly wood, bronze, iron, marble, ¹³ cinnamon, spices, incense, perfume, frankincense, wine, olive oil, flour, wheat, cattle, sheep, horses, wagons, slaves (that is, humans).

¹⁵ “Frightened by her torture, the merchants who had become rich by selling these things will stand far away. They will cry and mourn, ¹⁶ saying,

Every ship’s captain, everyone who traveled by ship, sailors, and everyone who made their living from the sea stood far away. ¹⁸ When they saw the smoke rise from her raging fire, they repeatedly cried out, ‘Was there ever a city as important as this?’ ¹⁹ Then they threw dust on their heads and shouted while crying and mourning,

²¹ Then a powerful angel picked up a stone that was like a large millstone. He threw it into the sea and said,

²⁴ “The blood of prophets, God’s people, and everyone who had been murdered on earth was found in it.”