Revelation 18:15
ESV
The merchants of these wares, who gained wealth from her, will stand far off, in fear of her torment, weeping and mourning aloud,
NIV
The merchants who sold these things and gained their wealth from her will stand far off, terrified at her torment. They will weep and mourn
NASB
The merchants of these things, who became rich from her, will stand at a distance because of the fear of her torment, weeping and mourning,
CSB
The merchants of these things, who became rich from her, will stand far off in fear of her torment, weeping and mourning,
NLT
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,
KJV
The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,
NKJV
The merchants of these things, who became rich by her, will stand at a distance for fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,
What does Revelation 18:15 mean?
Knowing how terrible a fate Babylon experienced, the merchants who had profited from selling expensive items to her residents stay clear of Babylon as the city burns to the ground. The merchants fear that they might experience a similar judgment. So, their tears flow in torrents and their mourning reaches a high volume. Although the Scripture does not tell us every reason the merchants mourn, we can guess from these depictions what was most important to them: profit. Their main lament is over business losses and not the loss of life in the judgment on Babylon.The apostle John offered sound counsel to his readers about establishing correct priorities. He exhorted them and us: "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever" (1 John 2:15–17).
If we want something that lasts throughout eternity, we ought to obey God, because the rewards of faithful service endure forever. Everything the evil world system deems important is already deteriorating and ultimately will vanish.
