The Fall of Babylon the Great
1After this I saw another angel with great authority coming down from heaven,18:1 Dn 4:13,23; Rv 10:1; 20:1 and the earth was illuminated by his splendor.
2He called out in a mighty voice:
It has fallen,18:2 Other mss omit It has fallen
She has become a home for demons,
a haunt for every unclean spirit,
a haunt for every unclean bird,
and a haunt18:2 Or prison for every unclean and despicable beast.18:2 Other mss omit the words and a haunt for every unclean beast. The words and despicable then refer to the bird of the previous line.18:2 Is 13:20–22; Mal 1:3
3For all the nations have drunk18:3 Some mss read collapsed; other mss read fallen
the wine of her sexual immorality,
The kings of the earth
have committed sexual immorality with her,
and the merchants of the earth
have grown wealthy from her sensuality and excess.18:3 Ezk 16:29
4Then I heard another voice from heaven:
Come out of her, my people,
or receive any of her plagues.
and God has remembered her crimes.18:5 2Sm 19:19; Neh 6:14; Ps 74:22; Is 64:9; Jr 14:10; 31:34; Hs 8:13
In the cup in which she mixed,18:6 Rv 14:8
mix a double portion for her.
7As much as she glorified herself and indulged her sensual and excessive ways,
give her that much torment and grief.
For she says in her heart,
“I sit as a queen;
I am not a widow,
and I will never see grief.”18:7 Is 47:7–8; Ezk 28:2–8; Zph 2:15
8For this reason her plagues will come in just one day —
death and grief and famine.18:8 Is 47:9
because the Lord God who judges18:8 Ps 7:8; 58:11; 96:10 her is mighty.18:8 Dt 10:17; Jos 4:24; Ps 24:8; Is 1:24
The World Mourns Babylon’s Fall
9The kings of the earth who have committed sexual immorality and shared her sensual and excessive ways will weep and mourn over her when they see the smoke from her burning.
10They will stand far off in fear of her torment,18:10 Ezk 26:16–18 saying,
Babylon, the mighty city!
For in a single hour
your judgment has come.
11The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, because no one buys their cargo any longer —
12cargo of gold, silver, jewels, and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk, and scarlet; all kinds of fragrant wood products; objects of ivory; objects of expensive wood, brass,18:12 Or bronze, or copper iron, and marble;
13cinnamon, spice,18:13 Other mss omit spice incense, myrrh,18:13 Or perfume and frankincense; wine, olive oil, fine flour, and grain; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and slaves — human lives.18:13 Gn 36:6; Nm 31:32–35; 1Ch 5:21; Ezk 27:12–22
14The fruit you craved has left you.
All your splendid and glamorous things are gone;
they will never find them again.
15The merchants of these things, who became rich from her, will stand far off in fear of her torment, weeping and mourning,
16saying,
Woe, woe, the great city,
dressed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet,
adorned with gold, jewels, and pearls;18:16 Rv 17:4
17for in a single hour
such fabulous wealth was destroyed!
And every shipmaster, seafarer, the sailors, and all who do business by sea, stood far off
where all those who have ships on the sea
became rich from her wealth;
for in a single hour she was destroyed.
20Rejoice over her, heaven,
and you saints, apostles, and prophets,18:20 Rv 12:12
The Finality of Babylon’s Fall
In this way, Babylon the great city
will be thrown down violently18:21 Jr 51:59–64
22The sound of harpists, musicians,
flutists, and trumpeters
will never be heard in you again;18:22 Is 24:8
no craftsman of any trade
will ever be found in you again;
the sound of a mill
will never be heard in you again;
23the light of a lamp
will never shine in you again;
and the voice of a groom and bride
will never be heard in you again.18:23 Jr 25:10
All this will happen
because your merchants
were the nobility of the earth,
because all the nations were deceived
by your sorcery.
Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard
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