Revelation 18:1-24 - Lament Over Babylon The Great

¹ After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven. He had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendor. ² And he called out with a loud voice, saying, "Fallen! The great Babylon has fallen, and has become a place where demons live, and a haunt for every evil spirit and every filthy and obnoxious bird {{Some ancient manuscripts add "and every filthy and obnoxious animal"}}. ³ For all the nations have drunk [or, "have been forced to drink"] the wine of her passionate sexual immorality [See 14:8], and the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality with her and the [retail] merchants of the earth became rich from her excessive luxury."

⁴ Then I heard another voice from heaven, saying, "Come out of her, my people, so that you do not share in her sins, and so that you do not receive her plagues [i.e., judgments]. ⁵ For her sins have piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her evil deeds. ⁶ Give back to her the way [i.e., the kind of treatment] she has given back [to others], and repay her double for what she has done. Mix a double dose for her from her own cup. ⁷ Cause her as much torment and sorrow as she gave herself honor and luxurious living. For she is saying to herself, 'I sit as a queen; I am not a widow and I will never suffer grief.' ⁸ So, all at once her plagues [i.e., judgments] will fall upon her. [They will be] death and grief and famine. And she will be burned up with fire, for the Lord God who judges her, is mighty.

⁹ And the kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality with her, and indulged in luxurious living with her, will cry and mourn over her when they see the smoke of her burning [i.e., the city of Babylon. See verse 2]. ¹⁰ They will stand far away, out of fear over her torment [Note: They will keep their distance for fear of becoming involved in the torment themselves], saying, 'It is too bad for the great, strong city of Babylon! Your judgment has come in a single hour.'

¹¹ "And the [wholesale] merchants of the earth cry and mourn over her, for no one buys their cargoes [of goods] anymore: ¹² goods made of gold, silver, precious stones, pearls, expensive linen, purple [cloth], silk and scarlet [cloth]. [No one buys their] scented wood products, their articles made from ivory and expensive woods [i.e., furniture], their articles of brass, iron and marble. ¹³ [No one buys their] cinnamon, spices, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, [olive] oil, flour and wheat. [No one buys their] cattle, sheep, horses, wagons, or the bodies and souls [i.e., the very lives] of people [i.e., slaves used for all purposes].

¹⁴ "The [late summer] fruit that you [i.e., the people of Babylon] longed for is gone from you, and all of your luxurious and glamorous things have vanished from you, never to be found again.

¹⁵ The store owners who sold these things and were made wealthy from her [i.e., from the prosperous trade with Babylon] will stand far away, out of fear over her [See verse 10], crying and mourning, ¹⁶ saying, 'It is too bad for the great city that was dressed in expensive linen and purple and scarlet [clothing], and that was adorned with gold, precious stones and pearl [jewelry]! ¹⁷ For in a single hour [all] such great wealth was wasted.' Then all the ships' captains [Note: This word is literally "pilots"], passengers, crewmen and others who work in the maritime shipping industry stood at a distance ¹⁸ and called out as they watched the smoke of the burning [city], 'What city was ever as great as this one?' ¹⁹ And they threw dust on their heads, and lamented and cried out loud, saying, 'It is too bad for the great city, from which all ocean shipping companies got rich on her wealth! For in a single hour she was wasted. ²⁰ Be glad, heaven, and you saints, and you apostles, and you prophets, for God has brought judgment on her for you [i.e., for the way she treated you].'"

²¹ Then a mighty angel picked up a rock the size of a huge millstone and threw it into the ocean, saying, "This is how the great city of Babylon will be violently thrown down and will never be found again. ²² And the sound of harp-players and musicians and flute-players and trumpet-players will never be heard in you again. And no workers of any trade will be found in you again, and the sound of a [flour] mill [grinding] will never be heard in you again. ²³ And the light of a lamp will never shine in you again. And the voices of the groom and bride will never be heard in you again. For your [retail] merchants were the great men of the earth, and all the nations were deceived by your sorceries. ²⁴ And the blood of the prophets and the saints and all [others] who were killed on earth was found in her."