Revelation 18:4-8
New International Version
Warning to Escape Babylon’s Judgment
4 Then I heard another voice from heaven say:
“‘Come out of her, my people,’[a](A)
so that you will not share in her sins,
so that you will not receive any of her plagues;(B)
5 for her sins are piled up to heaven,(C)
and God has remembered(D) her crimes.
6 Give back to her as she has given;
pay her back(E) double(F) for what she has done.
Pour her a double portion from her own cup.(G)
7 Give her as much torment and grief
as the glory and luxury she gave herself.(H)
In her heart she boasts,
‘I sit enthroned as queen.
I am not a widow;[b]
I will never mourn.’(I)
8 Therefore in one day(J) her plagues will overtake her:
death, mourning and famine.
She will be consumed by fire,(K)
for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.
Footnotes
- Revelation 18:4 Jer. 51:45
- Revelation 18:7 See Isaiah 47:7,8.
Revelation 18:4-8
New English Translation
4 Then[a] I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, so you will not take part in her sins and so you will not receive her plagues, 5 because her sins have piled[b] up all the way to heaven[c] and God has remembered[d] her crimes.[e] 6 Repay her the same way she repaid others;[f] pay her back double[g] corresponding to her deeds. In the cup she mixed, mix double the amount for her. 7 As much as[h] she exalted herself and lived in sensual luxury,[i] to this extent give her torment and grief because she said to herself,[j] ‘I rule as queen and am no widow; I will never experience grief!’ 8 For this reason, she will experience her plagues[k] in a single day: disease,[l] mourning,[m] and famine, and she will be burned down[n] with fire, because the Lord God who judges her is powerful!”
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Revelation 18:4 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
- Revelation 18:5 tn On ἐκολλήθησαν (ekollēthēsan) BDAG 556 s.v. κολλάω 2.a.β states, “fig. cling to = come in close contact with (cp. Ps 21:16; 43:26 ἐκολλήθη εἰς γῆν ἡ γαστὴρ ἡμῶν. The act.=‘bring into contact’ PGM 5, 457 κολλήσας τ. λίθον τῷ ὠτίῳ) ἐκολλήθησαν αἱ ἁμαρτίαι ἄχρι τ. οὐρανοῦ the sins have touched the heaven = reached the sky (two exprs. are telescoped) Rv 18:5.”
- Revelation 18:5 tn Or “up to the sky” (the same Greek word means both “heaven” and “sky”).
- Revelation 18:5 tn That is, remembered her sins to execute judgment on them.
- Revelation 18:5 tn Or “her sins.”
- Revelation 18:6 tn The word “others” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
- Revelation 18:6 tn On this term BDAG 252 s.v. διπλόω states, “to double τὰ διπλᾶ pay back double Rv 18:6.”
- Revelation 18:7 tn “As much as” is the translation of ὅσα (hosa).
- Revelation 18:7 tn On the term ἐστρηνίασεν (estrēniasen) BDAG 949 s.v. στρηνιάω states, “live in luxury, live sensually Rv 18:7. W. πορνεύειν vs. 9.”
- Revelation 18:7 tn Grk “said in her heart,” an idiom for saying something to oneself.
- Revelation 18:8 tn Grk “For this reason, her plagues will come.”
- Revelation 18:8 tn Grk “death.” θάνατος (thanatos) can in particular contexts refer to a manner of death, specifically a contagious disease (see BDAG 443 s.v. 3; L&N 23.158).
- Revelation 18:8 tn This is the same Greek word (πένθος, penthos) translated “grief” in vv. 7-8.
- Revelation 18:8 tn Here “burned down” was used to translate κατακαυθήσεται (katakauthēsetai) because a city is in view.
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