18:23a

The light of a lamp will never shine in you again: This clause indicates in several more ways that no one will live in Babylon after this time. Other ways to translate this clause are:

Never again will the light of a lamp be seen in you (Good News Translation)
-or-

⌊No one will ever live in you, so⌋ no lamp will ever shine in you again

lamp: A lamp in Jesus’ time was a small clay bowl in which people burned oil. The bowl was shaped to hold a wick on one side. See how you translated this word in 1:12.

18:23b

and the voices of a bride and bridegroom will never call out in you again: This indicates that people will not get married in Babylon after this time. This is because no one will live there. In Greek, this clause is passive. Some languages must use an active clause, as the Berean Standard Bible models.

bride: The word refers to the woman about to marry.

bridegroom: The word refers to the man about to marry.

18:23c

For: This conjunction introduces the reason why God will destroy the city identified as Babylon. Some English versions allow the context to imply its meaning and so do not translate this conjunction.

your merchants were the great ones of the earth: The city’s merchants were the world’s great men in the sense that they were very rich and powerful. The people of the city bought many expensive things. Therefore, the merchants became rich from all that selling. This wealth made them very powerful. Other ways to translate this clause are:

Its merchants were the important people of the world (God’s Word)
-or-
Your businessmen were the most powerful in the whole world

merchants: This word refers to those who buy, sell, and trade as a job. See how you translated this word in 18:3 or 18:15.

the great ones of the earth: The merchants were great because they had a lot of wealth and influence over others. They were greater than all others. For example:

the greatest in the world (New Living Translation (2004))

18:23d

because: This Greek conjunction indicates that 18:23d is the second reason why the city was destroyed. It remained empty and ruined, as described in 18:21c–23a. For example:

and (Revised Standard Version)

all the nations were deceived by your sorcery: The phrase were deceived by your sorcery is passive. Some languages must use an active clause. For example:

By your sorcery you deceived all the nations

sorcery: The Greek word refers figuratively to how this city cleverly deceived the nations. Then they were eager to follow her. For example:

you deceived the nations with your sorceries (New Living Translation (2004))

See how you translated this word in 9:21.

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