Revelation 18

NLT — New Living Translation Bible (NLT)

NIVUK — New International Version - UK Bible (NIVUK)

Verse 1

After all this I saw another angel come down from heaven with great authority, and the earth grew bright with his splendor.

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

Verse 2

He gave a mighty shout:

“Babylon is fallen—that great city is fallen!
    She has become a home for demons.
She is a hideout for every foul^[a] spirit,
    a hideout for every foul vulture
    and every foul and dreadful animal.^[b]

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

For all the nations have fallen^[c]
    because of the wine of her passionate immorality.
The kings of the world
    have committed adultery with her.
Because of her desires for extravagant luxury,
    the merchants of the world have grown rich.”

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 calling from heaven,

“Come away from her, my people.
Do not take part in her sins,
or you will be punished with her.

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

For her sins are piled as high as heaven,
and God remembers her evil deeds.

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.
Double her penalty^[d] for all her evil deeds.
She brewed a cup of terror for others,
so brew twice as much^[e] for her.

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

She glorified herself and lived in luxury,
    so match it now with torment and sorrow.
She boasted in her heart,
    ‘I am queen on my throne.
I am no helpless widow,
    and I have no reason to mourn.’

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

Therefore, these plagues will overtake her in a single day—
death and mourning and famine.
She will be completely consumed by fire,
for the Lord God who judges her is mighty.”

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

And the kings of the world who committed adultery with her and enjoyed her great luxury will mourn for her as they see the smoke rising from her charred remains.

‘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 stand at a distance, terrified by her great torment. They will cry out,

“How terrible, how terrible for you,
O Babylon, you great city!
In a single moment
God’s judgment came on you.”

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 merchants of the world will weep and mourn for her, for there is no one left to buy their goods.

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

Verse 12

She bought great quantities of gold, silver, jewels, and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk, and scarlet cloth; things made of fragrant thyine wood, ivory goods, and objects made of expensive wood; and bronze, iron, and 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

She also bought cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, olive oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle, sheep, horses, wagons, and bodies—that is, human 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 fancy things you loved so much
    are gone,” they cry.
“All your luxuries and splendor
    are gone forever,
    never to be yours again.”

‘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 merchants who became wealthy by selling her these things will stand at a distance, terrified by her great torment. They will weep and cry out,

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

“How terrible, how terrible for that great city!
She was clothed in finest purple and scarlet linens,
decked out with gold and precious stones 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 a single moment
all the wealth of the city is gone!”

And all the captains of the merchant ships and their passengers and sailors and crews will stand at a distance.

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 cry out as they watch the smoke ascend, and they will say, “Where is there another city as great as this?”

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

Verse 19

And they will weep and throw dust on their heads to show their grief. And they will cry out,

“How terrible, how terrible for that great city!
The shipowners became wealthy
by transporting her great wealth on the seas.
In a single moment it is all gone.”

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

Rejoice over her fate, O heaven
and people of God and apostles and prophets!
For at last God has judged her
for your sakes.

‘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 boulder the size of a huge millstone. He threw it into the ocean and shouted,

“Just like this, the great city Babylon
will be thrown down with violence
and will never be found again.

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 sound of harps, singers, flutes, and trumpets
    will never be heard in you again.
No craftsmen and no trades
    will ever be found in you again.
The sound of the mill
    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 happy voices of brides and grooms
    will never be heard in you again.
For your merchants were the greatest in the world,
    and you deceived the nations with your sorceries.

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

In your^[f] streets flowed the blood of the prophets and of God’s holy people
and the blood of people slaughtered all over the world.”

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