Rev 18 | Comm | STEP | After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority; and the earth was made bright with his splendor.

‏ Revelation of John 18

1 After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority; and the earth was made bright with his splendor. 2 And he called out with a mighty voice, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place of demons, a haunt of every unclean spirit, a haunt of every unclean and hateful bird. 3 For all nations have drunk the wine of her impure passion, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown rich with the wealth of her wantonness." 4 Then I heard another voice from heaven, saying, "Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins and receive of her plagues; 5 for her sins are piled up as high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. 6 Pay her back even as she has paid, and give back to her double according to her deeds; in the cup which she has mixed, mix a double portion for her. 7 As she glorified herself and played the wanton, so give her a like measure of torment and mourning; for she says in her heart, ‘A queen I sit, and I am not a widow, mourning I will never see.’ 8 Therefore in one day her plagues will come, pestilence and mourning and famine, and she will be burned with fire; for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.

9 And the kings of the earth, who committed fornication and were wanton with her, will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning; 10 they will stand far off, in fear of her torment, and say, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, the mighty city, Babylon! In one hour has your judgment come.’ 11 And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her, because no one buys their cargoes any more— 12 cargoes 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; 13 cargoes of cinnamon and spice, of incense, myrrh and frankincense, of wine and olive oil, of fine flour and wheat; cattle and sheep; horses and chariots; and slaves and human souls. 14 The fruit you longed for has gone from you, and all your riches and splendor have vanished, never to be recovered. 15 The merchants of these things, who gained wealth from her, will stand far off, in fear of her torment, weeping and mourning, 16 saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, she who was clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls! 17 In one hour such great wealth has been laid waste!’ And every shipmaster and all passengers and sailors, and all who make their living by the sea, stood far off, 18 and cried out as they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, ‘What city is like the great city?’ 19 And they threw dust on their heads and were crying out, weeping and mourning, saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, where all who had ships at sea became rich by her wealth, for in one hour she has been laid waste!’ 20 Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, because God has pronounced judgment for you against her!" 21 Then 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 not be found any longer. 22 And 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 sound of a millstone will not be heard in you any longer; 23 and the light of a lamp will not shine in you any longer; and the voice of the bridegroom and bride will not be heard in you any longer; for your merchants were the great men of the earth, because all the nations were deceived by your sorcery. 24 And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slain on the earth."