17 One of the seven angels that had the seven bowls came to me. ‘Come with me,’ he said. ‘I will show you how God will punish the great prostitute. [ a ] She sits at a place where there are many rivers. [ b ] 2 It is like the kings who rule on the earth have had sex with that bad woman. She has led the people who live on the earth to do bad things. They have become drunk from the strong wine that she has given to them.’ [ c ]
3 Again, God's Spirit caused me to see and to hear strange things. The angel carried me away to a wilderness. There I saw a woman who was sitting on a wild animal that was bright red. All over this wild animal, names were written that insulted God. The animal had seven heads and ten horns. 4 The woman was wearing clothes that were made from expensive cloth. She also wore bright things that made her look beautiful. She shone with gold, valuable stones and pearls. She held a gold cup in her hand. The cup was full of the bad and disgusting things that she had caused people to do. 5 A name was written on the front of her head. Only God knows what it means. It was:
Powerful Babylon.
Mother of all prostitutes.
Mother of all the disgusting things on the earth.
6 I saw that the woman was like a drunk. She was like someone who had drunk the blood of God's people. She had killed them because they had told other people about Jesus. When I saw her, I was very surprised. 7 Then the angel asked me, ‘Why are you surprised? I will explain the secret of the woman to you. I will tell you the secret of the wild animal that she rides. The wild animal that you saw has seven heads and ten horns. 8 This animal was once alive, but it is not alive now. Soon it will come up out of the deep hole again but then God will destroy it completely. [ d ] All these things will surprise many people who live on the earth. Those are the people whose names are not written in God's book of life from the beginning of the world. They will be surprised to see the animal that was alive at one time. It is not alive now, but it will soon appear again.
9 If you are wise, think carefully about this. The animal's seven heads are a picture of seven hills in the place where the woman sits. [ e ] 10 They are also a picture of seven kings. Five of these kings have already stopped ruling. Another king is ruling now. The last king has not yet come. When he does come, he must rule only for a short time. 11 The wild animal is a picture of an eighth king. He was alive once, but he is not alive now. He belongs to the group of seven kings, but God will destroy him completely.
12 The ten horns that you saw are a picture of ten more kings. [ f ] They have not yet begun to rule anywhere. But they will receive authority to rule as kings for one hour. They will rule people together with the wild animal. 13 They all have the same purpose. They will give their power to the wild animal. They will give him authority to rule people. 14 Together they will fight a war against the Lamb. But the Lamb will win against them. He is the Lord above all lords. He is the King who rules over all kings. And God's people will be with him. They are the people that the Lamb has chosen to belong to him. They are the people who have continued to trust him.’
15 Then the angel said to me, ‘You saw the many rivers where the prostitute sits. Those rivers are a picture of people from many nations. They are crowds of people from different countries who speak many different languages. 16 The wild animal and the ten horns that you saw will hate the prostitute. Those rulers will destroy her. They will remove all her clothes. They will eat the meat on her body. Then they will burn her with fire. [ g ] 17 They will decide to do that because God has given them those thoughts. So, they will do what he wants. They will give to the wild animal their authority to rule as king. The animal will continue to rule until everything happens that God has said will happen. 18 The bad woman that you saw is a picture of the great city. That city has power over all the kings who rule on the earth.’
17 One of the seven angels came and spoke to me. This was one of the angels that had the seven bowls. The angel said, “Come, and I will show you the punishment that will be given to the famous prostitute. She is the one sitting over many waters. 2 The rulers of the earth sinned sexually with her. The people of the earth became drunk from the wine of her sexual sin.”
3 Then the angel carried me away by the Spirit to the desert. There I saw a woman sitting on a red beast. The beast was covered with evil names. It had seven heads and ten horns. 4 The woman was dressed in purple and red. She was shining with the gold, jewels, and pearls that she was wearing. She had a golden cup in her hand. This cup was filled with terribly evil things and the filth of her sexual sin. 5 She had a title written on her forehead. This title has a hidden meaning. This is what was written:
the great babylon
mother of prostitutes
and the evil things of the earth
6 I saw that the woman was drunk. She was drunk with the blood of God’s holy people. She was drunk with the blood of those who told about their faith in Jesus.
When I saw the woman, I was fully amazed. 7 Then the angel said to me, “Why are you amazed? I will tell you the hidden meaning of this woman and the beast she rides—the beast with seven heads and ten horns. 8 The beast you saw was once alive, but now it is not. However, it will come up out of the bottomless pit and go away to be destroyed. The people who live on the earth will be amazed when they see the beast, because it was once alive, is no longer living, but will come again. These are the people whose names have never been written in the book of life since the beginning of the world.
9 “You need wisdom to understand this. The seven heads on the beast are the seven hills where the woman sits. They are also seven rulers. 10 Five of the rulers have already died. One of the rulers lives now, and the last ruler is coming. When he comes, he will stay only a short time. 11 The beast that was once alive but is no longer living is an eighth ruler. This eighth ruler also belongs to the first seven rulers. And he will go away to be destroyed.
12 “The ten horns you saw are ten rulers. These ten rulers have not yet received their kingdom, but they will receive power to rule with the beast for one hour. 13 All ten of these rulers have the same purpose. And they will give their power and authority to the beast. 14 They will make war against the Lamb. But the Lamb will defeat them, because he is Lord of lords and King of kings. And with him will be his chosen and faithful followers—the people he has called to be his.”
15 Then the angel said to me, “You saw the waters where the prostitute sits. These waters are the many peoples, the different races, nations, and languages in the world. 16 The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute. They will take everything she has and leave her naked. They will eat her flesh and destroy her with fire. 17 God put the idea in their minds to do what would complete his purpose. They agreed to give the beast their power to rule until what God has said is completed. 18 The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth.”
17 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
5 And upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon The Great, The Mother Of Harlots And Abominations Of The Earth .
6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.
7 And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.
8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.
10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.
11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.
12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.
16 And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.
17 For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.
18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.
17 ( A ) Then one of the ( B ) seven angels who had the ( C ) seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, “Come here, I will show you ( D ) the judgment of the ( E ) great prostitute who ( F ) sits on many waters, 2 with whom ( G ) the kings of the earth committed acts of sexual immorality, and ( H ) those who live on the earth ( I ) became drunk with the wine of her sexual immorality.” 3 And ( J ) he carried me away [ a ] ( K ) in the Spirit ( L ) into a wilderness; and I saw a woman sitting on a ( M ) scarlet beast, full of ( N ) blasphemous names, having ( O ) seven heads and ten horns. 4 The woman ( P ) was clothed in purple and scarlet, and [ b ] adorned with gold, precious [ c ] stones, and pearls, holding in her hand ( Q ) a gold cup full of abominations and of the unclean things of her sexual immorality, 5 and on her forehead a name was written, [ d ] a ( R ) mystery: “ ( S ) BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND OF ( T ) THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” 6 And I saw the woman drunk with ( U ) the blood of the [ e ] saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. When I saw her, I wondered [ f ] greatly. 7 And the angel said to me, “Why [ g ] do you wonder? I will tell you the ( V ) mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the ( W ) seven heads and the ten horns.
8 “ ( X ) The beast that you saw ( Y ) was, and is not, and is about to ( Z ) come up out of the ( AA ) abyss and [ h ] ( AB ) go to destruction. And ( AC ) those who live on the earth, ( AD ) whose names have not been written in the book of life ( AE ) from the foundation of the world, will ( AF ) wonder when they see the beast, that he was, and is not, and will [ i ] come. 9 ( AG ) Here is the mind which has wisdom. The ( AH ) seven heads are seven mountains upon which the woman sits, 10 and they are seven ( AI ) kings; five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; and when he comes, he must remain a little while. 11 The beast which ( AJ ) was, and is not, is himself also an eighth and is one of the seven, and he ( AK ) goes to destruction. 12 The ( AL ) ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but they receive authority as kings with the beast ( AM ) for one hour. 13 These have ( AN ) one [ j ] purpose, and they give their power and authority to the beast.
14 These will wage ( AO ) war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will ( AP ) overcome them because He is ( AQ ) Lord of lords and ( AR ) King of kings; and ( AS ) those who are with Him are the ( AT ) called and chosen and faithful.”
15 And he *said to me, “The ( AU ) waters which you saw where the prostitute sits are ( AV ) peoples and multitudes, and nations and languages. 16 And the ( AW ) ten horns which you saw, and the beast, these will hate the prostitute and will make her ( AX ) desolate and ( AY ) naked, and will ( AZ ) eat her flesh and will ( BA ) burn her up with fire. 17 For ( BB ) God has put it in their hearts to execute His [ k ] purpose [ l ] by ( BC ) having a common purpose, and by giving their kingdom to the beast, until the ( BD ) words of God will be fulfilled. 18 The woman whom you saw is ( BE ) the great city, which [ m ] reigns over the kings of the earth.”
17 One of the seven angels ( A ) who had the seven bowls ( B ) came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the punishment ( C ) of the great prostitute, ( D ) who sits by many waters. ( E ) 2 With her the kings of the earth committed adultery, and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries.” ( F )
3 Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit ( G ) into a wilderness. ( H ) There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet ( I ) beast that was covered with blasphemous names ( J ) and had seven heads and ten horns. ( K ) 4 The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. ( L ) She held a golden cup ( M ) in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries. ( N ) 5 The name written on her forehead was a mystery: ( O )
6 I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God’s holy people, ( R ) 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 ( S ) of the woman and of the beast she rides, which has the seven heads and ten horns. ( T ) 8 The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and yet will come up out of the Abyss ( U ) and go to its destruction. ( V ) The inhabitants of the earth ( W ) whose names have not been written in the book of life ( X ) from the creation of the world will be astonished ( Y ) when they see the beast, because it once was, now is not, and yet will come.
9 “This calls for a mind with wisdom. ( Z ) The seven heads ( AA ) 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, ( AB ) is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction.
12 “The ten horns ( AC ) you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour ( AD ) will receive authority as kings along with the beast. 13 They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast. ( AE ) 14 They will wage war ( AF ) against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over ( AG ) them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings ( AH ) —and with him will be his called, chosen ( AI ) and faithful followers.”
15 Then the angel said to me, “The waters ( AJ ) you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages. ( AK ) 16 The beast and the ten horns ( AL ) you saw will hate the prostitute. ( AM ) They will bring her to ruin ( AN ) and leave her naked; ( AO ) they will eat her flesh ( AP ) and burn her with fire. ( AQ ) 17 For God has put it into their hearts ( AR ) to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to hand over to the beast their royal authority, ( AS ) until God’s words are fulfilled. ( AT ) 18 The woman you saw is the great city ( AU ) that rules over the kings of the earth.”
