Revelation 17; Revelation 18; Revelation 19

Revelation 17

1 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke to me. He said, "Come, and I will show you the punishment that will be given to the great prostitute, the one sitting over many waters.

2 The kings of the earth sinned sexually with her, and the people of the earth became drunk from the wine of her sexual sin."

3 Then the angel carried me away by the Spirit to the desert. There I saw a woman sitting on a red beast. It was covered with names against God written on it, and it had seven heads and ten horns.

4 The woman was dressed in purple and red and was shining with the gold, precious jewels, and pearls she was wearing. She had a golden cup in her hand, a cup filled with evil things and the uncleanness of her sexual sin.

5 On her forehead a title was written that was secret. This is what was written: the great babylon mother of prostitutes and of the evil things of the earth

6 Then I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God's holy people and with the blood of those who were killed because of their faith in Jesus. When I saw the woman, I was very amazed.

7 Then the angel said to me, "Why are you amazed? I will tell you the secret of this woman and the beast she rides -- the one with seven heads and ten horns.

8 The beast you saw was once alive but is not alive now. But soon it will come up out of the bottomless pit and go away to be destroyed. There are people who live on earth whose names have not been written in the book of life since the beginning of the world. They will be amazed when they see the beast, because he was once alive, is not alive now, but will come again.

9 "You need a wise mind to understand this. The seven heads on the beast are seven mountains where the woman sits.

10 And they are seven kings. Five of the kings have already been destroyed, one of the kings lives now, and another has not yet come. When he comes, he must stay a short time.

11 The beast that was once alive, but is not alive now, is also an eighth king. He belongs to the first seven kings, and he will go away to be destroyed.

12 "The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet begun to rule, but they will receive power to rule with the beast for one hour.

13 All ten of these kings have the same purpose, and they will give their power and authority to the beast.

14 They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will defeat them, because he is Lord of lords and King of kings. He will defeat them with his called, chosen, and faithful followers."

15 Then the angel said to me, "The waters that you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, races, nations, and languages.

16 The ten horns and the beast you saw will hate the prostitute. They will take everything she has and leave her naked. They will eat her body and burn her with fire.

17 God made the ten horns want to carry out his purpose by agreeing to give the beast their power to rule, until what God has said comes about.

18 The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth."

Revelation 18

1 After the vision of these things, I saw another angel coming down from heaven. This angel had great power, and his glory made the earth bright.

2 He shouted in a powerful voice: "Ruined, ruined is the great city of Babylon! She has become a home for demons and a prison for every evil spirit, and a prison for every unclean bird and unclean beast.

3 She has been ruined, because all the peoples of the earth have drunk the wine of the desire of her sexual sin. She has been ruined also because the kings of the earth have sinned sexually with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown rich from the great wealth of her luxury."

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.

5 Her sins have piled up as high as the sky, and God has not forgotten the wrongs she has done.

6 Give 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.

7 She 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.'

8 So these disasters will come to her in one day: death, and crying, and great hunger, and she will be destroyed by fire, because the Lord God who judges her is powerful."

9 The kings of the earth who sinned sexually with her and shared her wealth will see the smoke from her burning. Then they will cry and be sad because of her death.

10 They will be afraid of her suffering and stand far away and say: "Terrible! How terrible for you, great city, powerful city of Babylon, because your punishment has come in one hour!"

11 And the merchants of the earth will cry and be sad about her, because now there is no one to buy their cargoes --

12 cargoes of gold, silver, jewels, pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk, red cloth; all kinds of citron wood and all kinds of things made from ivory, expensive wood, bronze, iron, and marble;

13 cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, olive oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle, sheep, horses, carriages, slaves, and human lives.

14 The merchants will say, "Babylon, the good things you wanted are gone from you. All your rich and fancy things have disappeared. You will never have them again."

15 The merchants who became rich from selling to her will be afraid of her suffering and will stand far away. They will cry and be sad

16 and say: "Terrible! How terrible for the great city! She was dressed in fine linen, purple and red cloth, and she was shining with gold, precious jewels, and pearls!

17 All these riches have been destroyed in one hour!" Every sea captain, every passenger, the sailors, and all those who earn their living from 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 like this great city!"

19 And they threw dust on their heads and cried out, weeping and being sad. They said: "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!

20 Be happy because of this, heaven! Be happy, God's holy people and apostles and prophets! God has punished her because of what she did to you."

21 Then a powerful angel picked up a large stone, like one used for grinding grain, and threw it into the sea. He said: "In the same way, the great city of Babylon will be thrown down, and it will never be found again.

22 The 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 grinding grain 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. Your merchants were the world's great people, and all the nations were tricked by your magic.

24 You are guilty of the death of the prophets and God's holy people and all who have been killed on earth."

Revelation 19

1 After this vision and announcement I heard what sounded like a great many people in heaven saying: "Hallelujah! Salvation, glory, and power belong to our God,

2 because his judgments are true and right. He has punished the prostitute who made the earth evil with her sexual sin. He has paid her back for the death of his servants."

3 Again they said: "Hallelujah! She is burning, and her smoke will rise forever and ever."

4 Then the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures bowed down and worshiped God, who sits on the throne. They said: "Amen, Hallelujah!"

5 Then a voice came from the throne, saying: "Praise our God, all you who serve him and all you who honor him, both small and great!"

6 Then I heard what sounded like a great many people, like the noise of flooding water, and like the noise of loud thunder. The people were saying: "Hallelujah! Our Lord God, the Almighty, rules.

7 Let us rejoice and be happy and give God glory, because the wedding of the Lamb has come, and the Lamb's bride has made herself ready.

8 Fine linen, bright and clean, was given to her to wear." (The fine linen means the good things done by God's holy people.)

9 And the angel said to me, "Write this: Happy are those who have been invited to the wedding meal of the Lamb!" And the angel said, "These are the true words of God."

10 Then I bowed down at the angel's feet to worship him, but he said to me, "Do not worship me! I am a servant like you and your brothers and sisters who have the message of Jesus. Worship God, because the message about Jesus is the spirit that gives all prophecy."

11 Then I saw heaven opened, and there before me was a white horse. The rider on the horse is called Faithful and True, and he is right when he judges and makes war.

12 His eyes are like burning fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him, which no one but himself knows.

13 He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God.

14 The armies of heaven, dressed in fine linen, white and clean, were following him on white horses.

15 Out of the rider's mouth comes a sharp sword that he will use to defeat the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will crush out the wine in the winepress of the terrible anger of God the Almighty.

16 On his robe and on his upper leg was written this name: king of kings and lord of lords.

17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he called with a loud voice to all the birds flying in the sky: "Come and gather together for the great feast of God

18 so that you can eat the bodies of kings, generals, mighty people, horses and their riders, and the bodies of all people -- free, slave, small, and great."

19 Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth. Their armies were gathered together to make war against the rider on the horse and his army.

20 But the beast was captured and with him the false prophet who did the miracles for the beast. The false prophet had used these miracles to trick those who had the mark of the beast and worshiped his idol. The false prophet and the beast were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur.

21 And their armies were killed with the sword that came out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds ate the bodies until they were full.