Revelation 17–20

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

Threefold Hallelujah Over Babylon’s Fall

19After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude^v in heaven shouting:

“Hallelujah!^w

Salvation^x and glory and power^y belong to our God,

²for true and just are his judgments.^z

He has condemned the great prostitute^a

who corrupted the earth by her adulteries.

He has avenged on her the blood of his servants.”^b

³And again they shouted:

“Hallelujah!^c

The smoke from her goes up for ever and ever.”^d

⁴The twenty-four elders^e and the four living creatures^f fell down^g and worshiped God, who was seated on the throne. And they cried:

“Amen, Hallelujah!”^h

⁵Then a voice came from the throne, saying:

“Praise our God,

all you his servants,ⁱ

you who fear him,

both great and small!”^j

⁶Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude,^k like the roar of rushing waters^l and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:

“Hallelujah!^m

For our Lord God Almightyⁿ reigns.^o

⁷Let us rejoice and be glad

and give him glory!^p

For the wedding of the Lamb^q has come,

and his bride^r has made herself ready.

⁸Fine linen,^s bright and clean,

was given her to wear.”

(Fine linen stands for the righteous acts^t of God’s holy people.)

⁹Then the angel said to me,^u “Write this:^v Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!”^w And he added, “These are the true words of God.”^x

¹⁰At this I fell at his feet to worship him.^y But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers and sisters who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God!^z For it is the Spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus.”^a

The Heavenly Warrior Defeats the Beast

¹¹I saw heaven standing open^b and there before me was a white horse, whose rider^c is called Faithful and True.^d With justice he judges and wages war.^{e 12}His eyes are like blazing fire,^f and on his head are many crowns.^g He has a name written on him^h that no one knows but he himself.^{i 13}He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood,^j and his name is the Word of God.^{k 14}The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen,^l white^m and clean. ¹⁵Coming out of his mouth is a sharp swordⁿ with which to strike down^o the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.”^ap He treads the winepress^q of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. ¹⁶On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:^r

king of kings and lord of lords.^s

¹⁷And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds^t flying in midair,^u “Come,^v gather together for the great supper of God,^{w 18}so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and the mighty, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people,^x free and slave,^y great and small.”^z

¹⁹Then I saw the beast^a and the kings of the earth^b and their armies gathered together to wage war against the rider on the horse^c and his army. ²⁰But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet^d who had performed the signs^e on its behalf.^f With these signs he had deluded^g those who had received the mark of the…