Revelation 18:21-19:10
Holman Christian Standard Bible
The Finality of Babylon’s Fall
21 Then a mighty angel(A) picked up a stone like a large millstone and threw it into the sea, saying:
In this way, Babylon the great city
will be thrown down violently(B)
and never be found again.(C)
22 The sound of harpists, musicians,
flutists, and trumpeters
will never be heard in you again;(D)
no craftsman of any trade
will ever be found in you again;
the sound of a mill
will never be heard in you again;
23 the light of a lamp
will never shine in you again;
and the voice of a groom and bride
will never be heard in you again.(E)
All this will happen
because your merchants
were the nobility of the earth,
because all the nations were deceived
by your sorcery,[a]
24 and the blood of prophets and saints,
and of all those slaughtered on earth,
was found in you.[b](F)
Celebration in Heaven
19 After this I heard something like the loud voice of a vast multitude in heaven, saying:
Hallelujah!(G)
Salvation, glory, and power belong to our God,
2 because His judgments are true[c] and righteous,(H)
because He has judged the notorious prostitute
who corrupted the earth with her sexual immorality;
and He has avenged the blood of His slaves
that was on her hands.(I)
3 A second time they said:
Hallelujah!
Her smoke ascends forever and ever!(J)
4 Then the 24 elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God,(K) who is seated on the throne, saying:
Amen! Hallelujah!(L)
5 A voice came from the throne, saying:
Praise our God,
all His slaves, who fear Him,
both small and great!(M)
Marriage of the Lamb Announced
6 Then I heard something like the voice of a vast multitude, like the sound of cascading waters,(N) and like the rumbling of loud thunder, saying:
Hallelujah, because our Lord God, the Almighty,
has begun to reign!
7 Let us be glad, rejoice, and give Him glory,(O)
because the marriage of the Lamb has come,
and His wife has prepared herself.
8 She was given fine linen to wear, bright and pure.(P)
For the fine linen represents the righteous acts of the saints.(Q)
9 Then he[d] said to me,(R) “Write: Those invited to the marriage feast(S) of the Lamb are fortunate!” He also said to me, “These words of God are true.” 10 Then I fell at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow slave with you and your brothers who have the testimony about[e] Jesus.(T) Worship God, because the testimony about Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”[f]
Footnotes
- Revelation 18:23 Ancient sorcery or witchcraft often used spells and drugs. Here the term may be non-literal, that is, Babylon drugged the nations with her beauty and power.
- Revelation 18:24 Lit in her
- Revelation 19:2 Valid; Jn 8:16; 19:35
- Revelation 19:9 Probably an angel; Rv 17:1; 22:8-9
- Revelation 19:10 Or to
- Revelation 19:10 Or the Spirit
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