Revelation 18 : Easy-to-Read Version
Babylon Is Destroyed
18 1Then I saw another angel coming down from heaven. This angel had much power. The angel's glory made the earth bright. 2The angel shouted with a powerful voice: "She is destroyed! The great city of Babylon is destroyed! She (Babylon) has become a home for demons.* That city has become a place for every unclean spirit to live. She has become a city filled with all kinds of unclean birds. She has become a city for every unclean and hated animal. 3All the peoples of the earth have drunk the wine of her sexual sin and of [God's] anger. The rulers of the earth sinned sexually with her, and the merchants* of the world grew rich from the great wealth of her luxury." 4Then I heard another voice from heaven say: "Come out of that city, my people, so that you will not share in her sins. Then you will not get any of the bad things that will happen to her. 5That city's sins are piled up as high as heaven. God has not forgotten the wrong things she has done. 6Give that city the same as she gave to others. Pay her back twice as much as she did. Prepare wine for her that is twice as strong as the wine she prepared for others. 7She (Babylon) gave herself much glory and rich living. Give her that much suffering and sadness. She says to herself, 'I am a queen sitting [on my throne]. I am not a widow*; I will never be sad.' 8So these bad things will come to her in one day: death, sad crying, and great hunger. She will be destroyed by fire, because the Lord God who judges her is powerful. 9"The rulers of the earth who sinned sexually with her (Babylon) and shared her wealth will see the smoke from her burning. Then those rulers will cry and be sad because of her [death]. 10The rulers will be afraid of her suffering and stand far away. The rulers will say: 'Terrible! How terrible, O great city, O powerful city of Babylon! Your punishment came in one hour!' 11"And the merchants* of the earth will cry and be sad for her (Babylon). They will be sad because now there is no one to buy the things they sell. 12They sell gold, silver, jewels, pearls, fine linen cloth, purple cloth, silk, and scarlet cloth, all kinds of citron wood, and all kinds of things made from ivory, expensive wood, bronze, iron, and marble. 13Those merchants also sell cinnamon, spice, incense, frankincense, myrrh, wine, and olive oil; fine flour, wheat, cattle, sheep, horses, carriages, and the bodies and souls of men. [The merchants will cry and say:] 14'[O Babylon,] the good things you wanted are gone from you. All your rich and fancy things have disappeared. You will never have those things again.' 15"The merchants* will be afraid of her suffering and stand far away from her (Babylon). These are the people who became rich from selling those things to her. The people will cry and be sad. 16They will say: 'Terrible! How terrible for the great city! She was dressed in fine linen; she wore purple and scarlet cloth. She was shining with gold, jewels, and pearls! 17All these riches have been destroyed in one hour!' "Every sea captain, all the people who travel on ships, the sailors, and all the people who earn money from the sea stood far away from Babylon. 18They saw the smoke from her burning. They said loudly, 'There was never a city like this great city!' 19They threw dust on their heads. They cried and were sad. They said loudly: 'Terrible! How terrible for the great city! All the people who had ships on the sea became rich because of her wealth! But she has been destroyed in one hour! 20Be happy because of this, O heaven! Be happy, God's holy people* and apostles* and prophets*! God has punished her because of the things she did to you.'" 21Then a powerful angel picked up a large rock. This rock was as big as a large millstone.* The angel threw the rock into the sea and said: "That is how the great city of Babylon will be thrown down. That city will never be found again. 22The music of people playing harps* and other instruments, flutes and trumpets, will never be heard in you again. No workman doing any job will ever be found in you again. The sound of a millstone* will never be heard in you again. 23The light of a lamp will never shine in you again. The voices of a bridegroom* and bride will never be heard in you again. Your merchants* were the world's great people. All the nations were tricked by your magic. 24She (Babylon) is guilty of the blood (death) of the prophets,* of God's holy people,* and of all the people who have been killed on earth."
demon(s) Demons are evil spirits from the devil. merchants People who earn their living by buying and selling things. widow A widow is a woman whose husband has died. holy people God's people are called holy because they are made pure through Christ, and they belong only to God. apostles The men Jesus chose to be his special helpers. prophets People that spoke for God. millstone A large, round stone used for grinding grain. harp A musical instrument with strings. bridegroom A man ready to be married.