Revelation
Chapter 18
1 After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven with great power, and the earth shone with his brightness.
2 He shouted loudly, “Great Babylon has fallen and is now a place for demons, a prison for every bad spirit, and a cage for every dirty and hated bird.”
3 All countries have tasted the anger from her bad actions, and earth’s rulers were bad with her, and the traders became wealthy from her many luxuries.
4 I heard a voice from heaven say, “Leave that place, my people, so you won’t share in its sins and suffer from its troubles.”
5 Her sins have piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her wrongs.
6 Pay her back just as she has paid others, and give her twice as much as she did, based on her actions: in the cup she filled, give her twice as much.
7 She has made herself important and enjoyed fine things, so give her the same in pain and sadness, because she thinks, ‘I am a queen, I am not alone, and I will never be sad.’
8 Her disasters will happen in one day—death, sadness, and hunger. She will be completely burned with fire because God who judges her is powerful.
9 The rulers of the world, who sinned sexually and enjoyed luxury with her, will cry and mourn for her when they see the smoke from her burning.
10 Watching from far away, scared of her suffering, they cried, “Oh no, oh no, the big city Babylon, the strong city! For in just one hour, your punishment has come.”
11 The traders of the world will cry and be sad for her; because no one buys their goods anymore.
12 The goods of gold, silver, precious stones, pearls, fine cloth, purple fabric, silk, red cloth, all types of thyine wood items, all kinds of ivory items, all kinds of very valuable wood items, as well as those of brass, iron, and marble.
13 Cinnamon, scents, creams, incense, wine, oil, good flour, wheat, animals, sheep, horses, carts, slaves, and people’s lives.
14 The things you really wanted are gone from you, and all the fine and wonderful things have left you, and you will never find them again.
15 The sellers of these goods, who got rich through her, will stand far away because they are afraid of her suffering, crying and mourning.
16 They said, “How sad, how sad for that great city dressed in fine linen, purple, and red, decorated with gold, precious stones, and pearls!”
17 In one hour, such great wealth has turned to nothing. And every captain, all the ship crews, sailors, and everyone who sails the seas, stood far away.
18 They cried as they saw the smoke from her burning, asking, “What city is as great as this city?”
19 They threw dust on their heads, crying and mourning, saying, “How sad, how sad for that great city where everyone with ships at sea got rich from her wealth! In just one hour she has been ruined.”
20 Be happy, heaven, and all you holy messengers and prophets, because God has punished her for what she did to you.
21 A powerful angel picked up a big rock like a huge grinding stone and threw it into the ocean, saying, “This is how the great city Babylon will be violently thrown down, never to be found again.”
22 The sounds of harp players, musicians, flute players, and trumpet players will not be heard in you anymore; no worker of any trade will be found in you anymore; and the noise of a millstone will not be heard in you anymore.
23 Candles will not shine in you anymore; no one will hear the bride or groom’s voice in you again. Your traders were powerful on earth; your magic tricks fooled all countries.
24 In her, people found the blood of prophets, holy people, and everyone killed on earth.