Revelation 18-19

New International Version

Lament Over Fallen Babylon

18 After this I saw another angel^(A) coming down from heaven.^(B) He had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendor.^(C) ²With a mighty voice he shouted:

“‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!’^[a]^(D)
    She has become a dwelling for demons
and a haunt for every impure spirit,^(E)
    a haunt for every unclean bird,
    a haunt for every unclean and detestable animal.^(F)
³For all the nations have drunk
    the maddening wine of her adulteries.^(G)
The kings of the earth committed adultery with her,^(H)
    and the merchants of the earth grew rich^(I) from her excessive luxuries.”^(J)

Warning to Escape Babylon’s Judgment

⁴Then I heard another voice from heaven say:

“‘Come out of her, my people,’^[b]^(K)
    so that you will not share in her sins,
    so that you will not receive any of her plagues;^(L)
⁵for her sins are piled up to heaven,^(M)
    and God has remembered^(N) her crimes.
⁶Give back to her as she has given;
    pay her back^(O) double^(P) for what she has done.
    Pour her a double portion from her own cup.^(Q)
⁷Give her as much torment and grief
    as the glory and luxury she gave herself.^(R)
In her heart she boasts,
    ‘I sit enthroned as queen.
I am not a widow;^[c]
    I will never mourn.’^(S)
⁸Therefore in one day^(T) her plagues will overtake her:
    death, mourning and famine.
She will be consumed by fire,^(U)
    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^(V) and shared her luxury^(W) see the smoke of her burning,^(X) they will weep and mourn over her.^(Y) ¹⁰Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off^(Z) and cry:

“‘Woe! Woe to you, great city,^(AA)
you mighty city of Babylon!
In one hour^(AB) your doom has come!’

¹¹“The merchants^(AC) of the earth will weep and mourn^(AD) over her because no one buys their cargoes anymore^(AE)— 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;^(AF) ¹³cargoes 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.^(AG)

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^(AH) will stand far off,^(AI) terrified at her torment. They will weep and mourn^(AJ) ¹⁶and cry out:

“‘Woe! Woe to you, great city,^(AK)
dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet,
and glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls!^(AL)
¹⁷In one hour^(AM) such great wealth has been brought to ruin!’^(AN)

“Every sea captain, and all who travel by ship, the sailors, and all who earn their living from the sea,^(AO) will stand far off.^(AP) ¹⁸When they see the smoke of her burning,^(AQ) they will exclaim, ‘Was there ever a city like this great city^(AR)?’^(AS) ¹⁹They will throw dust on their heads,^(AT) and with weeping and mourning^(AU) cry out:

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

²⁰“Rejoice over her, you heavens!^(AX)
    Rejoice, you people of God!
    Rejoice, apostles and prophets!
For God has judged her
    with the judgment she imposed on you.”^(AY)

The Finality of Babylon’s Doom

²¹Then a mighty angel^(AZ) picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea,^(BA) and said:

“With such violence
    the great city^(BB) 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.^(BC)
No worker of any trade
    will ever be found in you again.
The sound of a millstone
    will never be heard in you again.^(BD)
²³The light of a lamp
    will never shine in you again.
The voice of bridegroom and bride
    will never be heard in you again.^(BE)
Your merchants were the world’s important people.^(BF)
    By your magic spell^(BG) all the nations were led astray.
²⁴In her was found the blood of prophets and of God’s holy people,^(BH)
    of all who have been slaughtered on the earth.”^(BI)

Threefold Hallelujah Over Babylon’s Fall

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

“Hallelujah!^(BK)
Salvation^(BL) and glory and power^(BM) belong to our God,
² for true and just are his judgments.^(BN)
He has condemned the great prostitute^(BO)
who corrupted the earth by her adulteries.
He has avenged on her the blood of his servants.”^(BP)

³And again they shouted:

“Hallelujah!^(BQ)
The smoke from her goes up for ever and ever.”^(BR)

⁴The twenty-four elders^(BS) and the four living creatures^(BT) fell down^(BU) and worshiped God, who was seated on the throne. And they cried:

“Amen, Hallelujah!”^(BV)

⁵Then a voice came from the throne, saying:

“Praise our God,
all you his servants,^(BW)
you who fear him,
both great and small!”^(BX)

⁶Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude,^(BY) like the roar of rushing waters^(BZ) and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:

“Hallelujah!^(CA)
    For our Lord God Almighty^(CB) reigns.^(CC)
⁷Let us rejoice and be glad
    and give him glory!^(CD)
For the wedding of the Lamb^(CE) has come,
    and his bride^(CF) has made herself ready.
⁸Fine linen,^(CG) bright and clean,
    was given her to wear.”

(Fine linen stands for the righteous acts^(CH) of God’s holy people.)

⁹Then the angel said to me,^(CI) “Write this:^(CJ) Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!”^(CK) And he added, “These are the true words of God.”^(CL)

¹⁰At this I fell at his feet to worship him.^(CM) 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!^(CN) For it is the Spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus.”^(CO)

The Heavenly Warrior Defeats the Beast

¹¹I saw heaven standing open^(CP) and there before me was a white horse, whose rider^(CQ) is called Faithful and True.^(CR) With justice he judges and wages war.^(CS) ¹²His eyes are like blazing fire,^(CT) and on his head are many crowns.^(CU) He has a name written on him^(CV) that no one knows but he himself.^(CW) ¹³He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood,^(CX) and his name is the Word of God.^(CY) ¹⁴The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen,^(CZ) white^(DA) and clean. ¹⁵Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword^(DB) with which to strike down^(DC) the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.”^[d]^(DD) He treads the winepress^(DE) of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. ¹⁶On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:^(DF)

king of kings and lord of lords.^(DG)

¹⁷And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds^(DH) flying in midair,^(DI) “Come,^(DJ) gather together for the great supper of God,^(DK) ¹⁸so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and the mighty, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people,^(DL) free and slave,^(DM) great and small.”^(DN)

¹⁹Then I saw the beast^(DO) and the kings of the earth^(DP) and their armies gathered together to wage war against the rider on the horse^(DQ) and his army. ²⁰But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet^(DR) who had performed the signs^(DS) on its behalf.^(DT) With these signs he had deluded^(DU) those who had received the mark of the beast^(DV) and worshiped its image.^(DW) The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake^(DX) of burning sulfur.^(DY) ²¹The rest were killed with the sword^(DZ) coming out of the mouth of the rider on the horse,^(EA) and all the birds^(EB) gorged themselves on their flesh.