Babylon is Destroyed

¹After these things I saw another angel, who possessed great authority, coming down out of heaven, and the earth was lit up by his radiance.[#tn Grk “glory”; but often in the sense of splendor, brightness, or radiance (see L&N 14.49).]

²He shouted with a powerful voice:[#tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style]

“Fallen, fallen, is Babylon the great!

She has become a lair for demons,

a haunt for every unclean spirit,

a haunt for every unclean bird,

a haunt for every unclean and detested beast.

³For all the nations have fallen from[#tn Or “all the Gentiles” (the same Greek word may be translated “Gentiles” or “nations”).; #tc ‡ Several mss (א A C 1006* 1611 1841 2030 ÏK), including the best witnesses, read “have fallen” (πεπτώκασιν or πέπτωκαν [peptwkasin or peptwkan]). The singular πέπτωκεν (peptwken), which is better grammatically with the neuter plural subject πάντα τὰ ἔθνη (panta ta eqnh, “all the nations”), is read by 1854 2062 pc; 2042 pc read πεπότικεν (pepotiken). A few mss (1006c 2329 pc latt syh) read “have drunk” (πέπωκαν/πεπώκασιν, pepwkan/pepwkasin); the singular πέπωκεν (pepwken) is read by P 051 1 2053* al. The more difficult reading and that which has the best ms support is “have fallen.” That it is not too difficult is evidenced by the fact that the great majority of Byzantine minuscules, which have a tendency to smooth out problems, left it stand as is. Nonetheless, it is somewhat difficult (TCGNT 683 says that this reading is “scarcely suitable in the context”), and for that reason certain mss seem to have changed it to “have drunk” to agree with the idea of “wine” (οἴνου, oinou). One can understand how this could happen: A scribe coming to the text and seeing the term “wine” expects a verb of drinking. When he sees “have fallen” and knows that in Greek the verbs “have fallen” and “have drunk” are spelled similarly, he concludes that there has been a slip of the pen in the ms he is using, which he then seeks to correct back to the “have drunk” reading. This appears to be more reasonable than to conclude that three early uncials (i.e., א A C) as well as a great number of other witnesses all felt the need to change “have drunk” (πέπωκαν) to “have fallen” (πέπτωκαν), even if “fallen” occurs in the immediate context (“fallen, fallen, [ἔπεσεν ἔπεσεν, epesen epesen] Babylon the great” in the preceding verse). The preferred reading, on both external and internal grounds, is “have fallen,” and thus the Seer intends to focus on the effects of wine, namely, a drunken stupor.]

the wine of her immoral passion,

and the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality with her,

and the merchants of the earth have gotten rich from the power of her sensual behavior.”

⁴Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, so you will not take part in her sins and so you will not receive her plagues,[#tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.]

⁵because her sins have piled up all the way to heaven and God has remembered her crimes.[#tn On ἐκολλήθησαν (ekollhqhsan) BDAG 556 s.v. κολλάω 2.a.β states, “fig. cling to = come in close contact with (cp. Ps 21:16; 43:26 ἐκολλήθη εἰς γῆν ἡ γαστὴρ ἡμῶν. The act.=‘bring into contact’ PGM 5, 457 κολλήσας τ. λίθον τῷ ὠτίῳ) ἐκολλήθησαν αἱ ἁμαρτίαι ἄχρι τ. οὐρανοῦ the sins have touched the heaven = reached the sky (two exprs. are telescoped) Rv 18:5.”; #tn Or “up to the sky” (the same Greek word means both “heaven” and “sky”).; #tn That is, remembered her sins to execute judgment on them.; #tn Or “her sins.”]

⁶Repay her the same way she repaid others; pay her back double corresponding to her deeds. In the cup she mixed, mix double the amount for her.[#tn The word “others” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.; #tn On this term BDAG 252 s.v. διπλόω states, “to double τὰ διπλᾶ pay back double Rv 18:6.”]

⁷As much as she exalted herself and lived in sensual luxury, to this extent give her torment and grief because she said to herself, ‘I rule as queen and am no widow; I will never experience grief!’[#tn “As much as” is the translation of ὅσα (Josa).; #tn On the term ἐστρηνίασεν (estrhniasen) BDAG 949 s.v. στρηνιάω states, “live in luxury, live sensually Rv 18:7. W. πορνεύειν vs. 9.”; #tn Grk “said in her heart,” an idiom for saying something to oneself.]

⁸For this reason, she will experience her plagues in a single day: disease, mourning, and famine, and she will be burned down with fire, because the Lord God who judges her is powerful!”[#tn Grk “For this reason, her plagues will come.”; #tn Grk “death.” θάνατος (qanatos) can in particular contexts refer to a manner of death, specifically a contagious disease (see BDAG 443 s.v. 3; L&N 23.158).; #tn This is the same Greek word (πένθος, penqo") translated “grief” in vv. 7-8.; #tn Here “burned down” was used to translate κατακαυθήσεται (katakauqhsetai) because a city is in view.]

⁹Then the kings of the earth who committed immoral acts with her and lived in sensual luxury with her will weep and wail for her when they see the smoke from the fire that burns her up.[#tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.; #tn On the term ἐστρηνίασεν (estrhniasen) BDAG 949 s.v. στρηνιάω states, “live in luxury, live sensually Rv 18:7. W. πορνεύειν vs. 9.”; #tn Grk “from the burning of her.” For the translation “the smoke from the fire that burns her up,” see L&N 14.63.]

¹⁰They will stand a long way off because they are afraid of her torment, and will say,

“Woe, woe, O great city,

Babylon the powerful city!

For in a single hour your doom has come!”

¹¹Then the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn for her because no one buys their cargo any longer –[#tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.; #tn On γόμος (gomos) BDAG 205 s.v. states, “load, freight…cargo of a ship…Ac 21:3. W. gen. of the owner Rv 18:11. W. gen. of content…γ. χρυσοῦ a cargo of gold vs. 12.”]

¹²cargo such as gold, silver, precious stones, pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk, scarlet cloth, all sorts of things made of citron wood, all sorts of objects made of ivory, all sorts of things made of expensive wood, bronze, iron and marble,[#tn Grk “and silver,” but καί (kai) has not been translated before most of these terms since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more; #tn On this term BDAG 924-25 s.v. σιρικός states, “per. to silk from Ser, subst. τὸ σιρικόν silk cloth or garments w. other costly materials Rv 18:12.”; #tn On the translation of κόκκινον (kokkinon) as “scarlet cloth” see L&N 6.170.; #tn On the phrase πᾶν ξύλον θύϊνον (pan xulon quinon) L&N 3.63 states, “pertaining to being made or consisting of citron wood (that is, from a citron tree) – ‘of citron wood.’ καὶ πᾶν ξύλον θύϊνον καὶ πᾶν σκεῦος ἐλεφάντινον ‘and all kinds of things made of citron wood and all kinds of objects made of ivory’ Re 18:12. The citron tree belongs to the citrus family of plants, and it produces a pale yellow fruit somewhat larger than a lemon, the rind of which is often candied. In Re 18:12, however, the focus is upon the fine quality of the wood.”]

¹³cinnamon, spice, incense, perfumed ointment, frankincense, wine, olive oil and costly flour, wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and four-wheeled carriages, slaves and human lives.[#tn On the term ἄμωμον (amwmon) L&N 5.23 states, “a generic term for any kind of spice, though often a specific reference to amomum, an Indian type of spice – ‘spice, amomum.’ κιννάμωμον καὶ ἄμωμον καὶ θυμιάματα ‘cinnamon and spice and incense’ Re 18:13. In most translations ἄμωμον is interpreted as spice in general.”; #tn Or “myrrh,” a strong aromatic ointment often used to prepare a body for burial (L&N 6.205).; #tn The Greek term λίβανος (libano") refers to the aromatic resin of a certain type of tree (L&N 6.212).; #tn On σεμίδαλις (semidali") L&N 5.10 states, “a fine grade of wheat flour – ‘fine flour.’ οἶνον καὶ ἔλαιον καὶ σεμίδαλιν καὶ σῖτον ‘wine and oil and fine flour and wheat’ Re 18:13. In some languages ‘fine flour’ may be best expressed as ‘expensive flour.’ Such a rendering fits well the context of Re 18:13.”; #tn Or “and wagons.” On the term ῥέδη (rJedh) see L&N 6.53: “a four-wheeled carriage or wagon used for travel or the transportation of loads – ‘carriage, wagon.’ The term ῥέδη occurs only in Re 18:13 in a list of products bought and sold by merchants.”; #tn Grk “and bodies and souls of men.” This could be understood (1) as a hendiadys (two things mentioned = one thing meant), referring only to slave trade; (2) it could be referring to two somewhat different concepts: slavery (bodies) and the cheapness of human life – some of the items earlier in the list of merchandise were to be obtained only at great cost of human life; or (3) a somewhat related idea, that the trade is in not just physical bodies (slavery) but human souls (people whose lives are destroyed through this trade).]

¹⁴(The ripe fruit you greatly desired[#tn On ὀπώρα (opwra) L&N 3.34 states, “ἡ ὀπώρα σου τῆς ἐπιθυμίας τῆς ψυχῆς ‘the ripe fruit for which you longed’ Re 18:14. In this one occurrence of ὀπώρα in the NT, ‘ripe fruit’ is to be understood in a figurative sense of ‘good things.’”; #tn Grk “you desired in your soul.”]

has gone from you,

and all your luxury and splendor

have gone from you –

they will never ever be found again!)

¹⁵The merchants who sold these things, who got rich from her, will stand a long way off because they are afraid of her torment. They will weep and mourn,[#tn Grk “the merchants [sellers] of these things.”; #tn Grk “her torment, weeping.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started in the translation by supplying the words “They will” here.]

¹⁶saying,

“Woe, woe, O great city –

dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet clothing,

and adorned with gold, precious stones, and pearls –

¹⁷because in a single hour such great wealth has been destroyed!”[#tn On ἠρημώθη (hrhmwqh) L&N 20.41 states, “to suffer destruction, with the implication of being deserted and abandoned – ‘to be destroyed, to suffer destruction, to suffer desolation.’ ἐρημόομαι: μιᾷ ὥρᾳ ἠρημώθη ὁ τοσοῦτος πλοῦτος ‘such great wealth has been destroyed within a single hour’ Re 18:17.”]

And every ship’s captain, and all who sail along the coast – seamen, and all who make their living from the sea, stood a long way off

¹⁸and began to shout when they saw the smoke from the fire that burned her up, “Who is like the great city?”[#tn Here the imperfect ἔκραζον (ekrazon) has been translated ingressively.; #tn Grk “from the burning of her, saying.” For the translation “the smoke from the fire that burned her up,” see L&N 14.63. Here the participle λέγοντες (legontes, “saying”) has not been translated because it is redundant in contemporary English.]

¹⁹And they threw dust on their heads and were shouting with weeping and mourning,[#tn Grk “with weeping and mourning, saying.” Here the participle λέγοντες (legontes) has not been translated because it is redundant in contemporary English.]

“Woe, Woe, O great city –

in which all those who had ships on the sea got rich from her wealth –

because in a single hour she has been destroyed!”

²⁰(Rejoice over her, O heaven,

and you saints and apostles and prophets,

for God has pronounced judgment against her on your behalf!)

²¹Then one powerful angel picked up a stone like a huge millstone, threw it into the sea, and said,[#tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.]

“With this kind of sudden violent force

Babylon the great city will be thrown down

and it will never be found again!

²²And the sound of the harpists, musicians,

flute players, and trumpeters

will never be heard in you again.

No craftsman who practices any trade

will ever be found in you again;

the noise of a mill will never be heard in you again.

²³Even the light from a lamp

will never shine in you again!

The voices of the bridegroom and his bride

will never be heard in you again.

For your merchants were the tycoons of the world,

because all the nations were deceived by your magic spells!

²⁴The blood of the saints and prophets was found in her,[#tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.; #tn The shift in pronouns from second to third person corresponds to the Greek text.]

along with the blood of all those who had been killed on the earth.”