Revelation 16–18

The Seven Bowls of God’s Wrath

16Then I heard a loud voice from the temple^g saying to the seven angels,^h “Go, pour out the seven bowls of God’s wrath on the earth.”ⁱ

²The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the land,^j and ugly, festering sores^k broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image.^l

³The second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it turned into blood like that of a dead person, and every living thing in the sea died.^m

⁴The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water,ⁿ and they became blood.^{o 5}Then I heard the angel in charge of the waters say:

“You are just in these judgments,^p O Holy One,^q

you who are and who were;^r

⁶for they have shed the blood of your holy people and your prophets,^s

and you have given them blood to drink^t as they deserve.”

⁷And I heard the altar^u respond:

“Yes, Lord God Almighty,^v

true and just are your judgments.”^w

⁸The fourth angel^x poured out his bowl on the sun,^y and the sun was allowed to scorch people with fire.^{z 9}They were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the name of God,^a who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent^b and glorify him.^c

¹⁰The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast,^d and its kingdom was plunged into darkness.^e People gnawed their tongues in agony ¹¹and cursed^f the God of heaven^g because of their pains and their sores,^h but they refused to repent of what they had done.ⁱ

¹²The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates,^j and its water was dried up to prepare the way^k for the kings from the East.^{l 13}Then I saw three impure spirits^m that looked like frogs;ⁿ they came out of the mouth of the dragon,^o out of the mouth of the beast^p and out of the mouth of the false prophet.^{q 14}They are demonic spirits^r that perform signs,^s and they go out to the kings of the whole world,^t to gather them for the battle^u on the great day^v of God Almighty.

¹⁵“Look, I come like a thief!^w Blessed is the one who stays awake^x and remains clothed, so as not to go naked and be shamefully exposed.”^y

¹⁶Then they gathered the kings together^z to the place that in Hebrew^a is called Armageddon.^b

¹⁷The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air,^c and out of the temple^d came a loud voice^e from the throne, saying, “It is done!”^{f 18}Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder^g and a severe earthquake.^h No earthquake like it has ever occurred since mankind has been on earth,ⁱ so tremendous was the quake. ¹⁹The great city^j split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. God remembered^k Babylon the Great^l and gave her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of his wrath.^{m 20}Every island fled away and the mountains could not be found.^{n 21}From the sky huge hailstones,^o each weighing about a hundred pounds,^a fell on people. And they cursed God^p on account of the plague of hail,^q because the plague was so terrible.

Babylon, the Prostitute on the Beast

17One of the seven angels^r who had the seven bowls^s came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the punishment^t of the great prostitute,^u who sits by many waters.^{v 2}With her the kings of the earth committed adultery, and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries.”^w

³Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit^x into a wilderness.^y There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet^z beast that was covered with blasphemous names^a and had seven heads and ten horns.^{b 4}The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls.^c She held a golden cup^d in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries.^{e 5}The name written on her forehead was a mystery:^f

babylon the great^g

the mother of prostitutes^h

and of the abominations of the earth.

⁶I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God’s holy people,ⁱ the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus.

When I saw her, I was greatly astonished. ⁷Then the angel said to me: “Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the mystery^j of the woman and of the beast she rides, which has the seven heads and ten horns.^{k 8}The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and yet will come up out of the Abyss^l and go to its destruction.^m The inhabitants of the earthⁿ whose names have not been written in the book of life^o from the creation of the world will be astonished^p when they see the beast, because it once was, now is not, and yet will come.

⁹“This calls for a mind with wisdom.^q The seven heads^r are seven hills on which the woman sits. ¹⁰They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for only a little while. ¹¹The beast who once was, and now is not,^s is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction.

¹²“The ten horns^t you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour^u will receive authority as kings along with the beast. ¹³They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast.^{v 14}They will wage war^w against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over^x them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings^y—and with him will be his called, chosen^z and faithful followers.”

¹⁵Then the angel said to me, “The waters^a you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages.^{b 16}The beast and the ten horns^c you saw will hate the prostitute.^d They will bring her to ruin^e and leave her naked;^f they will eat her flesh^g and burn her with fire.^{h 17}For God has put it into their heartsⁱ to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to hand over to the beast their royal authority,^j until God’s words are fulfilled.^{k 18}The woman you saw is the great city^l that rules over the kings of the earth.”

Lament Over Fallen Babylon

18After this I saw another angel^m coming down from heaven.ⁿ He had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendor.^{o 2}With a mighty voice he shouted:

“ ‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!’^ap

She has become a dwelling for demons

and a haunt for every impure spirit,^q

a haunt for every unclean bird,

a haunt for every unclean and detestable animal.^r

³For all the nations have drunk

the maddening wine of her adulteries.^s

The kings of the earth committed adultery with her,^t

and the merchants of the earth grew rich^u from her excessive luxuries.”^v

Warning to Escape Babylon’s Judgment

⁴Then I heard another voice from heaven say:

“ ‘Come out of her, my people,’^bw

so that you will not share in her sins,

so that you will not receive any of her plagues;^x

⁵for her sins are piled up to heaven,^y

and God has remembered^z her crimes.

⁶Give back to her as she has given;

pay her back^a double^b for what she has done.

Pour her a double portion from her own cup.^c

⁷Give her as much torment and grief

as the glory and luxury she gave herself.^d

In her heart she boasts,

‘I sit enthroned as queen.

I am not a widow;^c

I will never mourn.’^e

⁸Therefore in one day^f her plagues will overtake her:

death, mourning and famine.

She will be consumed by fire,^g

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^h and shared her luxuryⁱ see the smoke of her burning,^j they will weep and mourn over her.^{k 10}Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off^l and cry:

“ ‘Woe! Woe to you, great city,^m

you mighty city of Babylon!

In one hourⁿ your doom has come!’

¹¹“The merchants^o of the earth will weep and mourn^p over her because no one buys their cargoes anymore^q—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;^{r 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 carriages; and human beings sold as slaves.^s

¹⁴“They will say, ‘The fruit you longed for is gone from you. All your luxury and splendor have vanished, never to be recovered.’ ¹⁵The merchants who sold these things and gained their wealth from her^t will stand far off,^u terrified at her torment. They will weep and mourn^{v 16}and cry out:

“ ‘Woe! Woe to you, great city,^w

dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet,

and glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls!^x

¹⁷In one hour^y such great wealth has been brought to ruin!’^z

“Every sea captain, and all who travel by ship, the sailors, and all who earn their living from the sea,^a will stand far off.^{b 18}When they see the smoke of her burning,^c they will exclaim, ‘Was there ever a city like this great city^d?’^{e 19}They will throw dust on their heads,^f and with weeping and mourning^g cry out:

“ ‘Woe! Woe to you, great city,^h

where all who had ships on the sea

became rich through her wealth!

In one hour she has been brought to ruin!’ⁱ

²⁰“Rejoice over her, you heavens!^j

Rejoice, you people of God!

Rejoice, apostles and prophets!

For God has judged her

with the judgment she imposed on you.”^k

The Finality of Babylon’s Doom

²¹Then a mighty angel^l picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea,^m and said:

“With such violence

the great cityⁿ 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.^o

No worker of any trade

will ever be found in you again.

The sound of a millstone

will never be heard in you again.^p

²³The light of a lamp

will never shine in you again.

The voice of bridegroom and bride

will never be heard in you again.^q

Your merchants were the world’s important people.^r

By your magic spell^s all the nations were led astray.

²⁴In her was found the blood of prophets and of God’s holy people,^t

of all who have been slaughtered on the earth.”^u