Revelation 18:20

Joy Justice

¹⁸ and cry out at the sight of the smoke rising from the fire that consumes her. “What city was ever like this great city?” they will exclaim.

¹⁹ Then they will throw dust on their heads as they weep and mourn and cry out: “Woe, woe to the great city, where all who had ships on the sea were enriched by her wealth! For in a single hour she has been destroyed.”

Rejoice over her, O heaven, O saints and apostles and prophets, because God has pronounced for you His judgment against her.

²¹ Then a mighty angel picked up a stone the size of a great millstone and cast it into the sea, saying: “With such violence the great city of Babylon will be cast down, never to be seen again.

²² And the sound of harpists and musicians, of flute players and trumpeters, will never ring out in you again. Nor will any craftsmen of any trade be found in you again, nor the sound of a millstone be heard in you again.

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: Rejoice over her, O heaven, O saints and apostles and prophets, because God has pronounced for you His judgment against her.
KJV: Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.
WEB: “Rejoice over her, O heaven, you saints, apostles, and prophets, for God has judged your judgment on her.”
ASV: Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye saints, and ye apostles, and ye prophets; for God hath judged your judgment on her.
DARBY: Rejoice over her, heaven, and [ye] saints and apostles and prophets; for God has judged your judgment upon her.
BLB: Rejoice over her, O heaven, and [you] saints and apostles and prophets, because God judged the judgment of you⁺ against her.

ÅB: Fryd deg over den, du himmel, og dere hellige, og dere apostler og profeter, fordi Gud har holdt dom over den for dere!
OTB: "Gled dere over henne, dere himler, og dere hellige, apostler og profeter,
for Gud har avsagt dom for dere mot henne."
B1930: Fryd dig over den, du himmel, og I hellige, og I apostler og profeter, fordi Gud har holdt dom over den for eder!

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Revelation 6:10
And they cried out in a loud voice, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You avenge our blood and judge those who dwell upon the earth?”
Read in context
Revelation 12:12
Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea; with great fury the devil has come down to you, knowing he has only a short time.”
Read in context
Revelation 19:1–3
After this I heard a sound like the roar of a great multitude in heaven, shouting: “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God!
Read in context
Luke 18:7–8
Will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry out to Him day and night? Will He continue to defer their help?
Read in context
Isaiah 26:21
For behold, the LORD is coming out of His dwelling to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity. The earth will reveal her bloodshed and will no longer conceal her slain.
Read in context
2 Peter 3:2
by recalling what was foretold by the holy prophets and commanded by our Lord and Savior through your apostles.
Read in context
Proverbs 11:10
When the righteous thrive, the city rejoices, and when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy.
Read in context
Psalms 58:10
The righteous will rejoice when they see they are avenged; they will wash their feet in the blood of the wicked.
Read in context