Revelation 18:9-19
English Standard Version
9 And (A)the kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her, (B)will weep and wail over her (C)when they see the smoke of her burning. 10 (D)They will stand far off, in fear of her torment, and say,
“Alas! Alas! (E)You great city,
you mighty city, Babylon!
For (F)in a single hour your judgment has come.”
11 And (G)the merchants of the earth weep and mourn for her, since no one buys their cargo anymore, 12 cargo of gold, silver, jewels, pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk, scarlet cloth, all kinds of scented wood, all kinds of articles of ivory, all kinds of articles of costly wood, bronze, iron and marble, 13 cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and slaves, that is, human souls.[a]
14 “The fruit for which your soul longed
has gone from you,
and all your delicacies and your splendors
are lost to you,
never to be found again!”
15 (H)The merchants of these wares, who gained wealth from her, (I)will stand far off, in fear of her torment, weeping and mourning aloud,
16 “Alas, alas, for the great city
(J)that was clothed in fine linen,
in purple and scarlet,
adorned with gold,
with jewels, and with pearls!
17 For (K)in a single hour all this wealth (L)has been laid waste.”
And (M)all shipmasters and seafaring men, sailors and all whose trade is on the sea, stood far off 18 and (N)cried out (O)as they saw the smoke of her burning,
(P)“What city was like the great city?”
19 And they threw (Q)dust on their heads as they wept and mourned, crying out,
“Alas, alas, for the great city
(R)where all who had ships at sea
grew rich by her wealth!
For (S)in a single hour she has been laid waste.
Footnotes
- Revelation 18:13 Or and slaves, and human lives
Revelation 18:9-19
Holman Christian Standard Bible
The World Mourns Babylon’s Fall
9 The kings of the earth who have committed sexual immorality and lived luxuriously with her will weep and mourn over her when they see the smoke of her burning. 10 They will stand far off in fear of her torment, saying:
Woe, woe, the great city,
Babylon, the mighty city!
For in a single hour[a]
your judgment has come.
11 The merchants of the earth will also weep and mourn over her, because no one buys their merchandise any longer— 12 merchandise of gold, silver, precious stones, and pearls; fine fabrics of linen, purple, silk, and scarlet; all kinds of fragrant wood products; objects of ivory; objects of expensive wood, brass,[b] iron, and marble; 13 cinnamon, spice,[c][d] incense, myrrh,[e] and frankincense; wine, olive oil, fine wheat flour, and grain; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and slaves[f] and human lives.[g](A)
14 The fruit you craved has left you.
All your splendid and glamorous things are gone;
they will never find them again.
15 The merchants of these things, who became rich from her, will stand far off in fear of her torment, weeping and mourning, 16 saying:
Woe, woe, the great city,
dressed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet,
adorned with gold, precious stones, and pearls,
17 for in a single hour[h]
such fabulous wealth was destroyed!
And every shipmaster, seafarer, the sailors, and all who do business by sea, stood far off 18 as they watched the smoke from her burning and kept crying out: “Who is like the great city?”(B) 19 They threw dust on their heads and kept crying out, weeping, and mourning:(C)
Woe, woe, the great city,(D)
where all those who have ships on the sea
became rich from her wealth,
for in a single hour[i] she was destroyed.
Footnotes
- Revelation 18:10 Suddenly
- Revelation 18:12 Or bronze, or copper
- Revelation 18:13 Other mss omit spice
- Revelation 18:13 Or amomum, an aromatic plant
- Revelation 18:13 Or perfume
- Revelation 18:13 Or bodies
- Revelation 18:13 Slaves; “bodies” was the Gk way of referring to slaves; “souls of men” was the Hb way.
- Revelation 18:17 Suddenly
- Revelation 18:19 Suddenly
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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