19
Heaven Rejoices over Babylon
1 After this I heard what sounded like a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying,
“Hallelujah!
Salvation, power, and glory belong to our God,
2 for true and just are his judgments;
he has judged the great prostitute,
who corrupted the earth with her fornication.
He has avenged the blood of his servants shed by her hand.”
3 A second time the voice said,
“Hallelujah!
Her smoke goes up forever and ever.”
4 Then the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God, who sits on the throne, saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!”
5 And a voice came out from the throne, saying,
“Praise our God,
all you his servants,
you who fear him,
both small and great.”
6 Then I heard what sounded like the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying,
“Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God
the Almighty reigns.
7 Let us rejoice and be glad
and give him the glory,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
and his bride has made herself ready.
8 To her it has been granted to be clothed
with fine linen, bright and pure.”
For the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
9 Then the angel said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’ ” He also said to me, “These are the true words of God.”
10 Then I fell at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “Do not do that! I am a fellow servant of yoʋrs, and of yoʋr brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God.” For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
The Rider on the White Horse
11 Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! Its rider is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and wages war.
12 His eyes are a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems. Names were written on him, including a name that no one knows but he himself.
13 He is clothed with a garment dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God.
14 The armies of heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses.
15 Out of his mouth comes a sharp two-edged sword with which he can strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God, the Almighty.
16 On his garment and on his thigh is written the name: “King of kings and Lord of lords.”
17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that were flying directly overhead, “Come, gather together for the great supper of God,
18 so that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of commanders, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great.”
19 Then I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies gathered together to wage war against the rider on the horse and against his army.
20 But the beast was captured, and so was the false prophet who was with him, who in his sight performed the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and who worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur.
21 The rest were killed by the sword that came out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.