Revelation 18:21-23
New English Translation
21 Then[a] one powerful angel picked up a stone like a huge millstone, threw it into the sea, and said,
“With this kind of sudden violent force[b]
Babylon the great city will be thrown down[c]
and it will never be found again!
22 And the sound of the harpists, musicians,
flute players, and trumpeters
will never be heard in you[d] again.
No[e] craftsman[f] who practices any trade
will ever be found in you again;
the noise of a mill[g] will never be heard in you again.
23 Even the light from a lamp
will never shine in you again!
The voices of the bridegroom and his bride
will never be heard in you again.
For your merchants were the tycoons of the world,
because all the nations[h] were deceived by your magic spells![i]
Footnotes
- Revelation 18:21 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
- Revelation 18:21 tn On ὅρμημα (hormēma) BDAG 724 s.v. states, “violent rush, onset ὁρμήματι βληθήσεται Βαβυλών Babylon will be thrown down with violence Rv 18:21.” L&N 68.82 refers to the suddenness of the force or violence.
- Revelation 18:21 sn Thrown down is a play on both the words and the action. The angel’s action with the stone illustrates the kind of sudden violent force with which the city will be overthrown.
- Revelation 18:22 tn The shift to a second person pronoun here corresponds to the Greek text.
- Revelation 18:22 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
- Revelation 18:22 tn On this term BDAG 1001 s.v. τεχνίτης states, “craftsperson, artisan, designer…Of a silversmith Ac 19:24, 25 v.l., 38….Of a potter 2 Cl 8:2 (metaph., cp. Ath. 15:2). πᾶς τεχνίτης πάσης τέχνης Rv 18:22.”
- Revelation 18:22 tn This is a different Greek word (μύλος, mulos) from the one for the millstone in v. 21 (μύλινος, mulinos). See L&N 7.68.
- Revelation 18:23 tn Or “all the Gentiles” (the same Greek word may be translated “Gentiles” or “nations”).
- Revelation 18:23 tn On the term φαρμακεία (pharmakeia, “magic spells”) see L&N 53.100: “the use of magic, often involving drugs and the casting of spells upon people—‘to practice magic, to cast spells upon, to engage in sorcery, magic, sorcery.’ φαρμακεία: ἐν τῇ φαρμακείᾳ σου ἐπλανήθησαν πάντα τὰ ἔθνη ‘with your magic spells you deceived all the peoples (of the world)’ Re 18:23.”
Revelation 18:21-23
King James Version
21 And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.
22 And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee;
23 And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.
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Revelation 18:21-23
New King James Version
Finality of Babylon’s Fall
21 Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, (A)“Thus with violence the great city Babylon shall be thrown down, and (B)shall not be found anymore. 22 (C)The sound of harpists, musicians, flutists, and trumpeters shall not be heard in you anymore. No craftsman of any craft shall be found in you anymore, and the sound of a millstone shall not be heard in you anymore. 23 (D)The light of a lamp shall not shine in you anymore, (E)and the voice of bridegroom and bride shall not be heard in you anymore. For (F)your merchants were the great men of the earth, (G)for by your sorcery all the nations were deceived.
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Revelation 18:21-23
English Standard Version
21 Then (A)a mighty angel (B)took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying,
“So will Babylon (C)the great city be thrown down with violence,
and will be found no more;
22 and (D)the sound of harpists and musicians, of flute players and trumpeters,
will be heard in you no more,
and a craftsman of any craft
will be found in you no more,
and (E)the sound of the mill
will be heard in you no more,
23 and the light of a lamp
will shine in you no more,
and (F)the voice of bridegroom and bride
will be heard in you no more,
for (G)your merchants were the great ones of the earth,
and all nations were deceived (H)by your sorcery.
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