1After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was made bright with his glory. (Eze 43:2; Re 17:1; Re 17:7)2And he called out with a mighty voice, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast. (Isa 13:21; Isa 14:23; Isa 34:11; Isa 34:14; Jer 50:39; Jer 51:37; Zep 2:14; Re 14:8; Re 16:13)3For all nations have drunk[1] the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown rich from the power of her luxurious living.” (Eze 27:33; Re 14:8; Re 17:2; Re 18:9; Re 18:11; Re 18:15)4Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues; (Isa 48:20; 2Co 6:17)5for her sins are heaped high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. (Ge 18:20; Ezr 9:6; Jer 51:9; Jon 1:2; Re 16:19)6Pay her back as she herself has paid back others, and repay her double for her deeds; mix a double portion for her in the cup she mixed. (Ps 137:8; Jer 16:18; Jer 50:15; Jer 50:29; Jer 51:24; Jer 51:49; Re 14:10; Re 16:19; Re 17:4)7As she glorified herself and lived in luxury, so give her a like measure of torment and mourning, since in her heart she says, ‘I sit as a queen, I am no widow, and mourning I shall never see.’ (Isa 47:7; Eze 28:2; Zep 2:15; Re 3:17)8For this reason her plagues will come in a single day, death and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for mighty is the Lord God who has judged her.” (Isa 47:9; Jer 50:34; Re 17:16; Re 18:10)9And the kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her, will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning. (Jer 50:46; Eze 26:16; Re 17:2; Re 18:3; Re 18:18; Re 19:3)10They will stand far off, in fear of her torment, and say, “Alas! Alas! You great city, you mighty city, Babylon! For in a single hour your judgment has come.” (Re 14:8; Re 18:8; Re 18:15; Re 18:17; Re 18:19)11And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn for her, since no one buys their cargo anymore, (Eze 27:36; Re 18:3; Re 18:15)12cargo 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,13cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and slaves, that is, human souls.[2]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!”15The merchants of these wares, who gained wealth from her, will stand far off, in fear of her torment, weeping and mourning aloud, (Re 18:3; Re 18:10; Re 18:11)16“Alas, alas, for the great city that was clothed in fine linen, in purple and scarlet, adorned with gold, with jewels, and with pearls! (Re 17:4)17For in a single hour all this wealth has been laid waste.” And all shipmasters and seafaring men, sailors and all whose trade is on the sea, stood far off (Eze 27:28; Re 17:16; Re 18:10; Re 18:19)18and cried out as they saw the smoke of her burning, “What city was like the great city?” (Eze 27:30; Eze 27:32; Re 13:4; Re 18:9)19And they threw dust on their heads as they wept and mourned, crying out, “Alas, alas, for the great city where all who had ships at sea grew rich by her wealth! For in a single hour she has been laid waste. (Jos 7:6; Job 2:12; Re 18:3; Re 18:10; Re 18:15; Re 18:17)20Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, for God has given judgment for you against her!” (De 32:43; Jer 51:48; Lu 11:49; Re 12:12; Re 19:2)21Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “So will Babylon the great city be thrown down with violence, and will be found no more; (Jer 51:63; Re 5:2; Re 10:1; Re 18:10)22and 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 the sound of the mill will be heard in you no more, (Ec 12:4; Isa 14:11; Isa 24:8; Jer 25:10; Eze 26:13)23and the light of a lamp will shine in you no more, and the voice of bridegroom and bride will be heard in you no more, for your merchants were the great ones of the earth, and all nations were deceived by your sorcery. (Isa 23:8; Jer 7:34; Jer 16:9; Jer 33:11; Na 3:4)24And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slain on earth.” (Jer 51:49; Mt 23:35; Re 17:6)
Revelation 18
New International Version
Lament over fallen Babylon
1After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven. He had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendour.2With a mighty voice he shouted: ‘ “Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!” She has become a dwelling for demons and a haunt for every impure spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable animal. (Isa 21:9)3For all the nations have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries. The kings of the earth committed adultery with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries.’
Warning to escape Babylon’s judgment
4Then I heard another voice from heaven say: ‘ “Come out of her, my people,” so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues; (Jer 51:45)5for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes.6Give back to her as she has given; pay her back double for what she has done. Pour her a double portion from her own cup.7Give her as much torment and grief as the glory and luxury she gave herself. In her heart she boasts, “I sit enthroned as queen. I am not a widow;[1] I will never mourn.” (Isa 47:7; Isa 47:8)8Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her: death, mourning and famine. She will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.
Threefold woe over Babylon’s fall
9‘When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury see the smoke of her burning, they will weep and mourn over her.10Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off and cry: ‘ “Woe! Woe to you, great city, you mighty city of Babylon! In one hour your doom has come!”11‘The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no-one buys their cargoes anymore –12cargoes of gold, silver, precious stones and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet cloth; every sort of citron wood, and articles of every kind made of ivory, costly wood, bronze, iron and marble;13cargoes of cinnamon and spice, of incense, myrrh and frankincense, of wine and olive oil, of fine flour and wheat; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and human beings sold as slaves.14‘They will say, “The fruit you longed for is gone from you. All your luxury and splendour have vanished, never to be recovered.”15The merchants who sold these things and gained their wealth from her will stand far off, terrified at her torment. They will weep and mourn16and cry out: ‘ “Woe! Woe to you, great city, dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet, and glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls!17In one hour such great wealth has been brought to ruin!” ‘Every sea captain, and all who travel by ship, the sailors, and all who earn their living from the sea, will stand far off.18When they see the smoke of her burning, they will exclaim, “Was there ever a city like this great city?”19They will throw dust on their heads, and with weeping and mourning cry out: ‘ “Woe! Woe to you, great city, where all who had ships on the sea became rich through her wealth! In one hour she has been brought to ruin!”20‘Rejoice over her, you heavens! Rejoice, you people of God! Rejoice, apostles and prophets! For God has judged her with the judgment she imposed on you.’
The finality of Babylon’s doom
21Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea, and said: ‘With such violence the great city of Babylon will be thrown down, never to be found again.22The music of harpists and musicians, pipers and trumpeters, will never be heard in you again. No worker of any trade will ever be found in you again. The sound of a millstone will never be heard in you again.23The light of a lamp will never shine in you again. The voice of bridegroom and bride will never be heard in you again. Your merchants were the world’s important people. By your magic spell all the nations were led astray.24In her was found the blood of prophets and of God’s holy people, of all who have been slaughtered on the earth.’