Revelation 18
Expanded Bible
Babylon Is Destroyed
18 After ·the vision of these things [L these things], I saw another angel coming down from heaven. This angel had great ·power [authority], and his ·glory [splendor] ·made the earth bright [illumined the earth]. 2 He ·shouted [cried out] in a ·powerful [mighty; strong] voice:
“·Ruined, ruined [L Fallen, fallen] is ·the great city of Babylon [L Babylon the great]!
She has become a ·home [haunt; dwelling place] for demons
and a ·prison [or haunt] for every ·evil [L unclean] spirit,
and a ·prison [or haunt] for every unclean bird and unclean beast.
3 She has ·been ruined [fallen], because all the ·peoples [nations] of the earth
have ·drunk [some manuscripts read “have fallen from”] the wine of the ·desire [passion] of her ·sexual sin [promiscuity; fornication; 14:8; 17:2].
She has been ruined also because the kings of the earth
have ·sinned sexually [fornicated] with her,
and the merchants of the earth
have grown rich from the ·great wealth [power] of her ·luxury [sensuality].”
4 Then I heard another voice from heaven saying:
“Come out of that city, my people,
so that you will not share in her sins,
so that you will not receive ·the disasters that will come to her [L her plagues; Gen. 19:15, 17].
5 [L Because] Her sins have ·piled up [heaped; reached] as high as ·the sky [heaven],
and God has ·not forgotten [remembered] ·the wrongs she has done [her crimes; her sins].
6 ·Give [Pay back] that city the same as she ·gave to [paid] others.
Pay her back ·twice as much as [double what] she did.
·Prepare wine for her that is twice as strong
as the wine she prepared for others [L In the cup she mixed, mix double for her; 14:8].
7 She gave herself much glory and ·rich living [sensual luxury].
Give her that much ·suffering [torment; torture] and ·sadness [grief; mourning].
She says ·to herself [L in her heart], ‘I am a queen sitting on my throne.
I am not a widow; I will never ·be sad [know grief; mourn].’
8 So these ·disasters [plagues] will come to her in one day:
death, and ·crying [sadness; grief; mourning], and ·great hunger [famine],
and she will be ·destroyed [consumed; burned up] by fire,
because the Lord God who judges her is ·powerful [strong].”
9 The kings of the earth who ·sinned sexually [fornicated] with her and ·shared her wealth [lived in luxury/sensuality with her] will see the smoke from her burning. Then they will ·cry [weep] and ·be sad [mourn] because of her death. 10 They will be afraid of her ·suffering [torment; torture] and stand far away and say:
“·Terrible! How terrible for you [L Woe, woe; 8:13], great city,
·powerful [strong; mighty] city of Babylon,
because your ·punishment [judgment; doom] has come ·in one hour [suddenly]!”
11 And the merchants of the earth will ·cry [weep] and be sad about her, because now there is no one to buy their cargoes— 12 cargoes of gold, silver, ·jewels [precious stones], pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk, ·red [scarlet] cloth; all kinds of citron wood and all kinds of things made from ivory, expensive wood, bronze, iron, and marble; 13 [and cargoes of] cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, olive oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle, sheep, horses, carriages [wagons], ·slaves, and human lives [L bodies and human souls].
14 The merchants will say [C implied by the context],
“Babylon, the ·good things [L fruit] you ·wanted [desired; longed for] are gone from you.
All your ·rich [expensive; luxurious] and ·fancy [glamorous; L shining] things have disappeared.
You will never ·have [find] them again.”
15 The merchants [L of these things] who became rich ·from selling to her [L from her] will be afraid of her ·suffering [torment; torture] and will stand far away. They will ·cry [weep] and ·be sad [mourn] 16 and say:
“·Terrible! How terrible [L Woe, woe; 8:13] for the great city!
She was dressed in fine linen, purple and ·red [scarlet] cloth,
and she was ·shining [glittering; adorned] with gold, precious jewels, and pearls [17:4]!
17 All these riches have been ·destroyed [made desolate] in one hour [C suddenly or in a short time]!”
Every sea captain, every passenger, the sailors, and all those who ·earn their living from [trade; work on] the sea stood far away from Babylon. 18 As they saw the smoke from her burning, they cried out loudly, “·There was never a city [What city was…?] like this great city!” 19 And they threw dust on their heads [C a ritual of mourning] and cried out, weeping and ·being sad [mourning]. They said:
“·Terrible! How terrible [L Woe, woe] for the great city!
[L In which] All the people who had ships on the sea
became rich because of her wealth!
But she has been ·destroyed [made desolate] in one hour [C suddenly or in a short time]!
20 ·Be happy [rejoice] ·because of this [L over her], heaven!
·Be happy [Rejoice], ·God’s holy people [T saints] and apostles and prophets!
[L For] God has ·punished [judged] her ·because of what she did to you [or on your behalf; or for the judgment/punishment she imposed on you].”
21 Then a ·powerful [strong; mighty] angel picked up a large stone, like ·one used for grinding grain [a millstone], and threw it into the sea [Jer. 51:63–64]. He said:
“In the same way, the great city of Babylon will be thrown down [with violence],
and it will never be found again.
22 The ·music [L sound] of ·people playing harps [harpists] and ·other instruments [musicians; singers], ·flutes [flutists], and ·trumpets [trumpeters],
will never be heard in you again.
No ·workman [craftsman] doing any ·job [trade]
will ever be found in you again.
The sound of ·grinding grain [the millstone]
will never be heard in you again.
23 The light of a lamp
will never shine in you again,
and the voices of a bridegroom and bride
will never be heard in you again.
[L For; Because] Your merchants were the world’s great people,
and all the nations were ·tricked [deceived; led astray] by your ·magic [sorcery].
24 ·You are guilty of the death of the prophets and God’s holy people [L In you was found the blood of the prophets and the saints]
and all who have been ·killed [slaughtered; slain] on earth.”
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
