Revelation 16–18

The First Bowl

16Then I heard a loud voice from the sanctuary saying to the seven angels, ^y“Go and pour out the seven ^zbowls ^aof God’s wrath on the earth.” ²The first went and poured out his bowl on the earth, and severely painful sores ^bcbroke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his image.

The Second Bowl

³The second ^dpoured out his bowl into the sea. It turned to blood like a dead man’s, and all life ^ein the sea died. ^f

The Third Bowl

⁴The third ^gpoured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of water, and they became blood. ^h5I heard the angel of the waters say:

You are righteous,

who is and who was, ⁱthe Holy One, ^j

for You have decided these things.

⁶Because they poured out

the blood of the saints and the prophets, ^k

You also gave them blood to drink;

they deserve it! ^l

⁷Then I heard someone from the altar say:

Yes, Lord God, the Almighty,

true and righteous are Your judgments. ^m

The Fourth Bowl

⁸The fourth ⁿpoured out his bowl on the sun. He ^owas given the power ^pto burn people with fire, ⁹and people were burned by the intense heat. So they blasphemed the name of God, ^qwho had the power ^rover these plagues, and they did not repent and give Him glory. ^s

The Fifth Bowl

¹⁰The fifth ^tpoured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, ^uand his kingdom was plunged into darkness. ^vPeople ^wgnawed their tongues because of their pain ¹¹and blasphemed the God of heaven ^xbecause of their pains and their sores, yet they did not repent of their actions.

The Sixth Bowl

¹²The sixth ^ypoured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, ^zand its water was dried up ^ato prepare the way for the kings from the east. ¹³Then I saw three unclean spirits like frogs ^bcoming from the dragon’s mouth, ^cfrom the beast’s mouth, ^dand from the mouth of the false prophet. ^e14For they are spirits of demons performing signs, ^fwho travel to the kings of the whole world to assemble them ^gfor the battle of the great day of God, the Almighty. ^h

¹⁵“Look, I am coming like a thief. The one who is alert and remains clothed ^ijso that he may not go around naked and people see his shame ^kis blessed.” ^l

¹⁶So they assembled them at the place called in Hebrew, Armagedon. ^mno

The Seventh Bowl

¹⁷Then the seventh ^ppoured out his bowl into the air, ^qand a loud voice came out of the sanctuary ^rsfrom the throne, saying, “It is done!” ¹⁸There were flashes of lightning and rumblings of thunder. And a severe earthquake occurred like no other since man has been on the earth—so great was the quake. ^t19The great city ^usplit into three parts, and the cities of the nations ^vfell. Babylon the Great was remembered in God’s presence; He gave her the cup filled with the wine of His fierce anger. ^w20Every island fled, and the mountains disappeared. ^xy21Enormous hailstones, each weighing about 100 pounds, ^zfell from the sky on people, and they blasphemed God ^afor the plague of hail because that plague was extremely severe. ^b

The Woman and the Scarlet Beast

17Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls ^ccame and spoke with me: “Come, I will show you the judgment of the notorious prostitute ^dewho sits on many ^fwaters. ^g2The kings of the earth ^hcommitted sexual immorality with her, and those who live on the earth became drunk on the wine of her sexual immorality.” ⁱ³So he carried me away in the Spirit ^jkto a desert. I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered ^lwith blasphemous names and had seven heads and 10 horns. ^m4The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, adorned with gold, precious stones, and pearls. ⁿShe had a gold cup in her hand filled with everything vile ^oand with the impurities of her ^pprostitution. ⁵On her forehead a cryptic name ^qwas written:

BABYLON THE GREAT THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND OF THE VILE THINGS OF THE EARTH.

⁶Then I saw that the woman was drunk on the blood of the saints and on the blood of the witnesses to Jesus. ^rWhen I saw her, I was greatly astonished.

The Meaning of the Woman and of the Beast

⁷Then the angel said to me, “Why are you astonished? I will tell you the secret meaning of the woman and of the beast, with the seven heads and the 10 horns, that carries her. ⁸The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up from the abyss ^sand go to destruction. ^tThose who live on the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world ^uwill be astonished when they see the beast that was, and is not, and will be present again. ^v

⁹“Here is the mind with wisdom: ^wxThe seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated. ¹⁰They are also seven kings: ^yFive have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when he comes, he must remain for a little while. ¹¹The beast that was and is not, is himself an eighth king, yet he belongs to the seven and is going to destruction. ¹²The 10 horns you saw are 10 kings ^zwho have not yet received a kingdom, but they will receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour. ^a13These have one purpose, and they give their power and authority to the beast. ¹⁴These will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will conquer them because He is Lord of lords and King of kings. ^bThose with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.” ^c

¹⁵He also said to me, “The waters you saw, ^dwhere the prostitute was seated, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages. ^e16The 10 horns you saw, and the beast, will hate the prostitute. ^fThey will make her desolate and naked, devour her flesh, and burn her up with fire. ^g17For God has put it into their hearts to carry out His plan by having one purpose ^hand to give their kingdom ⁱto the beast until God’s words are accomplished. ^j18And the woman you saw is the great city that has an empire ^kover the kings of the earth.”

The Fall of Babylon the Great

18After this I saw another angel with great authority coming down from heaven, ^land the earth was illuminated by his splendor. ²He cried in a mighty voice:

It has fallen, ^m

Babylon the Great has fallen! ⁿ

She has become a dwelling for demons,

a haunt for every unclean spirit,

a haunt for every unclean bird,

and a haunt ^ofor every unclean and despicable beast. ^pq

³For all the nations have drunk ^r

the wine of her sexual immorality,

which brings wrath. ^s

The kings of the earth

have committed sexual immorality with her,

and the merchants of the earth

have grown wealthy from her excessive luxury. ^t

⁴Then I heard another voice from heaven:

Come out of her, My people,

so that you will not share in her sins ^u

or receive any of her plagues.

⁵For her sins are piled up ^vto heaven, ^w

and God has remembered her crimes. ^x

⁶Pay her back the way she also paid, ^y

and double it according to her works. ^z

In the cup in which she mixed, ^a

mix a double portion for her.

⁷As much as she glorified herself and lived luxuriously,

give her that much torment and grief,

for she says in her heart,

“I sit as a queen;

I am not a widow,

and I will never see grief.” ^b

⁸For this reason her plagues will come in one day ^c—

death and grief and famine. ^d

She will be burned up with fire, ^e

because the Lord God who judges ^fher is mighty. ^g

The World Mourns Babylon’s Fall

⁹The 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. ¹⁰They will stand far off in fear of her torment, ^hsaying:

Woe, woe, the great city, ⁱ

Babylon, the mighty city!

For in a single hour ^j

your judgment has come.

¹¹The merchants of the earth will also weep and mourn over her, because no one buys their merchandise any longer— ¹²merchandise 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, ^kiron, and marble; ¹³cinnamon, spice, ^lmincense, myrrh, ⁿand frankincense; wine, olive oil, fine wheat flour, and grain; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and slaves ^oand human lives. ^pq

¹⁴The fruit you craved has left you.

All your splendid and glamorous things are gone;

they will never find them again.

¹⁵The merchants of these things, who became rich from her, will stand far off in fear of her torment, weeping and mourning, ¹⁶saying:

Woe, woe, the great city,

dressed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet,

adorned with gold, precious stones, and pearls, ^r

¹⁷for in a single hour ^s

such fabulous wealth was destroyed!

And every shipmaster, seafarer, the sailors, and all who do business by sea, stood far off ¹⁸as they watched the smoke from her burning and kept crying out: “Who is like the great city?” ^t19They threw dust on their heads and kept crying out, weeping, and mourning: ^u

Woe, woe, the great city, ^v

where all those who have ships on the sea

became rich from her wealth,

for in a single hour ^wshe was destroyed.

²⁰Rejoice over her, heaven,

and you saints, apostles, and prophets, ^x

because God has executed your judgment ^yon her! ^z

The Finality of Babylon’s Fall

²¹Then a mighty angel ^apicked up a stone like a large millstone and threw it into the sea, saying:

In this way, Babylon the great city

will be thrown down violently ^b

and never be found again. ^c

²²The sound of harpists, musicians,

flutists, and trumpeters

will never be heard in you again; ^d

no craftsman of any trade

will ever be found in you again;

the sound of a mill

will never be heard in you again;

²³the light of a lamp

will never shine in you again;

and the voice of a groom and bride

will never be heard in you again. ^e

All this will happen

because your merchants

were the nobility of the earth,

because all the nations were deceived

by your sorcery, ^f

²⁴and the blood of prophets and saints, ^g

and of all those slaughtered on earth,

was found in you. ^hi