Rev 18 | LSB | STEP | After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illumined with his glory.

‏ Revelation of John 18

Fallen Is Babylon

1 After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illumined with his glory. 2 And he cried out with a mighty voice, saying, “ ^{▼▼Lit Babylon...fell, fell}Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! And she has become a dwelling place of demons and a ^{▼▼Or haunt}prison of every unclean spirit, and a ^{▼▼Or haunt}prison of every unclean bird ^{▼▼Some mss omit and a prison of every unclean and hateful beast}and a ^{▼▼Or haunt}prison of every unclean and hateful beast. 3 For all the nations ^{▼▼Two early mss have fallen by}have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her sexual immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich by the power of her ^{▼▼Or luxury}sensuality.”

4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, “Come out of her, my people, so that you will not participate in her sins and receive of her plagues; 5 for her sins have ^{▼▼Lit joined together}piled up as high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. 6 Pay her back even as she paid, and ^{▼▼Lit double to her}give her back double according to her deeds; in the cup which she has mixed, mix double for her. 7 To the degree that she glorified herself and lived ^{▼▼Or luxuriously}sensuously, to the same degree give her torment and mourning, for she says in her heart, ‘I sit as a queen and I am not a widow, and will never see mourning.’ 8 For this reason in one day her plagues will come, ^{▼▼Lit death}pestilence and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for the Lord God who judges her is strong.

9 “And the kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality and lived ^{▼▼Or luxuriously}sensuously with her, will cry and lament over her when they see the smoke of her burning, 10 standing at a distance because of the fear of her torment, saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city! For in one hour your judgment has come.’

11 “And the merchants of the earth cry and mourn over her, because no one buys their cargo anymore— 12 cargo of gold and silver and precious ^{▼▼Lit stone}stones and pearls and fine linen and purple and silk and scarlet, and every kind of citron wood and every article of ivory and every article made from precious wood and ^{▼▼Or brass}bronze and iron and marble, 13 and cinnamon and amomum and incense and perfume and frankincense and wine and olive oil and fine flour and wheat and cattle and sheep, and cargo of horses and carriages and ^{▼▼Lit bodies}human beings and ^{▼▼Lit souls of people}human lives. 14 And the fruit ^{▼▼Lit of your soul’s desire}you long for has gone from you, and all things that were splendid and shining have passed away from you and men will no longer find them. 15 The merchants of these things, who became rich from her, will stand at a distance because of the fear of her torment, crying and mourning, 16 saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, she who was clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, and ^{▼▼Lit gilded}adorned with gold and precious ^{▼▼Lit stone and pearl}stones and pearls; 17 for in one hour such great wealth has been laid waste!’ And every shipmaster and every ^{▼▼Lit one who sails to a place}passenger and sailor, and as many as make their living by the sea, stood at a distance, 18 and were crying out as they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, ‘What is like the great city?’ 19 And they threw dust on their heads and were crying out, crying and mourning, saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, in which all who have ships at sea became rich by her ^{▼▼Lit costliness}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 ^{▼▼Lit judged your judgment of her}pronounced judgment for you against her.”

21 Then ^{▼▼Lit one}a strong angel picked 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 mill 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.”