Revelation 18:1-13

The Fall of Babylon

1 After this I saw n another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and o the earth was made bright with his glory.

2 And he called out with a mighty voice,
p "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great!
She has become q a dwelling place for demons,
a haunt r for every unclean spirit,
a haunt s for every unclean bird,
a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast.
 3 For all nations have drunk 1
t the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality,
and u the kings of the earth have committed immorality with her,
and v the merchants of the earth have grown rich from the power of her luxurious living."

4 Then I heard another voice from heaven saying,
w "Come out of her, my people,
lest you take part in her sins,
lest you share in her plagues;
 5 for x her sins are heaped high as heaven,
and y God has remembered her iniquities.
 6 z Pay her back as she herself has paid back others,
and repay her a double for her deeds;
mix a double portion for her b in the cup she mixed.
 7 c As she glorified herself and lived in luxury,
so give her a like measure of torment and mourning,
since in her heart she says,
d 'I sit as a queen,
I am no widow,
and mourning I shall never see.'
 8 For this reason her plagues will come e in a single day,
death and mourning and famine,
and f she will be burned up with fire;
for g mighty is the Lord God who has judged her."

9 And h the kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her, i will weep and wail over her j when they see the smoke of her burning.

10 k They will stand far off, in fear of her torment, and say,
"Alas! Alas! l You great city,
you mighty city, Babylon!
For m in a single hour your judgment has come."

11 And n the merchants of the earth weep and mourn for her, since no one buys their cargo anymore, 12 cargo of gold, silver, jewels, pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk, scarlet cloth, all kinds of scented wood, all kinds of articles of ivory, all kinds of articles of costly wood, bronze, iron and marble, 13 cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and slaves, that is, human souls. 2

  1. Cross References
    Revelation 17:1
    Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, "Come, I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute who is seated on many waters.
    Revelation 17:7
    But the angel said to me, "Why do you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman, and of the beast with seven heads and ten horns that carries her.
  2. Cross References
    Ezekiel 43:2
    And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the east. And the sound of his coming was like the sound of many waters, and the earth shone with his glory.
  3. Cross References
    Revelation 14:8
    Another angel, a second, followed, saying, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who made all nations drink the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality.
  4. Cross References
    Isaiah 13:21
    But wild animals will lie down there, and their houses will be full of howling creatures; there ostriches will dwell, and there wild goats will dance.
    Isaiah 34:14
    And wild animals shall meet with hyenas; the wild goat shall cry to his fellow; indeed, there the night bird settles and finds for herself a resting place.
    Jeremiah 50:39
    Therefore wild beasts shall dwell with hyenas in Babylon, and ostriches shall dwell in her. She shall never again have people, nor be inhabited for all generations.
    Jeremiah 51:37
    And Babylon shall become a heap of ruins, the haunt of jackals, a horror and a hissing, without inhabitant.
    Zephaniah 2:14 - 15
    Herds shall lie down in her midst, all kinds of beasts; even the owl and the hedgehog shall lodge in her capitals; a voice shall hoot in the window; devastation will be on the threshold; for her cedar work will be laid bare.
  5. Cross References
    Revelation 16:13
    And I saw, coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs.
  6. Cross References
    Isaiah 14:23
    And I will make it a possession of the hedgehog, and pools of water, and I will sweep it with the broom of destruction," declares the Lord of hosts.
    Isaiah 34:11
    But the hawk and the porcupine shall possess it, the owl and the raven shall dwell in it. He shall stretch the line of confusion over it, and the plumb line of emptiness.
  7. Cross References
    Revelation 14:8
    Another angel, a second, followed, saying, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who made all nations drink the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality.
  8. Cross References
    Revelation 18:9
    And the kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her, will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning.
    Revelation 17:2
    With whom the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality, and with the wine of whose sexual immorality the dwellers on earth have become drunk.
  9. Cross References
    Revelation 18:11
    And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn for her, since no one buys their cargo anymore.
    Revelation 18:15
    The merchants of these wares, who gained wealth from her, will stand far off, in fear of her torment, weeping and mourning aloud.
    Ezekiel 27:33
    When your wares came from the seas, you satisfied many peoples; with your abundant wealth and merchandise you enriched the kings of the earth.
  10. Cross References
    2 Corinthians 6:17
    Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you.
    Isaiah 48:20
    Go out from Babylon, flee from Chaldea, declare this with a shout of joy, proclaim it, send it out to the end of the earth; say, "The Lord has redeemed his servant Jacob!
  11. Cross References
    Jeremiah 51:9
    We would have healed Babylon, but she was not healed. Forsake her, and let us go each to his own country, for her judgment has reached up to heaven and has been lifted up even to the skies.
    Genesis 18:20 - 21
    Then the Lord said, "Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave.
    Ezra 9:6
    Saying: "O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift my face to you, my God, for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has mounted up to the heavens.
    Jonah 1:2
    "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me."
  12. Cross References
    Revelation 16:19
    The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell, and God remembered Babylon the great, to make her drain the cup of the wine of the fury of his wrath.
  13. Cross References
    Psalms 137:8
    O daughter of Babylon, doomed to be destroyed, blessed shall he be who repays you with what you have done to us!
    Jeremiah 50:15
    Raise a shout against her all around; she has surrendered; her bulwarks have fallen; her walls are thrown down. For this is the vengeance of the Lord : take vengeance on her; do to her as she has done.
    Jeremiah 50:29
    Summon archers against Babylon, all those who bend the bow. Encamp around her; let no one escape. Repay her according to her deeds; do to her according to all that she has done. For she has proudly defied the Lord, the Holy One of Israel.
    Jeremiah 51:24
    I will repay Babylon and all the inhabitants of Chaldea before your very eyes for all the evil that they have done in Zion, declares the Lord.
    Jeremiah 51:49
    Babylon must fall for the slain of Israel, just as for Babylon have fallen the slain of all the earth.
  14. Cross References
    Jeremiah 16:18
    But first I will doubly repay their iniquity and their sin, because they have polluted my land with the carcasses of their detestable idols, and have filled my inheritance with their abominations.
  15. Cross References
    Revelation 14:10
    He also will drink the wine of God's wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.
    Revelation 16:19
    The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell, and God remembered Babylon the great, to make her drain the cup of the wine of the fury of his wrath.
    Revelation 17:4
    The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality.
  16. Cross References
    Ezekiel 28:2 - 8
    Son of man, say to the prince of Tyre, Thus says the Lord God : "Because your heart is proud, and you have said, 'I am a god, I sit in the seat of the gods, in the heart of the seas,' yet you are but a man, and no god, though you make your heart like the heart of a god -
  17. Cross References
    Isaiah 47:7 - 8
    You said, "I shall be mistress forever," so that you did not lay these things to heart or remember their end.
    Zephaniah 2:15
    This is the exultant city that lived securely, that said in her heart, "I am, and there is no one else." What a desolation she has become, a lair for wild beasts! Everyone who passes by her hisses and shakes his fist.
    Revelation 3:17
    For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.
  18. Cross References
    Isaiah 47:9
    These two things shall come to you in a moment, in one day; the loss of children and widowhood shall come upon you in full measure, in spite of your many sorceries and the great power of your enchantments.
    Revelation 18:10
    They will stand far off, in fear of her torment, and say, "Alas! Alas! You great city, you mighty city, Babylon! For in a single hour your judgment has come.
  19. Cross References
    Revelation 17:16
    And the ten horns that you saw, they and the beast will hate the prostitute. They will make her desolate and naked, and devour her flesh and burn her up with fire.
  20. Cross References
    Jeremiah 50:34
    Their Redeemer is strong; the Lord of hosts is his name. He will surely plead their cause, that he may give rest to the earth, but unrest to the inhabitants of Babylon.
  21. Cross References
    Revelation 18:3
    For all nations have drunk the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown rich from the power of her luxurious living.
    Revelation 17:2
    With whom the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality, and with the wine of whose sexual immorality the dwellers on earth have become drunk.
    Ezekiel 26:16 - 17
    Then all the princes of the sea will step down from their thrones and remove their robes and strip off their embroidered garments. They will clothe themselves with trembling; they will sit on the ground and tremble every moment and be appalled at you.
  22. Cross References
    Jeremiah 50:46
    At the sound of the capture of Babylon the earth shall tremble, and her cry shall be heard among the nations.
  23. Cross References
    Revelation 18:18
    And cried out as they saw the smoke of her burning, "What city was like the great city?
    Revelation 19:3
    Once more they cried out, "Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up forever and ever.
  24. Cross References
    Revelation 18:15
    The merchants of these wares, who gained wealth from her, will stand far off, in fear of her torment, weeping and mourning aloud.
    Revelation 18:17
    For in a single hour all this wealth has been laid waste." And all shipmasters and seafaring men, sailors and all whose trade is on the sea, stood far off
  25. Cross References
    Revelation 14:8
    Another angel, a second, followed, saying, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who made all nations drink the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality.
  26. Cross References
    Revelation 18:17
    For in a single hour all this wealth has been laid waste." And all shipmasters and seafaring men, sailors and all whose trade is on the sea, stood far off
    Revelation 18:19
    And they threw dust on their heads as they wept and mourned, crying out, "Alas, alas, for the great city where all who had ships at sea grew rich by her wealth! For in a single hour she has been laid waste.
    Revelation 18:8
    For this reason her plagues will come in a single day, death and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for mighty is the Lord God who has judged her.
  27. Cross References
    Revelation 18:3
    For all nations have drunk the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown rich from the power of her luxurious living.
    Revelation 18:15
    The merchants of these wares, who gained wealth from her, will stand far off, in fear of her torment, weeping and mourning aloud.
    Ezekiel 27:36
    The merchants among the peoples hiss at you; you have come to a dreadful end and shall be no more forever.'
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.