Revelation 18:2–24

²And he cried ¹mightily with a loud voice, saying, ^c“Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and ^dhas become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and ^ea cage for every unclean and hated bird! ³For all the nations ^fhave drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, ^gand the merchants of the earth have become rich through the ²abundance of her luxury.”

⁴And I heard another voice from heaven saying, ^h“Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. ⁵ⁱFor her sins ³have reached to heaven, and ^jGod has remembered her iniquities. ^6kRender to her just as she rendered ⁴to you, and repay her double according to her works; ^lin the cup which she has mixed, ^mmix double for her. ⁷ⁿIn the measure that she glorified herself and lived ⁵luxuriously, in the same measure give her torment and sorrow; for she says in her heart, ‘I sit as ^oqueen, and am no widow, and will not see sorrow.’ ⁸Therefore her plagues will come ^pin one day—death and mourning and famine. And ^qshe will be utterly burned with fire, ^rfor strong is the Lord God who ⁶judges her.

The World Mourns Babylon’s Fall

^9s“The kings of the earth who committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her ^twill weep and lament for her, ^uwhen they see the smoke of her burning, ¹⁰standing at a distance for fear of her torment, saying, ^v‘Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! ^wFor in one hour your judgment has come.’

¹¹“And ^xthe merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore: ^12ymerchandise of gold and silver, precious stones and pearls, fine linen and purple, silk and scarlet, every kind of citron wood, every kind of object of ivory, every kind of object of most precious wood, bronze, iron, and marble; ¹³and cinnamon and incense, fragrant oil and frankincense, wine and oil, fine flour and wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and bodies and ^zsouls of men. ¹⁴The fruit that your soul longed for has gone from you, and all the things which are rich and splendid have ⁷gone from you, and you shall find them no more at all. ¹⁵The merchants of these things, who became rich by her, will stand at a distance for fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, ¹⁶and saying, ‘Alas, alas, ^athat great city ^bthat was clothed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls! ^17cFor in one hour such great riches ⁸came to nothing.’ ^dEvery shipmaster, all who travel by ship, sailors, and as many as trade on the sea, stood at a distance ^18eand cried out when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, ^f‘What is like this great city?’

^19g“They threw dust on their heads and cried out, weeping and wailing, and saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city, in which all who had ships on the sea became rich by her wealth! ^hFor in one hour she ⁹is made desolate.’

²⁰ⁱ“Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you ¹holy apostles and prophets, for ^jGod has avenged you on her!”

Finality of Babylon’s Fall

²¹Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, ^k“Thus with violence the great city Babylon shall be thrown down, and ^lshall not be found anymore. ^22mThe sound of harpists, musicians, flutists, and trumpeters shall not be heard in you anymore. No craftsman of any craft shall be found in you anymore, and the sound of a millstone shall not be heard in you anymore. ²³ⁿThe light of a lamp shall not shine in you anymore, ^oand the voice of bridegroom and bride shall not be heard in you anymore. For ^pyour merchants were the great men of the earth, ^qfor by your sorcery all the nations were deceived. ²⁴And ^rin her was found the blood of prophets and saints, and of all who ^swere slain on the earth.”