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18 After these things I saw another angel coming down out of heaven, having great authority; and the earth was lightened with his glory. And he cried with a mighty voice, saying, Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, and is become a habitation of demons, and a [a]hold of every unclean spirit, and a [b]hold of every unclean and hateful bird. For [c]by [d]the wine of the wrath of her fornication all the nations are fallen; and the kings of the earth committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth waxed rich by the power of her [e]wantonness.

And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come forth, my people, out of her, that ye have no fellowship with her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues: for her sins [f]have reached even unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. Render unto her even as she rendered, and double unto her the double according to her works: in the cup which she mingled, mingle unto her double. How much soever she glorified herself, and waxed [g]wanton, so much give her of torment and mourning: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall in no wise see mourning. Therefore in one day shall her plagues come, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire; for strong is [h]the Lord God who judged her. And the kings of the earth, who committed fornication and lived [i]wantonly with her, shall weep and wail over her, when they look upon the smoke of her burning, 10 standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city! for in one hour is thy judgment come. 11 And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her, for no man buyeth their [j]merchandise any more; 12 [k]merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stone, and pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet; and all thyine wood, and every vessel of ivory, and every vessel made of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble; 13 and cinnamon, and [l]spice, and incense, and ointment, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and cattle, and sheep; and merchandise of horses and chariots and [m]slaves; and [n]souls of men. 14 And the fruits which thy soul lusted after are gone from thee, and all things that were dainty and sumptuous are perished from thee, and men shall find them no more at all. 15 The merchants of these things, who were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and mourning; 16 saying, Woe, woe, the great city, she that was arrayed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, and [o]decked with gold and precious stone and pearl! 17 for in one hour so great riches is made desolate. And every shipmaster, and every one that saileth any whither, and mariners, and as many as [p]gain their living by sea, stood afar off, 18 and cried out as they looked upon the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like the great city? 19 And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and mourning, saying, Woe, woe, the great city, wherein all that had their ships in the sea were made rich by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate. 20 Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye saints, and ye apostles, and ye prophets; for God hath judged your judgment on her.

21 And [q]a strong angel took up a stone as it were a great millstone and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with a mighty fall shall Babylon, the great city, be cast down, and shall be found no more at all. 22 And the voice of harpers and minstrels and flute-players and trumpeters shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, [r]of whatsoever craft, shall be found any more at all in thee; and the voice of a mill shall be heard no more at all in thee; 23 and the light of a lamp 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 princes of the earth; for with thy sorcery were all the nations deceived. 24 And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all that have been slain upon the earth.

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 18:2 Or, prison
  2. Revelation 18:2 Or, prison
  3. Revelation 18:3 Some authorities read of the wine . . . have drunk.
  4. Revelation 18:3 Some ancient authorities omit the wine of.
  5. Revelation 18:3 Or, luxury
  6. Revelation 18:5 Or, clave together
  7. Revelation 18:7 Or, luxurious
  8. Revelation 18:8 Some ancient authorities omit the Lord.
  9. Revelation 18:9 Or, luxuriously
  10. Revelation 18:11 Greek cargo.
  11. Revelation 18:12 Greek cargo.
  12. Revelation 18:13 Greek amomum.
  13. Revelation 18:13 Greek bodies. Gen. 36:6 (Septuagint).
  14. Revelation 18:13 Or, lives
  15. Revelation 18:16 Greek gilded.
  16. Revelation 18:17 Greek work the sea.
  17. Revelation 18:21 Greek one.
  18. Revelation 18:22 Some ancient authorities omit of whatsoever craft.

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)illumined with 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 [d]have drunk of the (G)wine of the [e]passion of her immorality, and (H)the kings of the earth have committed acts of immorality with her, and the (I)merchants of the earth have become rich by the [f]wealth of her [g](J)sensuality.”

I heard another voice from heaven, saying, “(K)Come out of her, my people, so that you will not participate in her sins and receive of her plagues; for her sins have [h](L)piled up as high as heaven, and God has (M)remembered her iniquities. (N)Pay her back even as she has paid, and [i]give back to her double according to her deeds; in the (O)cup which she has mixed, mix twice as much for her. (P)To the degree that she glorified herself and (Q)lived [j]sensuously, to the same degree give her torment and mourning; for she says in her heart, ‘(R)I sit as a queen and I am not a widow, and will never see mourning.’ For this reason (S)in one day her plagues will come, [k]pestilence and mourning and famine, and she will be (T)burned up with fire; for the Lord God who judges her (U)is strong.

Lament for Babylon

“And (V)the kings of the earth, who committed acts of immorality and (W)lived [l]sensuously with her, will (X)weep and lament over her when they (Y)see the smoke of her burning, 10 (Z)standing at a distance because of the fear of her torment, saying, ‘(AA)Woe, woe, (AB)the great city, Babylon, the strong city! For in (AC)one hour your judgment has come.’

11 “And the (AD)merchants of the earth (AE)weep and mourn over her, because no one buys their cargoes any more— 12 cargoes of (AF)gold and silver and precious [m]stones and pearls and fine linen and purple and silk and scarlet, and every kind of citron wood and every article of ivory and every article made from very costly wood and [n]bronze and iron and marble, 13 and cinnamon and [o]spice and incense and perfume and frankincense and wine and olive oil and fine flour and wheat and cattle and sheep, and cargoes of horses and chariots and [p]slaves and [q](AG)human lives. 14 The fruit [r]you long for has gone from you, and all things that were luxurious and splendid have passed away from you and men will no longer find them. 15 The (AH)merchants of (AI)these things, who became rich from her, will (AJ)stand at a distance because of the fear of her torment, weeping and mourning, 16 saying, ‘(AK)Woe, woe, (AL)the great city, she who (AM)was clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, and [s]adorned with gold and precious [t]stones and pearls; 17 for in (AN)one hour such great wealth has been laid (AO)waste!’ And (AP)every shipmaster and every [u]passenger and sailor, and as many as make their living by the sea, (AQ)stood at a distance, 18 and were (AR)crying out as they (AS)saw the smoke of her burning, saying, ‘(AT)What city is like (AU)the great city?’ 19 And they threw (AV)dust on their heads and were crying out, weeping and mourning, saying, ‘(AW)Woe, woe, the great city, in which all who had ships at sea (AX)became rich by her [v]wealth, for in (AY)one hour she has been laid (AZ)waste!’ 20 (BA)Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you [w]saints and (BB)apostles and prophets, because (BC)God has [x]pronounced judgment for you against her.”

21 Then [y]a (BD)strong angel (BE)took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “So will Babylon, (BF)the great city, be thrown down with violence, and (BG)will not be found any longer. 22 And (BH)the sound of harpists and musicians and flute-players and trumpeters will not be heard in you any longer; and no craftsman of any craft will be found in you any longer; and the (BI)sound of a mill will not be heard in you any longer; 23 and the light of a lamp will not shine in you any longer; and the (BJ)voice of the bridegroom and bride will not be heard in you any longer; for your (BK)merchants were the great men of the earth, because all the nations were deceived (BL)by your sorcery. 24 And in her was found the (BM)blood of prophets and of [z]saints and of (BN)all who have been slain on the earth.”

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 Two early ancient mss read have fallen by
  5. Revelation 18:3 Lit wrath
  6. Revelation 18:3 Lit power
  7. Revelation 18:3 Or luxury
  8. Revelation 18:5 Lit joined together
  9. Revelation 18:6 Lit double to her
  10. Revelation 18:7 Or luxuriously
  11. Revelation 18:8 Lit death
  12. Revelation 18:9 Or luxuriously
  13. Revelation 18:12 Lit stone
  14. Revelation 18:12 Or brass
  15. Revelation 18:13 Gr amomon
  16. Revelation 18:13 Lit bodies
  17. Revelation 18:13 Lit souls of people (Gr anthropoi)
  18. Revelation 18:14 Lit of your soul’s desire
  19. Revelation 18:16 Lit gilded
  20. Revelation 18:16 Lit stone and pearl
  21. Revelation 18:17 Lit one who sails to a place
  22. Revelation 18:19 Lit costliness
  23. Revelation 18:20 Or holy ones
  24. Revelation 18:20 Lit judged your judgment of her
  25. Revelation 18:21 Lit one
  26. Revelation 18:24 Or holy ones