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The Fall of Babylon

18 After all this I saw another angel come down from heaven with great authority, and the earth grew bright with his splendor. He gave a mighty shout:

“Babylon is fallen—that great city is fallen!
    She has become a home for demons.
She is a hideout for every foul[a] spirit,
    a hideout for every foul vulture
    and every foul and dreadful animal.[b]
For all the nations have fallen[c]
    because of the wine of her passionate immorality.
The kings of the world
    have committed adultery with her.
Because of her desires for extravagant luxury,
    the merchants of the world have grown rich.”

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Footnotes

  1. 18:2a Greek unclean; also in each of the two following phrases.
  2. 18:2b Some manuscripts condense the last two lines to read a hideout for every foul [unclean] and dreadful vulture.
  3. 18:3 Some manuscripts read have drunk.

Babylon Is Fallen

18 After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, possessing great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his splendor and radiance.(A) And he shouted with a mighty voice, saying, “Fallen, fallen [certainly to be destroyed] is [a]Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place for demons, a dungeon haunted by every unclean spirit, and a prison for every unclean and loathsome bird. For all the nations have drunk from the wine of the passion of her [sexual] immorality, and the kings and political leaders of the earth have committed immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich by the wealth and economic power of her sensuous luxury.”(B)

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Footnotes

  1. Revelation 18:2 Whatever the exact city, Babylon here indicates human civilization arrayed in opposition to God and ready to be judged.

Doom to the City of Darkness

18 1-8 Following this I saw another Angel descend from Heaven. His authority was immense, his glory flooded earth with brightness, his voice thunderous:

Ruined, ruined, Great Babylon, ruined!
    A ghost town for demons is all that’s left!
A garrison of carrion spirits,
    garrison of loathsome, carrion birds.
All nations drank the wild wine of her whoring;
    kings of the earth went whoring with her;
    entrepreneurs made millions exploiting her.

Just then I heard another shout out of Heaven:

Get out, my people, as fast as you can,
    so you don’t get mixed up in her sins,
    so you don’t get caught in her doom.
Her sins stink to high Heaven;
    God has remembered every evil she’s done.
Give her back what she’s given,
    double what she’s doubled in her works,
    double the recipe in the cup she mixed;
Bring her flaunting and wild ways
    to torment and tears.
Because she gloated, “I’m queen over all,
    and no widow, never a tear on my face,”
In one day, disasters will crush her—
    death, heartbreak, and famine—
Then she’ll be burned by fire, because God,
    the Strong God who judges her,
    has had enough.

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The Fall of Babylon

18 After this I saw (A)another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and (B)the earth was made bright with his glory. And he called out with a mighty voice,

(C)“Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great!
    She has become (D)a dwelling place for demons,
a haunt (E)for every unclean spirit,
    a haunt (F)for every unclean bird,
    a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast.
For all nations have drunk[a]
    (G)the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality,
and (H)the kings of the earth have committed immorality with her,
    and (I)the merchants of the earth have grown rich from the power of her luxurious living.”

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Footnotes

  1. Revelation 18:3 Some manuscripts fallen by

Babylon Is Fallen

18 After these things I saw another (A)angel (B)coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was (C)illuminated from his glory. And he cried out with a mighty voice, saying, “[a](D)Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She (E)has become a dwelling place of demons and a [b]prison of every (F)unclean spirit, and a [c]prison of every unclean and hateful bird. For all the nations have fallen because of the (G)wine of the passion of her sexual immorality, and (H)the kings of the earth have committed acts of sexual immorality with her, and the (I)merchants of the earth have become rich from the [d]excessive wealth of her [e](J)luxury.”

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Footnotes

  1. Revelation 18:2 Lit Babylon...fell, fell
  2. Revelation 18:2 Or haunt
  3. Revelation 18:2 Or haunt
  4. Revelation 18:3 Lit power
  5. Revelation 18:3 Or sensuality