18 After all that, I saw another messenger coming down from heaven. He had been given great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his radiance. 2 He called out in a loud voice, saying, “The mighty Babylon has fallen and become a place for demons to live, and a prison for evil spirits and for every kind of scavenging and detestable bird.[fn][ref] 3 All the nations have participated in her immoral passions, and the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have become wealthy from the power of her luxury.”[ref]

4 Then I heard someone else from heaven saying,[ref]

“Come out from her, my people,

so that you won’t participate in her sins

and so that you won’t be on the receiving end of the plagues intended for her,

5 because her pile of sins has reached up to heaven,[ref]

so God has noticed her wickedness.

6 Pay her back in the way she’s treated others,[ref]

pay her back double for what she’s done.

Mix a double portion for her in her own cup.

7 As much as she thought highly of herself and lived in luxury,[ref]

give her just as much torture and grief.

Because she tells herself

‘I sit like a queen,

I’m not a widow and will never have to grieve.’

8 Because of that, her plagues will suddenly arrive one day,

death and grief and famine.

She’ll be burnt up by fire,

because it’s the powerful master God who has judged her.”

9 The kings of the earth that had committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her, will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning.[ref] 10 In their fear they’ll stand back at a distance and say,

“The famous city’s end won’t be good,

the powerful city of Babylon.

Because your judgment has come all at once.”

11 The merchants on the earth will weep and mourn for her, because no one buys their goods anymore—[ref] 12 gold and silver, precious stones and pearls, fine linen and purple cloth and silk and scarlet cloth, expensive wood and carved ivory containers and every kind of container made from the costliest wood and bronze and iron and marble,[ref] 13 cinnamon and spice, incense and myrrh and frankincense, wine and oil and fine flour and wheat, cattle and sheep and horses, and chariots and slaves and people’s souls. 14 People will say, “The good things the people of Babylon longed to have are gone. Their splendid and luxurious goods have been destroyed and won’t become available again.” 15 The merchants who became rich selling those things will stand at a distance from her because of the fear of becoming included in her torment, weeping and mourning,[ref] 16 saying, “That famous city that used to dress in fine linen and scarlet and be adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls has come to a bad end 17 because so much wealth was destroyed in a single hour.”[ref]

Every captain of a ship, and all the passengers and sailors and others who work on the ocean will keep far away from the city 18 and when they see the smoke from the burning city they’ll call out, “No other city has even been so awesome.”[ref] 19 Then they’ll throw dust on their heads (a Hebrew sign of mourning) and weep and mourn and cry out, “That incredible city where every ship owner became wealthy from valuable trade with her—she’s been destroyed in a single hour.”[ref]

20 You in heaven celebrate, and also you believers and missionaries and prophets, because God has judged the city on your behalf.[ref]

21 Then a powerful messenger picked up a stone the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “The famous city of Babylon will be violently thrown down just like that stone, and she’ll definitely never be seen again.[ref] 22 The sounds of harpists and musicians and flutists and trumpeters will definitely never be heard in you again, and no more craftsmen will be seen in you, and the sound of grain being ground into flour will never be heard in you again.[ref] 23 There definitely won’t be any more lamps illuminating you, nor will there be any more happy wedding sounds. Your merchants were the best in the world because all the nations were deceived by your witchcraft.

24 The blood of the prophets and the believers and all the others who’ve been murdered can be found in that city.”[ref]

19 After all that, I heard what sounded like a huge crowd in heaven, calling out, “Praise Yahweh—he’s saved us and all honour and power belong to him 2 because his judgements are true and honest. He’s judged the famous prostitute who was corrupting the earth with her sexual immorality, and he’s avenged her for the murder of his slaves.”[ref] 3 Then the crowd called out again, “Praise Yahweh. The smoke from her burning will keep rising throughout the ages.”[ref] 4 Then the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures knelt down and worshipped God, the one sitting on the throne, saying, “May it be so. Praise Yahweh.”