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.”

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 any of her plagues; for her sins have [f](L)piled up as high as heaven, and God has (M)remembered her offenses. (N)Pay her back even as she has paid, and [g]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 extent that she glorified herself and (Q)lived luxuriously, to the same extent 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, [h]plague and mourning and famine, and she will be (T)burned up with fire; for the Lord God who judges her (U)is strong.

Grief over Babylon

“And (V)the kings of the earth, who committed acts of sexual immorality and (W)lived luxuriously with her, will (X)weep and mourn 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 cargo any more— 12 cargo of (AF)gold, silver, precious [i]stones, and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk, and scarlet; every kind of citron wood, every article of ivory, and every article made from very valuable wood, [j]bronze, iron, and marble; 13 cinnamon, [k]spice, incense, perfume, frankincense, wine, olive oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle, sheep, and cargo of horses, carriages, [l]slaves, and (AG)human lives. 14 The fruit [m]you long for has left you, and all things that were luxurious and splendid have passed away from you and people 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 [n]adorned with gold, precious [o]stones, and pearls; 17 for in (AN)one hour such great wealth has been laid (AO)waste!’ And (AP)every shipmaster and every [p]passenger and sailor, and all who [q]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 from her prosperity, for in (AY)one hour she has been laid (AZ)waste!’ 20 (BA)Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you [r]saints and (BB)apostles and prophets, because (BC)God has [s]pronounced judgment for you against her.”

21 Then [t]a (BD)strong angel (BE)picked 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 never be found again. 22 And (BH)the sound of harpists, musicians, flute players, and trumpeters will never be heard in you again; and no craftsman of any craft will ever be found in you again; and the (BI)sound of a mill will never be heard in you again; 23 and the light of a lamp will never shine in you again; and the (BJ)voice of the groom and bride will never be heard in you again; for your (BK)merchants were the powerful people of the earth, because all the nations were deceived (BL)by your witchcraft. 24 And in her was found the (BM)blood of prophets and of [u]saints, and of (BN)all who have been slaughtered on the earth.”

The Fourfold Hallelujah

19 After these things I heard something like a (BO)loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying,

(BP)Hallelujah! (BQ)Salvation, (BR)glory, and power belong to our God, (BS)because His (BT)judgments are (BU)true and righteous; for He has judged the (BV)great prostitute who was corrupting the earth with her sexual immorality, and He has (BW)avenged the blood of His bond-servants [v]on her.” And a second time they said, “(BX)Hallelujah! (BY)Her smoke rises forever and ever.” And the (BZ)twenty-four elders and the (CA)four living creatures (CB)fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne, saying, “(CC)Amen. (CD)Hallelujah!” And a voice came from the throne, saying,

(CE)Give praise to our God, all you His bond-servants, (CF)you who fear Him, the small and the great.” Then I heard something like (CG)the voice of a great multitude and like (CH)the sound of many waters, and like the (CI)sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying,

(CJ)Hallelujah! For the (CK)Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns.

Marriage of the Lamb

Let’s rejoice and be glad and (CL)give the glory to Him, because (CM)the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His [w](CN)bride has prepared herself.” It was given to her to clothe herself in (CO)fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the (CP)righteous acts of the [x]saints.

Then (CQ)he *said to me, “(CR)Write: ‘(CS)Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb.’” And he *said to me, “(CT)These are the true words of God.” 10 Then (CU)I fell at his feet to worship him. (CV)But he *said to me, “[y]Do not do that; I am a (CW)fellow servant of yours and your brothers and sisters who (CX)hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

The Coming of Christ

11 And I saw (CY)heaven opened, and behold, a (CZ)white horse, and He who sat on it is called (DA)Faithful and True, and in (DB)righteousness He judges and wages war. 12 His (DC)eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many (DD)crowns; and He has a (DE)name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. 13 He is clothed with a (DF)robe dipped in blood, and His name is called (DG)The Word of God. 14 And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in (DH)fine linen, (DI)white and clean, were following Him on white horses. 15 (DJ)From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that (DK)with it He may strike down the nations, and He will [z](DL)rule them with a rod of iron; and (DM)He treads the [aa]wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. 16 And on His robe and on His thigh He has (DN)a name written: “(DO)KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”

17 Then I saw [ab]an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to (DP)all the birds that fly in (DQ)midheaven, “(DR)Come, assemble for the great feast of God, 18 so that you may (DS)eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, (DT)both free and slaves, and (DU)small and great.”

19 And I saw (DV)the beast and (DW)the kings of the earth and their armies, assembled to make war against Him who (DX)sat on the horse, and against His army.

Doom of the Beast and False Prophet

20 And the beast was seized, and with him the (DY)false prophet who (DZ)performed the signs [ac](EA)in his presence, by which he (EB)deceived those who had received the (EC)mark of the beast and those who (ED)worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the (EE)lake of (EF)fire, which burns with [ad]brimstone. 21 And the rest were killed with the sword which (EG)came from the mouth of Him who (EH)sat on the horse, and (EI)all the birds were filled with their flesh.

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
  6. Revelation 18:5 Lit joined together
  7. Revelation 18:6 Lit double to her
  8. Revelation 18:8 Lit death; i.e., a particular kind of death
  9. Revelation 18:12 Lit stone
  10. Revelation 18:12 Or brass
  11. Revelation 18:13 Gr amomon, an Indian spice plant
  12. Revelation 18:13 Lit bodies
  13. Revelation 18:14 Lit of your soul’s desire
  14. Revelation 18:16 Lit gilded
  15. Revelation 18:16 Lit stone and pearl
  16. Revelation 18:17 Lit one who sails to a place
  17. Revelation 18:17 Lit work the sea
  18. Revelation 18:20 Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s people
  19. Revelation 18:20 Lit judged your judgment of her
  20. Revelation 18:21 Lit one
  21. Revelation 18:24 Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s people
  22. Revelation 19:2 Lit from her hand
  23. Revelation 19:7 Lit wife
  24. Revelation 19:8 Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s people
  25. Revelation 19:10 Lit See that you do not
  26. Revelation 19:15 Or shepherd
  27. Revelation 19:15 Lit wine press of the wine of the wrath of God’s anger
  28. Revelation 19:17 Lit one
  29. Revelation 19:20 Or by his authority
  30. Revelation 19:20 I.e., burning sulfur

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