Revelation 17:1–7

Babylon, the Prostitute on the Beast

17 One of the seven angelsr who had the seven bowlss came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the punishmentt of the great prostitute,u who sits by many waters.v 2 With her the kings of the earth committed adultery, and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries.”w

3 Then the angel carried me away in the Spiritx into a wilderness.y There I saw a woman sitting on a scarletz beast that was covered with blasphemous namesa and had seven heads and ten horns.b 4 The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls.c She held a golden cupd in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries.e 5 The name written on her forehead was a mystery:f

babylon the greatg

the mother of prostitutesh

and of the abominations of the earth.

6 I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God’s holy people,i 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 mysteryj of the woman and of the beast she rides, which has the seven heads and ten horns.k