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Revelation 16-18
New Living Translation
Revelation 16-18
New Living Translation
16 Then I heard a mighty voice from the Temple say to the seven angels, “Go your ways and pour out on the earth the seven bowls containing God’s wrath.”
2 So the first angel left the Temple and poured out his bowl on the earth, and horrible, malignant sores broke out on everyone who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his statue.
3 Then the second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it became like the blood of a corpse. And everything in the sea died.
4 Then the third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs, and they became blood. 5 And I heard the angel who had authority over all water saying,
“You are just, O Holy One, who is and who always was,
because you have sent these judgments.
6 Since they shed the blood
of your holy people and your prophets,
you have given them blood to drink.
It is their just reward.”
7 And I heard a voice from the altar,[a] saying,
“Yes, O Lord God, the Almighty,
your judgments are true and just.”
8 Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, causing it to scorch everyone with its fire. 9 Everyone was burned by this blast of heat, and they cursed the name of God, who had control over all these plagues. They did not repent of their sins and turn to God and give him glory.
10 Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was plunged into darkness. His subjects ground their teeth[b] in anguish, 11 and they cursed the God of heaven for their pains and sores. But they did not repent of their evil deeds and turn to God.
12 Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great Euphrates River, and it dried up so that the kings from the east could march their armies toward the west without hindrance. 13 And I saw three evil[c] spirits that looked like frogs leap from the mouths of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet. 14 They are demonic spirits who work miracles and go out to all the rulers of the world to gather them for battle against the Lord on that great judgment day of God the Almighty.
15 “Look, I will come as unexpectedly as a thief! Blessed are all who are watching for me, who keep their clothing ready so they will not have to walk around naked and ashamed.”
16 And the demonic spirits gathered all the rulers and their armies to a place with the Hebrew name Armageddon.[d]
17 Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air. And a mighty shout came from the throne in the Temple, saying, “It is finished!” 18 Then the thunder crashed and rolled, and lightning flashed. And a great earthquake struck—the worst since people were placed on the earth. 19 The great city of Babylon split into three sections, and the cities of many nations fell into heaps of rubble. So God remembered all of Babylon’s sins, and he made her drink the cup that was filled with the wine of his fierce wrath. 20 And every island disappeared, and all the mountains were leveled. 21 There was a terrible hailstorm, and hailstones weighing as much as seventy-five pounds[e] fell from the sky onto the people below. They cursed God because of the terrible plague of the hailstorm.
The Great Prostitute
17 One of the seven angels who had poured out the seven bowls came over and spoke to me. “Come with me,” he said, “and I will show you the judgment that is going to come on the great prostitute, who rules over many waters. 2 The kings of the world have committed adultery with her, and the people who belong to this world have been made drunk by the wine of her immorality.”
3 So the angel took me in the Spirit[f] into the wilderness. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that had seven heads and ten horns, and blasphemies against God were written all over it. 4 The woman wore purple and scarlet clothing and beautiful jewelry made of gold and precious gems and pearls. In her hand she held a gold goblet full of obscenities and the impurities of her immorality. 5 A mysterious name was written on her forehead: “Babylon the Great, Mother of All Prostitutes and Obscenities in the World.” 6 I could see that she was drunk—drunk with the blood of God’s holy people who were witnesses for Jesus. I stared at her in complete amazement.
7 “Why are you so amazed?” the angel asked. “I will tell you the mystery of this woman and of the beast with seven heads and ten horns on which she sits. 8 The beast you saw was once alive but isn’t now. And yet he will soon come up out of the bottomless pit[g] and go to eternal destruction. And the people who belong to this world, whose names were not written in the Book of Life before the world was made, will be amazed at the reappearance of this beast who had died.
9 “This calls for a mind with understanding: The seven heads of the beast represent the seven hills where the woman rules. They also represent seven kings. 10 Five kings have already fallen, the sixth now reigns, and the seventh is yet to come, but his reign will be brief.
11 “The scarlet beast that was, but is no longer, is the eighth king. He is like the other seven, and he, too, is headed for destruction. 12 The ten horns of the beast are ten kings who have not yet risen to power. They will be appointed to their kingdoms for one brief moment to reign with the beast. 13 They will all agree to give him their power and authority. 14 Together they will go to war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will defeat them because he is Lord of all lords and King of all kings. And his called and chosen and faithful ones will be with him.”
15 Then the angel said to me, “The waters where the prostitute is ruling represent masses of people of every nation and language. 16 The scarlet beast and his ten horns all hate the prostitute. They will strip her naked, eat her flesh, and burn her remains with fire. 17 For God has put a plan into their minds, a plan that will carry out his purposes. They will agree to give their authority to the scarlet beast, and so the words of God will be fulfilled. 18 And this woman you saw in your vision represents the great city that rules over the kings of the world.”
The Fall of Babylon
18 After all this I saw another angel come down from heaven with great authority, and the earth grew bright with his splendor. 2 He gave a mighty shout:
“Babylon is fallen—that great city is fallen!
She has become a home for demons.
She is a hideout for every foul[h] spirit,
a hideout for every foul vulture
and every foul and dreadful animal.[i]
3 For all the nations have fallen[j]
because of the wine of her passionate immorality.
The kings of the world
have committed adultery with her.
Because of her desires for extravagant luxury,
the merchants of the world have grown rich.”
4 Then I heard another voice calling from heaven,
“Come away from her, my people.
Do not take part in her sins,
or you will be punished with her.
5 For her sins are piled as high as heaven,
and God remembers her evil deeds.
6 Do to her as she has done to others.
Double her penalty[k] for all her evil deeds.
She brewed a cup of terror for others,
so brew twice as much[l] for her.
7 She glorified herself and lived in luxury,
so match it now with torment and sorrow.
She boasted in her heart,
‘I am queen on my throne.
I am no helpless widow,
and I have no reason to mourn.’
8 Therefore, these plagues will overtake her in a single day—
death and mourning and famine.
She will be completely consumed by fire,
for the Lord God who judges her is mighty.”
9 And the kings of the world who committed adultery with her and enjoyed her great luxury will mourn for her as they see the smoke rising from her charred remains. 10 They will stand at a distance, terrified by her great torment. They will cry out,
“How terrible, how terrible for you,
O Babylon, you great city!
In a single moment
God’s judgment came on you.”
11 The merchants of the world will weep and mourn for her, for there is no one left to buy their goods. 12 She bought great quantities of gold, silver, jewels, and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk, and scarlet cloth; things made of fragrant thyine wood, ivory goods, and objects made of expensive wood; and bronze, iron, and marble. 13 She also bought cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, olive oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle, sheep, horses, wagons, and bodies—that is, human slaves.
14 “The fancy things you loved so much
are gone,” they cry.
“All your luxuries and splendor
are gone forever,
never to be yours again.”
15 The merchants who became wealthy by selling her these things will stand at a distance, terrified by her great torment. They will weep and cry out,
16 “How terrible, how terrible for that great city!
She was clothed in finest purple and scarlet linens,
decked out with gold and precious stones and pearls!
17 In a single moment
all the wealth of the city is gone!”
And all the captains of the merchant ships and their passengers and sailors and crews will stand at a distance. 18 They will cry out as they watch the smoke ascend, and they will say, “Where is there another city as great as this?” 19 And they will weep and throw dust on their heads to show their grief. And they will cry out,
“How terrible, how terrible for that great city!
The shipowners became wealthy
by transporting her great wealth on the seas.
In a single moment it is all gone.”
20 Rejoice over her fate, O heaven
and people of God and apostles and prophets!
For at last God has judged her
for your sakes.
21 Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a huge millstone. He threw it into the ocean and shouted,
“Just like this, the great city Babylon
will be thrown down with violence
and will never be found again.
22 The sound of harps, singers, flutes, and trumpets
will never be heard in you again.
No craftsmen and no trades
will ever be found in you again.
The sound of the mill
will never be heard in you again.
23 The light of a lamp
will never shine in you again.
The happy voices of brides and grooms
will never be heard in you again.
For your merchants were the greatest in the world,
and you deceived the nations with your sorceries.
24 In your[m] streets flowed the blood of the prophets and of God’s holy people
and the blood of people slaughtered all over the world.”
Footnotes
- 16:7 Greek I heard the altar.
- 16:10 Greek gnawed their tongues.
- 16:13 Greek unclean.
- 16:16 Or Harmagedon.
- 16:21 Greek 1 talent [34 kilograms].
- 17:3 Or in spirit.
- 17:8 Or the abyss, or the underworld.
- 18:2a Greek unclean; also in each of the two following phrases.
- 18:2b Some manuscripts condense the last two lines to read a hideout for every foul [unclean] and dreadful vulture.
- 18:3 Some manuscripts read have drunk.
- 18:6a Or Give her an equal penalty.
- 18:6b Or brew just as much.
- 18:24 Greek her.
Revelation 16-18
New International Version
Revelation 16-18
New International Version
The Seven Bowls of God’s Wrath
16 Then I heard a loud voice from the temple(A) saying to the seven angels,(B) “Go, pour out the seven bowls of God’s wrath on the earth.”(C)
2 The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the land,(D) and ugly, festering sores(E) broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image.(F)
3 The second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it turned into blood like that of a dead person, and every living thing in the sea died.(G)
4 The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water,(H) and they became blood.(I) 5 Then I heard the angel in charge of the waters say:
“You are just in these judgments,(J) O Holy One,(K)
you who are and who were;(L)
6 for they have shed the blood of your holy people and your prophets,(M)
and you have given them blood to drink(N) as they deserve.”
7 And I heard the altar(O) respond:
8 The fourth angel(R) poured out his bowl on the sun,(S) and the sun was allowed to scorch people with fire.(T) 9 They were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the name of God,(U) who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent(V) and glorify him.(W)
10 The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast,(X) and its kingdom was plunged into darkness.(Y) People gnawed their tongues in agony 11 and cursed(Z) the God of heaven(AA) because of their pains and their sores,(AB) but they refused to repent of what they had done.(AC)
12 The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates,(AD) and its water was dried up to prepare the way(AE) for the kings from the East.(AF) 13 Then I saw three impure spirits(AG) that looked like frogs;(AH) they came out of the mouth of the dragon,(AI) out of the mouth of the beast(AJ) and out of the mouth of the false prophet.(AK) 14 They are demonic spirits(AL) that perform signs,(AM) and they go out to the kings of the whole world,(AN) to gather them for the battle(AO) on the great day(AP) of God Almighty.
15 “Look, I come like a thief!(AQ) Blessed is the one who stays awake(AR) and remains clothed, so as not to go naked and be shamefully exposed.”(AS)
16 Then they gathered the kings together(AT) to the place that in Hebrew(AU) is called Armageddon.(AV)
17 The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air,(AW) and out of the temple(AX) came a loud voice(AY) from the throne, saying, “It is done!”(AZ) 18 Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder(BA) and a severe earthquake.(BB) No earthquake like it has ever occurred since mankind has been on earth,(BC) so tremendous was the quake. 19 The great city(BD) split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. God remembered(BE) Babylon the Great(BF) and gave her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of his wrath.(BG) 20 Every island fled away and the mountains could not be found.(BH) 21 From the sky huge hailstones,(BI) each weighing about a hundred pounds,[a] fell on people. And they cursed God(BJ) on account of the plague of hail,(BK) because the plague was so terrible.
Babylon, the Prostitute on the Beast
17 One of the seven angels(BL) who had the seven bowls(BM) came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the punishment(BN) of the great prostitute,(BO) who sits by many waters.(BP) 2 With her the kings of the earth committed adultery, and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries.”(BQ)
3 Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit(BR) into a wilderness.(BS) There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet(BT) beast that was covered with blasphemous names(BU) and had seven heads and ten horns.(BV) 4 The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls.(BW) She held a golden cup(BX) in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries.(BY) 5 The name written on her forehead was a mystery:(BZ)
6 I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God’s holy people,(CC) the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus.
When I saw her, I was greatly astonished. 7 Then the angel said to me: “Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the mystery(CD) of the woman and of the beast she rides, which has the seven heads and ten horns.(CE) 8 The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and yet will come up out of the Abyss(CF) and go to its destruction.(CG) The inhabitants of the earth(CH) whose names have not been written in the book of life(CI) from the creation of the world will be astonished(CJ) when they see the beast, because it once was, now is not, and yet will come.
9 “This calls for a mind with wisdom.(CK) The seven heads(CL) are seven hills on which the woman sits. 10 They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for only a little while. 11 The beast who once was, and now is not,(CM) is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction.
12 “The ten horns(CN) you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour(CO) will receive authority as kings along with the beast. 13 They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast.(CP) 14 They will wage war(CQ) against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over(CR) them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings(CS)—and with him will be his called, chosen(CT) and faithful followers.”
15 Then the angel said to me, “The waters(CU) you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages.(CV) 16 The beast and the ten horns(CW) you saw will hate the prostitute.(CX) They will bring her to ruin(CY) and leave her naked;(CZ) they will eat her flesh(DA) and burn her with fire.(DB) 17 For God has put it into their hearts(DC) to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to hand over to the beast their royal authority,(DD) until God’s words are fulfilled.(DE) 18 The woman you saw is the great city(DF) that rules over the kings of the earth.”
Lament Over Fallen Babylon
18 After this I saw another angel(DG) coming down from heaven.(DH) He had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendor.(DI) 2 With a mighty voice he shouted:
“‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!’[b](DJ)
She has become a dwelling for demons
and a haunt for every impure spirit,(DK)
a haunt for every unclean bird,
a haunt for every unclean and detestable animal.(DL)
3 For all the nations have drunk
the maddening wine of her adulteries.(DM)
The kings of the earth committed adultery with her,(DN)
and the merchants of the earth grew rich(DO) from her excessive luxuries.”(DP)
Warning to Escape Babylon’s Judgment
4 Then I heard another voice from heaven say:
“‘Come out of her, my people,’[c](DQ)
so that you will not share in her sins,
so that you will not receive any of her plagues;(DR)
5 for her sins are piled up to heaven,(DS)
and God has remembered(DT) her crimes.
6 Give back to her as she has given;
pay her back(DU) double(DV) for what she has done.
Pour her a double portion from her own cup.(DW)
7 Give her as much torment and grief
as the glory and luxury she gave herself.(DX)
In her heart she boasts,
‘I sit enthroned as queen.
I am not a widow;[d]
I will never mourn.’(DY)
8 Therefore in one day(DZ) her plagues will overtake her:
death, mourning and famine.
She will be consumed by fire,(EA)
for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.
Threefold Woe Over Babylon’s Fall
9 “When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her(EB) and shared her luxury(EC) see the smoke of her burning,(ED) they will weep and mourn over her.(EE) 10 Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off(EF) and cry:
11 “The merchants(EI) of the earth will weep and mourn(EJ) over her because no one buys their cargoes anymore(EK)— 12 cargoes of gold, silver, precious stones and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet cloth; every sort of citron wood, and articles of every kind made of ivory, costly wood, bronze, iron and marble;(EL) 13 cargoes of cinnamon and spice, of incense, myrrh and frankincense, of wine and olive oil, of fine flour and wheat; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and human beings sold as slaves.(EM)
14 “They will say, ‘The fruit you longed for is gone from you. All your luxury and splendor have vanished, never to be recovered.’ 15 The merchants who sold these things and gained their wealth from her(EN) will stand far off,(EO) terrified at her torment. They will weep and mourn(EP) 16 and cry out:
“‘Woe! Woe to you, great city,(EQ)
dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet,
and glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls!(ER)
17 In one hour(ES) such great wealth has been brought to ruin!’(ET)
“Every sea captain, and all who travel by ship, the sailors, and all who earn their living from the sea,(EU) will stand far off.(EV) 18 When they see the smoke of her burning,(EW) they will exclaim, ‘Was there ever a city like this great city(EX)?’(EY) 19 They will throw dust on their heads,(EZ) and with weeping and mourning(FA) cry out:
“‘Woe! Woe to you, great city,(FB)
where all who had ships on the sea
became rich through her wealth!
In one hour she has been brought to ruin!’(FC)
20 “Rejoice over her, you heavens!(FD)
Rejoice, you people of God!
Rejoice, apostles and prophets!
For God has judged her
with the judgment she imposed on you.”(FE)
The Finality of Babylon’s Doom
21 Then a mighty angel(FF) picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea,(FG) and said:
“With such violence
the great city(FH) of Babylon will be thrown down,
never to be found again.
22 The music of harpists and musicians, pipers and trumpeters,
will never be heard in you again.(FI)
No worker of any trade
will ever be found in you again.
The sound of a millstone
will never be heard in you again.(FJ)
23 The light of a lamp
will never shine in you again.
The voice of bridegroom and bride
will never be heard in you again.(FK)
Your merchants were the world’s important people.(FL)
By your magic spell(FM) all the nations were led astray.
24 In her was found the blood of prophets and of God’s holy people,(FN)
of all who have been slaughtered on the earth.”(FO)
Footnotes
- Revelation 16:21 Or about 45 kilograms
- Revelation 18:2 Isaiah 21:9
- Revelation 18:4 Jer. 51:45
- Revelation 18:7 See Isaiah 47:7,8.
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.