Revelation 16-19

Christian Standard Bible Anglicised

The First Bowl

16 Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels,^(A) ‘Go and pour out the seven^[a] bowls^(B) of God’s wrath on the earth.’ ² The first went and poured out his bowl on the earth, and severely painful sores^(C) broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and who worshipped its image.

The Second Bowl

³ The second^[b] poured out his bowl into the sea. It turned to blood like that of a dead person, and all life in the sea died.^(D)

The Third Bowl

⁴ The third^[c] poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of water, and they became blood.^{(E) 5} I heard the angel of the waters say,

⁷ I heard the altar say,

The Fourth Bowl

⁸ The fourth^[d] poured out his bowl on the sun. It was allowed to scorch people with fire, ⁹ and people were scorched by the intense heat. So they blasphemed the name of God,^(K) who has the power^[e] over these plagues, and they did not repent and give him glory.^(L)

The Fifth Bowl

¹⁰ The fifth^[f] poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast,^(M) and its kingdom was plunged into darkness.^(N) People^[g] gnawed their tongues because of their pain ¹¹ and blasphemed the God of heaven^(O) because of their pains and their sores, but they did not repent of their works.

The Sixth Bowl

¹² The sixth^[h] poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates,^(P) and its water was dried up^(Q) to prepare the way for the kings from the east. ¹³ Then I saw three unclean spirits like frogs^(R) coming from the dragon’s mouth,^(S) from the beast’s mouth,^(T) and from the mouth of the false prophet.^{(U) 14} For they are demonic spirits performing signs,^(V) who travel to the kings of the whole world to assemble them^(W) for the battle on the great day of God, the Almighty.^{(X) 15} ‘Look, I am coming like a thief. Blessed^(Y) is the one who is alert and remains clothed^[i](Z) so that he may not go around naked and people see his shame.’^{(AA) 16} So they assembled the kings at the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon.^[j](AB)

The Seventh Bowl

¹⁷ Then the seventh^[k] poured out his bowl into the air,^[l] and a loud voice came out of the temple^[m](AC) from the throne, saying, ‘It is done! ’ ¹⁸ There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, and peals of thunder. And a severe earthquake occurred like no other since people have been on the earth, so great was the quake.^{(AD) 19} The great city^(AE) split into three parts, and the cities of the nations^[n] fell. Babylon the Great was remembered in God’s presence; he gave her the cup filled with the wine of his fierce anger.^{(AF) 20} Every island fled, and the mountains disappeared.^{(AG) 21} Enormous hailstones, each weighing about fifty kilograms,^[o] fell from the sky on people, and they blasphemed God^(AH) for the plague of hail because that plague was extremely severe.^(AI)

The Woman and the Scarlet Beast

17 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls^(AJ) came and spoke with me: ‘Come, I will show you the judgement of the notorious prostitute^[p](AK) who is seated on many^[q] waters.^{(AL) 2} The kings of the earth^(AM) committed sexual immorality with her, and those who live on the earth became drunk on the wine of her sexual immorality.’^{(AN) 3} Then he carried me away in the Spirit^[r](AO) to a wilderness.

I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered^[s] with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns.^{(AP) 4} The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, adorned with gold, jewels, and pearls.^(AQ) She had a golden cup in her hand filled with everything detestable^(AR) and with the impurities of her^[t] prostitution. ⁵ On her forehead was written a name, a mystery:^(AS) Babylon the Great, the Mother of Prostitutes and of the Detestable Things of the Earth. ⁶ Then I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the witnesses to Jesus.^(AT) 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 explain to you the mystery of the woman and of the beast, with the seven heads and the ten horns, that carries her. ⁸ The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up from the abyss^(AU) and go to destruction.^(AV) Those who live on the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world^(AW) will be astonished when they see the beast that was, and is not, and is to come.^{(AX) 9} This calls for a mind that has wisdom.^[u](AY)

‘The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated. They are also seven kings: ¹⁰ Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when he comes, he must remain for only a little while. ¹¹ The beast that was and is not, is itself an eighth king, but it belongs to the seven and is going to destruction. ¹² The ten horns you saw are ten kings^(AZ) who have not yet received a kingdom, but they will receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour.^{(BA) 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.^(BB) Those with him are called, chosen, and faithful.’^(BC)

¹⁵ He also said to me, ‘The waters you saw,^(BD) where the prostitute was seated, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages.^{(BE) 16} The ten horns you saw, and the beast, will hate the prostitute.^(BF) They will make her desolate and naked, devour her flesh, and burn her up with fire.^{(BG) 17} For God has put it into their hearts to carry out his plan by having one purpose^(BH) and to give their kingdom^[v] to the beast until the words of God are fulfilled.^{(BI) 18} And the woman you saw is the great city that has royal power 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,^(BJ) and the earth was illuminated by his splendour. ² He called out in a mighty voice:

⁴ Then I heard another voice from heaven:

The World Mourns Babylon’s Fall

⁹ The kings of the earth who have committed sexual immorality and shared her sensual and excessive ways will weep and mourn over her when they see the smoke from her burning. ¹⁰ They will stand far off in fear of her torment,^(BZ) saying,

¹¹ The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, because no one buys their cargo any longer –  ¹² cargo of gold, silver, jewels, and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk, and scarlet; all kinds of fragrant wood products; objects of ivory; objects of expensive wood, brass,^[ab] iron, and marble; ¹³ cinnamon, spice,^[ac] incense, myrrh,^[ad] and frankincense; wine, olive oil, fine flour, and grain; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and slaves – human lives.^(CB)

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,

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 was like the great city? ’^{(CD) 19} They threw dust on their heads and kept crying out, weeping, and mourning,^(CE)

The Finality of Babylon’s Fall

²¹ Then a mighty angel^(CI) picked up a stone like a large millstone and threw it into the sea, saying,

Celebration in Heaven

19 After this I heard something like the loud voice of a vast multitude^(CP) in heaven, saying,

³ A second time they said,

⁴ Then the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshipped God,^(CW) who is seated on the throne, saying,

⁵ A voice came from the throne, saying,

⁶ Then I heard something like the voice of a vast multitude, like the sound of cascading waters,^(CZ) and like the rumbling of loud thunder, saying,

For the fine linen represents the righteous acts of the saints.^(DE)

⁹ Then he^[af] said to me,^(DF) ‘Write: Blessed are those invited to the marriage feast^(DG) of the Lamb! ’ He also said to me, ‘These words of God are true.’^{(DH) 10} Then I fell at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, ‘Don’t do that!^(DI) I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers and sisters who hold firmly to the testimony of Jesus.^(DJ) Worship God, because the testimony of Jesus is the spirit^[ag] of prophecy.’

The Rider on a White Horse

¹¹ Then I saw heaven opened,^(DK) and there was a white horse. Its rider is called Faithful and True,^(DL) and with justice he judges and makes war.^{(DM) 12} His eyes were like a fiery flame,^(DN) and many crowns^[ah] were on his head.^(DO) He had a name written that no one knows except himself.^{(DP) 13} He wore a robe dipped in blood,^(DQ) and his name is called the Word of God.^{(DR) 14} The armies that were in heaven followed him on white horses, wearing pure white linen. ¹⁵ A sharp^[ai] sword^(DS) came from his mouth, so that he might strike the nations with it.^(DT) He will rule^[aj] them with an iron rod.^(DU) He will also trample the winepress of the fierce anger of God,^(DV) the Almighty. ¹⁶ And he has a name written on his robe and on his thigh: King of Kings and L ord of L ords.^(DW)

The Beast and Its Armies Defeated

¹⁷ Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he called out in a loud voice, saying to all the birds flying high overhead, ‘Come, gather together for the great supper of God, ¹⁸ so that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of military commanders, the flesh of the mighty, the flesh of horses and of their riders, and the flesh of everyone, both free and slave, small and great.’^(DX)

¹⁹ Then I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies^(DY) gathered together to wage war^(DZ) against the rider on the horse and against his army. ²⁰ But the beast was taken prisoner, and along with it the false prophet, who had performed the signs in its presence. He deceived those who accepted the mark of the beast and those who worshipped its image with these signs.^(EA) Both of them were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulphur.^{(EB) 21} The rest were killed with the sword that came from the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds ate their fill of their flesh.