Revelation 18:2–24

²With 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