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Revelation 16-18
Contemporary English Version
Revelation 16-18
Contemporary English Version
The Bowls of God's Anger
16 From the temple I heard a voice shout to the seven angels, “Go and empty the seven bowls of God's anger on the earth.”
2 (A) The first angel emptied his bowl on the earth. At once ugly and painful sores broke out on everyone who had the mark of the beast and worshiped the idol.
3 The second angel emptied his bowl on the sea. At once the sea turned into blood like that of a dead person, and every living thing in the sea died.
4 (B) The third angel emptied his bowl into the rivers and streams. At once they turned to blood. 5 Then I heard the angel, who has power over water, say,
“You have always been,
and you always will be
the holy God.
You had the right
to judge in this way.
6 They poured out the blood[a]
of your people
and your prophets.
So you gave them blood
to drink as they deserve!”
7 After this, I heard
the altar shout,
“Yes, Lord God All-Powerful,
your judgments are honest
and fair.”
8 The fourth angel emptied his bowl on the sun, and it began to scorch people like fire. 9 Everyone was scorched by its great heat, and all of them cursed the name of God who had power over these terrible troubles. But no one turned to God and praised him.
10 (C) The fifth angel emptied his bowl on the throne of the beast. At once darkness covered its kingdom, and its people began biting their tongues in pain. 11 And because of their painful sores, they cursed the God who rules in heaven. But still they did not stop doing evil things.
12 (D) The sixth angel emptied his bowl on the great Euphrates River, and it completely dried up to make a road for the kings from the east. 13 An evil spirit that looked like a frog came out of the mouth of the dragon. One also came out of the mouth of the beast, and another out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 These evil spirits had the power to work miracles. They went to every king on earth, to bring them together for a war against God All-Powerful. But that will be the day of God's great victory.
15 (E) Remember Christ says, “When I come, it will surprise you like a thief! But God will bless you, if you are awake and ready. Then you won't have to walk around naked and be ashamed.”
16 (F) Those armies came together in a place that in Hebrew is called Armagedon.[b]
17 As soon as the seventh angel emptied his bowl in the air, a loud voice from the throne in the temple shouted, “It's done!” 18 (G) There were flashes of lightning, roars of thunder, and the worst earthquake in all history. 19 (H) The great city of Babylon split into three parts, and the cities of other nations fell. So God made Babylon drink from the wine cup filled with his anger. 20 (I) Every island ran away, and the mountains disappeared. 21 (J) Hailstones, weighing about 50 kilograms each, fell from the sky on people. Finally, the people cursed God, because the hail was so terrible.
The Prostitute and the Beast
17 (K) One of the seven angels who had emptied the bowls came over and said to me, “Come on! I will show you how God will punish that shameless prostitute who sits on many oceans. 2 (L) Every king on earth has slept with her, and her shameless ways are like wine that has made everyone on earth drunk.”
3 (M) With the help of the Spirit, the angel took me into a desert, where I saw a woman sitting on a red beast. The beast was covered with names that were an insult to God, and it had seven heads and ten horns. 4 (N) The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet robes, and she wore jewelry made of gold, precious stones, and pearls. In her hand she held a gold cup filled with the filthy and nasty things she had done. 5 On her forehead a mysterious name was written:
I AM THE GREAT CITY OF BABYLON, THE MOTHER OF EVERY IMMORAL AND FILTHY THING ON EARTH.
6 I could tell that the woman was drunk on the blood of God's people who had given their lives for Jesus. This surprising sight amazed me, 7 and the angel said:
Why are you so amazed? I will explain the mystery about this woman and about the beast she is sitting on, with its seven heads and ten horns. 8 (O) The beast you saw is one that used to be and no longer is. It will come back from the deep pit, but only to be destroyed. Everyone on earth whose names were not written in the book of life[c] before the time of creation will be amazed. They will see this beast that used to be and no longer is, but will be once more.
9 Anyone with wisdom can figure this out. The seven heads that the woman is sitting on stand for seven hills. These heads are also seven kings. 10 Five of the kings are dead. One is ruling now, and the other one has not yet come. But when he does, he will rule for only a little while.
11 You also saw a beast that used to be and no longer is. That beast is one of the seven kings who will return as the eighth king, but only to be destroyed.
12 (P) The ten horns you saw are ten more kings, who have not yet come into power, and they will rule with the beast for only a short time. 13 They all think alike and will give their power and authority to the beast. 14 (Q) These kings will go to war against the Lamb. But he will defeat them, because he is Lord over all lords and King over all kings. His followers are chosen and special and faithful.
15 The oceans you saw the prostitute sitting on are crowds of people from all races and languages. 16 The ten horns and the beast will start hating the shameless woman. They will strip off her clothes and leave her naked. Then they will eat her flesh and throw the rest of her body into a fire. 17 God is the one who made these kings all think alike and decide to give their power to the beast. And they will do this until what God has said comes true.
18 The woman you saw is the great city that rules over all kings on earth.
The Fall of Babylon
18 I saw another angel come from heaven. This one had great power, and the earth was bright because of his glory. 2 (R) The angel shouted,
“Fallen! Powerful Babylon
has fallen
and is now the home
of demons.
It is the den
of every filthy spirit
and of all unclean birds,
and every dirty
and hated animal.
3 (S) Babylon's evil and immoral wine
has made all nations drunk.
Every king on earth
has slept with her,
and every merchant on earth
is rich because of
her evil desires.”
4 (T) Then I heard another voice
from heaven shout,
“My people, you must escape
from Babylon.
Don't take part in her sins
and share her punishment.
5 (U) Her sins are piled
as high as heaven.
God has remembered the evil
she has done.
6 (V) Treat her as she
has treated others.
Make her pay double
for what she has done.
Make her drink twice as much
of what she mixed
for others.
7 (W) That woman honored herself
with a life of luxury.
Reward her now
with suffering and pain.
“Deep in her heart
Babylon said,
‘I am the queen!
Never will I be a widow
or know what it means
to be sad.’
8 And so, in a single day
she will suffer the pain
of sorrow, hunger, and death.
Fire will destroy
her dead body,
because her judge
is the powerful Lord God.”
9 (X) Every king on earth who slept with her and shared in her luxury will mourn. They will weep, when they see the smoke from that fire. 10 Her sufferings will frighten them, and they will stand at a distance and say,
“Pity that great
and powerful city!
Pity Babylon!
In a single hour
her judgment has come.”
11 (Y) Every merchant on earth will mourn, because there is no one to buy their goods. 12 (Z) There won't be anyone to buy their gold, silver, jewels, pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk, scarlet cloth, sweet-smelling wood, fancy carvings of ivory and wood, as well as things made of bronze, iron, or marble. 13 No one will buy their cinnamon, spices, incense, myrrh, frankincense,[d] wine, olive oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle, sheep, horses, chariots, slaves, and other humans.
14 Babylon, the things
your heart desired
have all escaped
from you.
Every luxury
and all your glory
will be lost forever.
You will never
get them back.
15 (AA) The merchants had become rich because of her. But when they saw her sufferings, they were terrified. They stood at a distance, crying and mourning. 16 Then they shouted,
“Pity the great city
of Babylon!
She dressed in fine linen
and wore purple
and scarlet cloth.
She had jewelry
made of gold
and precious stones
and pearls.
17 (AB) Yet in a single hour
her riches disappeared.”
Every ship captain and passenger and sailor stood at a distance, together with everyone who does business by traveling on the sea. 18 (AC) When they saw the smoke from her fire, they shouted, “This was the greatest city ever!”
19 (AD) They cried loudly, and in their sorrow they threw dust on their heads, as they said,
“Pity the great city
of Babylon!
Everyone who sailed the seas
became rich
from her treasures.
But in a single hour
the city was destroyed.
20 (AE) The heavens should be happy
with God's people
and apostles and prophets.
God has punished her
for them.”
21 (AF) A powerful angel then picked up a huge stone and threw it into the sea. The angel said,
“This is how the great city
of Babylon
will be thrown down,
never to rise again.
22 (AG)(AH) The music of harps and singers
and of flutes and trumpets
will no longer be heard.
No workers will ever
set up shop in that city,
and the sound
of grinding grain
will be silenced forever.
23 Lamps will no longer shine
anywhere in Babylon,
and couples will never again
say wedding vows there.
Her merchants ruled
the earth,
and by her witchcraft
she fooled all nations.
24 (AI) On the streets of Babylon
is found the blood
of God's people
and of his prophets,
and everyone else.”
Footnotes
- 16.6 They poured out the blood: A way of saying, “They murdered.”
- 16.16 Armagedon: The Hebrew form of the name would be “Har Megiddo,” meaning “Hill of Megiddo,” where many battles were fought in ancient times (see Judges 5.19; 2 Kings 23.29,30).
- 17.8 book of life: See the note at 3.5.
- 18.13 myrrh, frankincense: Myrrh was a valuable sweet-smelling powder often used in perfume. Frankincense was a valuable powder that was burned to make a sweet smell.
Revelation 16-18
New International Version
Revelation 16-18
New International Version
The Seven Bowls of God’s Wrath
16 Then I heard a loud voice from the temple(A) saying to the seven angels,(B) “Go, pour out the seven bowls of God’s wrath on the earth.”(C)
2 The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the land,(D) and ugly, festering sores(E) broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image.(F)
3 The second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it turned into blood like that of a dead person, and every living thing in the sea died.(G)
4 The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water,(H) and they became blood.(I) 5 Then I heard the angel in charge of the waters say:
“You are just in these judgments,(J) O Holy One,(K)
you who are and who were;(L)
6 for they have shed the blood of your holy people and your prophets,(M)
and you have given them blood to drink(N) as they deserve.”
7 And I heard the altar(O) respond:
8 The fourth angel(R) poured out his bowl on the sun,(S) and the sun was allowed to scorch people with fire.(T) 9 They were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the name of God,(U) who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent(V) and glorify him.(W)
10 The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast,(X) and its kingdom was plunged into darkness.(Y) People gnawed their tongues in agony 11 and cursed(Z) the God of heaven(AA) because of their pains and their sores,(AB) but they refused to repent of what they had done.(AC)
12 The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates,(AD) and its water was dried up to prepare the way(AE) for the kings from the East.(AF) 13 Then I saw three impure spirits(AG) that looked like frogs;(AH) they came out of the mouth of the dragon,(AI) out of the mouth of the beast(AJ) and out of the mouth of the false prophet.(AK) 14 They are demonic spirits(AL) that perform signs,(AM) and they go out to the kings of the whole world,(AN) to gather them for the battle(AO) on the great day(AP) of God Almighty.
15 “Look, I come like a thief!(AQ) Blessed is the one who stays awake(AR) and remains clothed, so as not to go naked and be shamefully exposed.”(AS)
16 Then they gathered the kings together(AT) to the place that in Hebrew(AU) is called Armageddon.(AV)
17 The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air,(AW) and out of the temple(AX) came a loud voice(AY) from the throne, saying, “It is done!”(AZ) 18 Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder(BA) and a severe earthquake.(BB) No earthquake like it has ever occurred since mankind has been on earth,(BC) so tremendous was the quake. 19 The great city(BD) split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. God remembered(BE) Babylon the Great(BF) and gave her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of his wrath.(BG) 20 Every island fled away and the mountains could not be found.(BH) 21 From the sky huge hailstones,(BI) each weighing about a hundred pounds,[a] fell on people. And they cursed God(BJ) on account of the plague of hail,(BK) because the plague was so terrible.
Babylon, the Prostitute on the Beast
17 One of the seven angels(BL) who had the seven bowls(BM) came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the punishment(BN) of the great prostitute,(BO) who sits by many waters.(BP) 2 With her the kings of the earth committed adultery, and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries.”(BQ)
3 Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit(BR) into a wilderness.(BS) There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet(BT) beast that was covered with blasphemous names(BU) and had seven heads and ten horns.(BV) 4 The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls.(BW) She held a golden cup(BX) in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries.(BY) 5 The name written on her forehead was a mystery:(BZ)
6 I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God’s holy people,(CC) the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus.
When I saw her, I was greatly astonished. 7 Then the angel said to me: “Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the mystery(CD) of the woman and of the beast she rides, which has the seven heads and ten horns.(CE) 8 The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and yet will come up out of the Abyss(CF) and go to its destruction.(CG) The inhabitants of the earth(CH) whose names have not been written in the book of life(CI) from the creation of the world will be astonished(CJ) when they see the beast, because it once was, now is not, and yet will come.
9 “This calls for a mind with wisdom.(CK) The seven heads(CL) are seven hills on which the woman sits. 10 They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for only a little while. 11 The beast who once was, and now is not,(CM) is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction.
12 “The ten horns(CN) you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour(CO) will receive authority as kings along with the beast. 13 They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast.(CP) 14 They will wage war(CQ) against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over(CR) them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings(CS)—and with him will be his called, chosen(CT) and faithful followers.”
15 Then the angel said to me, “The waters(CU) you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages.(CV) 16 The beast and the ten horns(CW) you saw will hate the prostitute.(CX) They will bring her to ruin(CY) and leave her naked;(CZ) they will eat her flesh(DA) and burn her with fire.(DB) 17 For God has put it into their hearts(DC) to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to hand over to the beast their royal authority,(DD) until God’s words are fulfilled.(DE) 18 The woman you saw is the great city(DF) that rules over the kings of the earth.”
Lament Over Fallen Babylon
18 After this I saw another angel(DG) coming down from heaven.(DH) He had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendor.(DI) 2 With a mighty voice he shouted:
“‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!’[b](DJ)
She has become a dwelling for demons
and a haunt for every impure spirit,(DK)
a haunt for every unclean bird,
a haunt for every unclean and detestable animal.(DL)
3 For all the nations have drunk
the maddening wine of her adulteries.(DM)
The kings of the earth committed adultery with her,(DN)
and the merchants of the earth grew rich(DO) from her excessive luxuries.”(DP)
Warning to Escape Babylon’s Judgment
4 Then I heard another voice from heaven say:
“‘Come out of her, my people,’[c](DQ)
so that you will not share in her sins,
so that you will not receive any of her plagues;(DR)
5 for her sins are piled up to heaven,(DS)
and God has remembered(DT) her crimes.
6 Give back to her as she has given;
pay her back(DU) double(DV) for what she has done.
Pour her a double portion from her own cup.(DW)
7 Give her as much torment and grief
as the glory and luxury she gave herself.(DX)
In her heart she boasts,
‘I sit enthroned as queen.
I am not a widow;[d]
I will never mourn.’(DY)
8 Therefore in one day(DZ) her plagues will overtake her:
death, mourning and famine.
She will be consumed by fire,(EA)
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(EB) and shared her luxury(EC) see the smoke of her burning,(ED) they will weep and mourn over her.(EE) 10 Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off(EF) and cry:
11 “The merchants(EI) of the earth will weep and mourn(EJ) over her because no one buys their cargoes anymore(EK)— 12 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;(EL) 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.(EM)
14 “They will say, ‘The fruit you longed for is gone from you. All your luxury and splendor have vanished, never to be recovered.’ 15 The merchants who sold these things and gained their wealth from her(EN) will stand far off,(EO) terrified at her torment. They will weep and mourn(EP) 16 and cry out:
“‘Woe! Woe to you, great city,(EQ)
dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet,
and glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls!(ER)
17 In one hour(ES) such great wealth has been brought to ruin!’(ET)
“Every sea captain, and all who travel by ship, the sailors, and all who earn their living from the sea,(EU) will stand far off.(EV) 18 When they see the smoke of her burning,(EW) they will exclaim, ‘Was there ever a city like this great city(EX)?’(EY) 19 They will throw dust on their heads,(EZ) and with weeping and mourning(FA) cry out:
“‘Woe! Woe to you, great city,(FB)
where all who had ships on the sea
became rich through her wealth!
In one hour she has been brought to ruin!’(FC)
20 “Rejoice over her, you heavens!(FD)
Rejoice, you people of God!
Rejoice, apostles and prophets!
For God has judged her
with the judgment she imposed on you.”(FE)
The Finality of Babylon’s Doom
21 Then a mighty angel(FF) picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea,(FG) and said:
“With such violence
the great city(FH) of Babylon will be thrown down,
never to be found again.
22 The music of harpists and musicians, pipers and trumpeters,
will never be heard in you again.(FI)
No worker of any trade
will ever be found in you again.
The sound of a millstone
will never be heard in you again.(FJ)
23 The light of a lamp
will never shine in you again.
The voice of bridegroom and bride
will never be heard in you again.(FK)
Your merchants were the world’s important people.(FL)
By your magic spell(FM) all the nations were led astray.
24 In her was found the blood of prophets and of God’s holy people,(FN)
of all who have been slaughtered on the earth.”(FO)
Footnotes
- Revelation 16:21 Or about 45 kilograms
- Revelation 18:2 Isaiah 21:9
- Revelation 18:4 Jer. 51:45
- Revelation 18:7 See Isaiah 47:7,8.
Contemporary English Version (CEV) 
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