^16:18Then⁵⁷ there were flashes of lightning, roaring,⁵⁸ and crashes of thunder, and there was a tremendous earthquake—an earthquake unequaled since humanity⁵⁹ has been on the earth, so tremendous was that earthquake. ^16:19The⁶⁰ great city was split into three parts and the cities of the nations⁶¹ collapsed.⁶² So⁶³ Babylon the great was remembered before God, and was given the cup⁶⁴ filled with the wine made of God’s furious wrath.⁶⁵^16:20Every⁶⁶ island fled away⁶⁷ and no mountains could be found.⁶⁸^16:21And gigantic hailstones, weighing about a hundred pounds⁶⁹ each, fell from heaven⁷⁰ on people,⁷¹ but they⁷² blasphemed God because of the plague of hail, since it⁷³ was so horrendous.⁷⁴

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Footnotes

57 Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
58 Or “sounds,” “voices.” It is not entirely clear what this refers to. φωνή 1 states, “In Rv we have ἀστραπαὶ καὶ φωναὶ καὶ βρονταί (cp. Ex 19:16) 4:5; 8:5; 11:19; 16:18 (are certain other sounds in nature thought of here in addition to thunder, as e.g. the roar of the storm?…).”
59 The singular ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos) is used generically here to refer to the human race.
60 Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
61 Or “of the Gentiles” (the same Greek word may be translated “Gentiles” or “nations”).
62 Grk “fell.”
63 Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of Babylon’s misdeeds (see Rev 14:8).
64 Grk “the cup of the wine of the anger of the wrath of him.” The concatenation of four genitives has been rendered somewhat differently by various translations (see the note on the word “wrath”).
65 Following θυμός 2, the combination of the genitives of θυμός (thumos) and ὀργή (orgē) in Rev 16:19 and 19:15 are taken to be a strengthening of the thought as in the OT and Qumran literature (Exod 32:12; Jer 32:37; Lam 2:3; 10:9). Thus in Rev 14:8 (to which the present passage alludes) and 18:3 there is irony: The wine of immoral behavior with which Babylon makes the nations drunk becomes the wine of God’s wrath for her.
66 Grk “And every.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
67 Or “vanished.”
68 Every island fled away and no mountains could be found. Major geographical and topographical changes will accompany the Day of the Lord.
69 Here ταλαντιαῖος states, “weighing a talent … χάλαζα μεγάλη ὡς ταλαντιαία a severe hailstorm with hailstones weighing a talent (the talent=125 librae, or Roman pounds of c. 343 gr. or 12 ounces each) (weighing about a hundred pounds ) Rv 16:21.” This means each hailstone would weigh just under 100 pounds or 40 kilograms.
70 Or “the sky.” Due to the apocalyptic nature of this book, it is probably best to leave the translation as “from heaven,” since God is ultimately the source of the judgment.
71 Grk “on men,” but ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos) is used here in a generic sense to refer to people in general (the hailstones did not single out adult males, but would have also fallen on women and children).
72 Grk “the men”; for stylistic reasons the pronoun “they” is used here.
73 Grk “the plague of it.”
74 Grk “since the plague of it was exceedingly great.”

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, and a great earthquake such as there had never been since man was on the earth, so great was that earthquake. The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell, and God remembered Babylon the great, to make her drain the cup of the wine of the fury of his wrath. And every island fled away, and no mountains were to be found. And great hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, fell from heaven on people; and they cursed God for the plague of the hail, because the plague was so severe.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder and a severe earthquake. No earthquake like it has ever occurred since mankind has been on earth, so tremendous was the quake. The great city split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. God remembered Babylon the Great and gave her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of his wrath. Every island fled away and the mountains could not be found. From the sky huge hailstones, each weighing about a hundred pounds, fell on people. And they cursed God on account of the plague of hail, because the plague was so terrible.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, and peals of thunder. And a severe earthquake occurred like no other since people have been on the earth, so great was the quake. The great city split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. Babylon the Great was remembered in God’s presence; he gave her the cup filled with the wine of his fierce anger. Every island fled, and the mountains disappeared. Enormous hailstones, each weighing about a hundred pounds, fell from the sky on people, and they blasphemed God for the plague of hail because that plague was extremely severe.

NLTNew Living Translation

Then the thunder crashed and rolled, and lightning flashed. And a great earthquake struck—the worst since people were placed on the earth. The great city of Babylon split into three sections, and the cities of many nations fell into heaps of rubble. So God remembered all of Babylon’s sins, and he made her drink the cup that was filled with the wine of his fierce wrath. And every island disappeared, and all the mountains were leveled. There was a terrible hailstorm, and hailstones weighing as much as seventy-five pounds fell from the sky onto the people below. They cursed God because of the terrible plague of the hailstorm.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

And there were lightnings and sounds and thunders, and there was a great earthquake, as has not happened from the time humanity has been on the earth—so great in this way was the earthquake. And the great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. And Babylon the great was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of his furious wrath. And every island fled, and mountains were not found. And large hailstones, weighing about a hundred pounds, came down from the sky upon people, and the people blasphemed God because of the plague of hail, because the plague of it was very great.

KJV 1900King James Version

And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.

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