God's New Revelations

The Revelation of St. John the Divine

Berean Study Bible :: World English Bible Catholic

- Chapter 18 -

(Isaiah 21:1–10)
1
After this I saw another angel descending from heaven with great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his glory.
2
And he cried out in a mighty voice:Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great!(a) She has become a lair for demons and a haunt for every unclean spirit, every unclean bird, and every detestable beast.(b)
3
All the nations have drunk (c) the wine of the passion of her immorality. The kings of the earth were immoral with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown wealthy from the extravagance of her luxury.”
4
Then I heard another voice from heaven say:Come out of her, My people,(d) so that you will not share in her sins or contract any of her plagues.
5
For her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.
6
Give back to her as she has done to others; pay her back double for what she has done; mix her a double portion in her own cup.
7
As much as she has glorified herself and lived in luxury, give her the same measure of torment and grief. In her heart she says, ‘I sit as queen; I am not a widow and will never see grief.’
8
Therefore her plagues will come in one day death and grief and famine and she will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.”

Lament over Babylon

9
Then the kings of the earth who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her will weep and wail at the sight of the smoke rising from the fire that consumes her.(e)
10
In fear of her torment, they will stand at a distance and cry out:Woe, woe to the great city, the mighty city of Babylon! For in a single hour your judgment has come.”
11
And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, because there is no one left to buy their cargo
12
cargo of gold, silver, precious stones, and pearls; of fine linen, purple, silk, and scarlet; of all kinds of citron wood and every article of ivory, precious wood, bronze, iron, and marble;
13
of cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, and frankincense; of wine, olive oil, fine flour, and wheat; of cattle, sheep, horses, and chariots; of slaves and souls of men.
14
And they will say:(f) The fruit of your soul’s desire has departed from you; all your luxury and splendor have vanished, never to be seen again.”
15
The merchants who sold these things and grew their wealth from her will stand at a distance, in fear of her torment. They will weep and mourn,
16
saying:Woe, woe to the great city, clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls!
17
For in a single hour such fabulous wealth has been destroyed!” Every shipmaster, passenger, and sailor, and all who make their living from the sea, will stand at a distance
18
and cry out at the sight of the smoke rising from the fire that consumes her. “What city was ever like this great city?” they will exclaim.
19
Then they will throw dust on their heads as they weep and mourn and cry out:Woe, woe to the great city, where all who had ships on the sea were enriched by her wealth! For in a single hour she has been destroyed.”
20
Rejoice over her, O heaven, O saints and apostles and prophets, because God has pronounced for you His judgment against her.

The Doom of Babylon

21
Then a mighty angel picked up a stone the size of a great millstone and cast it into the sea, saying:With such violence the great city of Babylon will be cast down, never to be seen again.
22
And the sound of harpists and musicians, of flute players and trumpeters, will never ring out in you again. Nor will any craftsmen of any trade be found in you again, nor the sound of a millstone be heard in you again.
23
The light of a lamp will never shine in you again, and the voices of a bride and bridegroom will never call out in you again. For your merchants were the great ones of the earth, because all the nations were deceived by your sorcery.”
24
And there was found in her the blood of prophets and saints, and of all who had been slain on the earth.

Footnotes

(a)18:2 See Isaiah 21:9 and Revelation 14:8.
(b)18:2 NE, WH, BYZ, and TR a haunt for every unclean spirit and every unclean and detestable bird.
(c)18:3 SBL and WH have fallen by
(d)18:4 See Jeremiah 51:45.
(e)18:9 Literally when they see the smoke of her burning; also in verse 18
(f)18:14 Literally And:
(Isaiah 21:1–10)
1
After these things, I saw another angel coming down out of the sky, having great authority. The earth was illuminated with his glory.
2
He cried with a mighty voice, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, and she has become a habitation of demons, a prison of every unclean spirit, and a prison of every unclean and hated bird!
3
For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her sexual immorality, the kings of the earth committed sexual immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from the abundance of her luxury.”
4
I heard another voice from heaven, saying, “Come out of her, my people, that you have no participation in her sins, and that you don’t receive of her plagues,
5
for her sins have reached to the sky, and God has remembered her iniquities.
6
Return to her just as she returned, and repay her double as she did, and according to her works. In the cup which she mixed, mix to her double.
7
However much she glorified herself and grew wanton, so much give her of torment and mourning. For she says in her heart, ‘I sit a queen, and am no widow, and will in no way see mourning.’
8
Therefore in one day her plagues will come: death, mourning, and famine; and she will be utterly burned with fire, for the Lord God who has judged her is strong.

Lament over Babylon

9
The kings of the earth who committed sexual immorality and lived wantonly with her will weep and wail over her, when they look at the smoke of her burning,
10
standing far away for the fear of her torment, saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city! For your judgment has come in one hour.’
11
The merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise any more:
12
merchandise of gold, silver, precious stones, pearls, fine linen, purple, silk, scarlet, all expensive wood, every vessel of ivory, every vessel made of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble;
13
and cinnamon, incense, perfume, frankincense, wine, olive oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle, sheep, horses, chariots, and people’s bodies and souls.
14
The fruits which your soul lusted after have been lost to you. All things that were dainty and sumptuous have perished from you, and you will find them no more at all.
15
The merchants of these things, who were made rich by her, will stand far away for the fear of her torment, weeping and mourning,
16
saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, she who was dressed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls!
17
For in an hour such great riches are made desolate.’ Every ship master, and everyone who sails anywhere, and mariners, and as many as gain their living by sea, stood far away,
18
and cried out as they looked at the smoke of her burning, saying, ‘What is like the great city?’
19
They cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and mourning, saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, in which all who had their ships in the sea were made rich by reason of her great wealth!’ For she is made desolate in one hour.
20
Rejoice over her, O heaven, you saints, apostles, and prophets, for God has judged your judgment on her.”

The Doom of Babylon

21
A mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and cast it into the sea, saying, “Thus with violence will Babylon, the great city, be thrown down, and will be found no more at all.
22
The voice of harpists, minstrels, flute players, and trumpeters will be heard no more at all in you. No craftsman of whatever craft will be found any more at all in you. The sound of a mill will be heard no more at all in you.
23
The light of a lamp will shine no more at all in you. The voice of the bridegroom and of the bride will be heard no more at all in you, for your merchants were the princes of the earth; for with your sorcery all the nations were deceived.
24
In her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slain on the earth.”