Revelation 16:19-19:2
Holman Christian Standard Bible
19 The great city(A) split into three parts, and the cities of the nations[a] fell. Babylon the Great was remembered in God’s presence; He gave her the cup filled with the wine of His fierce anger.(B) 20 Every island fled, and the mountains disappeared.[b](C) 21 Enormous hailstones, each weighing about 100 pounds,[c] fell from the sky on people, and they blasphemed God(D) for the plague of hail because that plague was extremely severe.(E)
The Woman and the Scarlet Beast
17 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls(F) came and spoke with me: “Come, I will show you the judgment of the notorious prostitute[d] who sits on many[e] waters.(G) 2 The kings of the earth committed sexual immorality with her, and those who live on the earth became drunk on the wine of her sexual immorality.”(H) 3 So he carried me away in the Spirit[f](I) to a desert. I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered[g] with blasphemous names and had seven heads and 10 horns.(J) 4 The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, adorned with gold, precious stones, and pearls. She had a gold cup in her hand filled with everything vile(K) and with the impurities of her[h] prostitution. 5 On her forehead a cryptic name(L) was written:
BABYLON THE GREAT
THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES
AND OF THE VILE THINGS OF THE EARTH.
6 Then I saw that the woman was drunk on the blood of the saints and on the blood of the witnesses to Jesus. When I saw her, I was greatly astonished.
The Meaning of the Woman and of the Beast
7 Then the angel said to me, “Why are you astonished? I will tell you the secret meaning of the woman and of the beast, with the seven heads and the 10 horns, that carries her. 8 The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up from the abyss(M) and go to destruction.(N) Those who live on the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world(O) will be astonished when they see the beast that was, and is not, and will be present again.(P)
9 “Here is the mind with wisdom:[i](Q) The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated. 10 They are also seven kings:[j] Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when he comes, he must remain for a little while. 11 The beast that was and is not, is himself an eighth king, yet he belongs to the seven and is going to destruction. 12 The 10 horns you saw are 10 kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but they will receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour. 13 These have one purpose, and they give their power and authority to the beast. 14 These will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will conquer them because He is Lord of lords and King of kings.(R) Those with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.”
15 He also said to me, “The waters you saw, where the prostitute was seated, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages.(S) 16 The 10 horns you saw, and the beast, will hate the prostitute.(T) They will make her desolate and naked, devour her flesh, and burn her up with fire.(U) 17 For God has put it into their hearts to carry out His plan by having one purpose(V) and to give their kingdom[k] to the beast until God’s words are accomplished. 18 And the woman you saw is the great city that has an empire[l] over the kings of the earth.”
The Fall of Babylon the Great
18 After this I saw another angel with great authority coming down from heaven, and the earth was illuminated by his splendor. 2 He cried in a mighty voice:
It has fallen,[m]
Babylon the Great has fallen!(W)
She has become a dwelling for demons,
a haunt for every unclean spirit,
a haunt for every unclean bird,
and a haunt[n] for every unclean and despicable beast.[o](X)
3 For all the nations have drunk[p]
the wine of her sexual immorality,
which brings wrath.(Y)
The kings of the earth
have committed sexual immorality with her,
and the merchants of the earth
have grown wealthy from her excessive luxury.
4 Then I heard another voice from heaven:
Come out of her, My people,
so that you will not share in her sins(Z)
or receive any of her plagues.
5 For her sins are piled up[q] to heaven,(AA)
and God has remembered her crimes.
6 Pay her back the way she also paid,(AB)
and double it according to her works.(AC)
In the cup in which she mixed,(AD)
mix a double portion for her.
7 As much as she glorified herself and lived luxuriously,
give her that much torment and grief,
for she says in her heart,
“I sit as a queen;
I am not a widow,
and I will never see grief.”(AE)
8 For this reason her plagues will come in one day[r]—
death and grief and famine.
She will be burned up with fire,
because the Lord God who judges her is mighty.
The World Mourns Babylon’s Fall
9 The kings of the earth who have committed sexual immorality and lived luxuriously with her will weep and mourn over her when they see the smoke of her burning. 10 They will stand far off in fear of her torment, saying:
Woe, woe, the great city,
Babylon, the mighty city!
For in a single hour[s]
your judgment has come.
11 The merchants of the earth will also weep and mourn over her, because no one buys their merchandise any longer— 12 merchandise of gold, silver, precious stones, and pearls; fine fabrics of linen, purple, silk, and scarlet; all kinds of fragrant wood products; objects of ivory; objects of expensive wood, brass,[t] iron, and marble; 13 cinnamon, spice,[u][v] incense, myrrh,[w] and frankincense; wine, olive oil, fine wheat flour, and grain; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and slaves[x] and human lives.[y](AF)
14 The fruit you craved has left you.
All your splendid and glamorous things are gone;
they will never find them again.
15 The merchants of these things, who became rich from her, will stand far off in fear of her torment, weeping and mourning, 16 saying:
Woe, woe, the great city,
dressed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet,
adorned with gold, precious stones, and pearls,
17 for in a single hour[z]
such fabulous wealth was destroyed!
And every shipmaster, seafarer, the sailors, and all who do business by sea, stood far off 18 as they watched the smoke from her burning and kept crying out: “Who is like the great city?”(AG) 19 They threw dust on their heads and kept crying out, weeping, and mourning:(AH)
Woe, woe, the great city,(AI)
where all those who have ships on the sea
became rich from her wealth,
for in a single hour[aa] she was destroyed.
20 Rejoice over her, heaven,
and you saints, apostles, and prophets,(AJ)
because God has executed your judgment on her![ab]
The Finality of Babylon’s Fall
21 Then a mighty angel(AK) 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(AL)
and never be found again.(AM)
22 The sound of harpists, musicians,
flutists, and trumpeters
will never be heard in you again;(AN)
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.(AO)
All this will happen
because your merchants
were the nobility of the earth,
because all the nations were deceived
by your sorcery,[ac]
24 and the blood of prophets and saints,
and of all those slaughtered on earth,
was found in you.[ad](AP)
Celebration in Heaven
19 After this I heard something like the loud voice of a vast multitude in heaven, saying:
Hallelujah!(AQ)
Salvation, glory, and power belong to our God,
2 because His judgments are true[ae] and righteous,(AR)
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.(AS)
Footnotes
- Revelation 16:19 Or the Gentile cities
- Revelation 16:20 Lit mountains were not found
- Revelation 16:21 Lit about a talent; talents varied in weight upwards from 75 pounds
- Revelation 17:1 Traditionally translated the great whore
- Revelation 17:1 Or by many
- Revelation 17:3 Or in spirit
- Revelation 17:3 Lit was filled
- Revelation 17:4 Other mss read of earth’s
- Revelation 17:9 Or This calls for the mind with wisdom
- Revelation 17:10 Some editors or translators put They are also seven kings: in v. 9.
- Revelation 17:17 Or sovereignty
- Revelation 17:18 Or has sovereignty or rulership
- Revelation 18:2 Other mss omit It has fallen
- Revelation 18:2 Or prison
- Revelation 18:2 Other mss omit the words and a haunt for every unclean beast. The words and despicable then refer to the bird of the previous line.
- Revelation 18:3 Some mss read have collapsed; other mss read have fallen
- Revelation 18:5 Or sins have reached up
- Revelation 18:8 Suddenly
- Revelation 18:10 Suddenly
- Revelation 18:12 Or bronze, or copper
- Revelation 18:13 Other mss omit spice
- Revelation 18:13 Or amomum, an aromatic plant
- Revelation 18:13 Or perfume
- Revelation 18:13 Or bodies
- Revelation 18:13 Slaves; “bodies” was the Gk way of referring to slaves; “souls of men” was the Hb way.
- Revelation 18:17 Suddenly
- Revelation 18:19 Suddenly
- Revelation 18:20 Or God pronounced on her the judgment she passed on you; see Rv 18:6
- 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
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