Revelation 18

NIRV — New International Reader's Version Bible (NIRV)

NIVUK — New International Version - UK Bible (NIVUK)

Verse 1

After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven. He had great authority. His glory filled the earth with light.

After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven. He had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendour.

Verse 2

With a mighty voice he shouted,

“ ‘Fallen! Babylon the Great has fallen!’ (Isaiah 21:9)
    She has become a place where demons live.
She has become a den for every evil spirit.
    She has become a place where every ‘unclean’ bird is found.
    She has become a place where every ‘unclean’ and hated animal is found.

With a mighty voice he shouted:

‘“Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!”^[a]
    She has become a dwelling for demons
and a haunt for every impure spirit,
    a haunt for every unclean bird,
    a haunt for every unclean and detestable animal.

Verse 3

All the nations have drunk
the strong wine of her terrible sins.
The kings of the earth took part in her evil ways.
The traders of the world grew rich from her great wealth.”

Warning to Run From Babylon’s Judgment

For all the nations have drunk
the maddening wine of her adulteries.
The kings of the earth committed adultery with her,
and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries.’

Warning to escape Babylon’s judgment

Verse 4

Then I heard another voice from heaven. It said,

“ ‘Come out of her, my people.’ (Jeremiah 51:45)
Then you will not take part in her sins.
You will not suffer from any of her plagues.

Then I heard another voice from heaven say:

‘“Come out of her, my people,”^[b]
so that you will not share in her sins,
so that you will not receive any of her plagues;

Verse 5

Her sins are piled up to heaven.
God has remembered her crimes.

for her sins are piled up to heaven,
and God has remembered her crimes.

Verse 6

Do to her as she has done to others.
Pay her back double for what she has done.
Pour her a double dose of what she has poured for others.

Give back to her as she has given;
pay her back double for what she has done.
Pour her a double portion from her own cup.

Verse 7

Give her as much pain and suffering
    as the glory and wealth she gave herself.
She brags to herself,
    ‘I rule on a throne like a queen.
I am not a widow.
    I will never mourn.’ (Isaiah 47:7,8)

Give her as much torment and grief
    as the glory and luxury she gave herself.
In her heart she boasts,
    “I sit enthroned as queen.
I am not a widow;^[c]
    I will never mourn.”

Verse 8

But she will be plagued by death, sadness and hunger.
In a single day she will suffer all these plagues.
She will be burned up by fire.
That’s because the Lord God who judges her is mighty.

How Terrible When Babylon Falls!

Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her:
death, mourning and famine.
She will be consumed by fire,
for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.

Threefold woe over Babylon’s fall

Verse 9

“The kings of the earth who committed terrible sins with her will weep. They will mourn because they used to share her riches. They will see the smoke rising as she burns.

‘When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury see the smoke of her burning, they will weep and mourn over her.

Verse 10

They will be terrified by her suffering. They will stand far away from her. And they will cry out,

“ ‘How terrible! How terrible it is for you, great city!
How terrible for you, mighty city of Babylon!
In just one hour you have been destroyed!’

Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off and cry:

‘“Woe! Woe to you, great city,
you mighty city of Babylon!
In one hour your doom has come!”

Verse 11

“The traders of the world will weep and mourn over her. No one buys what they sell anymore.

‘The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes any more –

Verse 12

Here is what they had for sale.

Gold, silver, jewels, pearls.

Fine linen, purple, silk, bright red cloth.

Every kind of citron wood.

All sorts of things made out of ivory, valuable wood, bronze, iron, marble.

cargoes 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;

Verse 13

Cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense.

Wine, olive oil, fine flour, wheat.

Cattle, sheep, horses, carriages, and human beings sold as slaves.

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.

Verse 14

“The merchants will say, ‘The pleasure you longed for has left you. All your riches and glory have disappeared forever.’

‘They will say, “The fruit you longed for is gone from you. All your luxury and splendour have vanished, never to be recovered.”

Verse 15

The traders who sold these things became rich because of Babylon. When she suffers, they will stand far away. Her suffering will terrify them. They will weep and mourn.

The merchants who sold these things and gained their wealth from her will stand far off, terrified at her torment. They will weep and mourn

Verse 16

They will cry out,

“ ‘How terrible! How terrible it is for you, great city,
dressed in fine linen, purple and bright red!
How terrible for you, great city, gleaming with gold, jewels and pearls!

and cry out:

‘“Woe! Woe to you, great city,
dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet,
and glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls!

Verse 17

In just one hour your great wealth has been destroyed!’

“Every sea captain and all who travel by ship will stand far away. So will the sailors and all who earn their living from the sea.

In one hour such great wealth has been brought to ruin!”

‘Every sea captain, and all who travel by ship, the sailors, and all who earn their living from the sea, will stand far off.

Verse 18

They will see the smoke rising as Babylon burns. They will ask, ‘Was there ever a city like this great city?’

When they see the smoke of her burning, they will exclaim, “Was there ever a city like this great city?”

Verse 19

They will throw dust on their heads. They will weep and mourn. They will cry out,

“ ‘How terrible! How terrible it is for you, great city!
All who had ships on the sea
became rich because of her wealth!
In just one hour she has been destroyed!’

They will throw dust on their heads, and with weeping and mourning cry out:

‘“Woe! Woe to you, great city,
where all who had ships on the sea
became rich through her wealth!
In one hour she has been brought to ruin!”

Verse 20

“You heavens, be glad for this!
    You people of God, be glad!
    You apostles and prophets, be glad!
God has judged her
    with the judgment she gave to you.”

Babylon’s Judgment Is Final

‘Rejoice over her, you heavens!
    Rejoice, you people of God!
    Rejoice, apostles and prophets!
For God has judged her
    with the judgment she imposed on you.’

The finality of Babylon’s doom

Verse 21

Then a mighty angel picked up a huge rock. It was the size of a large millstone. He threw it into the sea. Then he said,

“That is how
the great city of Babylon will be thrown down.
Never again will it be found.

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

‘With such violence
the great city of Babylon will be thrown down,
never to be found again.

Verse 22

The songs of musicians will never be heard in you again.
    Gone will be the music of harps, flutes and trumpets.
No worker of any kind
    will ever be found in you again.
The sound of a millstone
    will never be heard in you again.

The music of harpists and musicians, pipers and trumpeters,
    will never be heard in you again.
No worker of any trade
    will ever be found in you again.
The sound of a millstone
    will never be heard in you again.

Verse 23

The light of a lamp
    will never shine in you again.
The voices of brides and grooms
    will never be heard in you again.
Your traders were among the world’s most important people.
    By your magic spell all the nations were led astray.

The light of a lamp
    will never shine in you again.
The voice of bridegroom and bride
    will never be heard in you again.
Your merchants were the world’s important people.
    By your magic spell all the nations were led astray.

Verse 24

You were guilty of the murder of prophets and God’s holy people.
You were guilty of the blood of all who have been killed on the earth.”

In her was found the blood of prophets and of God’s holy people,
of all who have been slaughtered on the earth.’