Revelation 17

Babylon, the Prostitute on the Beast

17One of the seven angels^r who had the seven bowls^s came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the punishment^t 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

³Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit^x into a wilderness.^y There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet^z beast that was covered with blasphemous names^a 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 cup^d 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 great^g

the mother of prostitutes^h

and of the abominations of the earth.

⁶I 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. ⁷Then the angel said to me: “Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the mystery^j of the woman and of the beast she rides, which has the seven heads and ten horns.^{k 8}The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and yet will come up out of the Abyss^l and go to its destruction.^m The inhabitants of the earthⁿ whose names have not been written in the book of life^o from the creation of the world will be astonished^p when they see the beast, because it once was, now is not, and yet will come.

⁹“This calls for a mind with wisdom.^q The seven heads^r are seven hills on which the woman sits. ¹⁰They 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. ¹¹The beast who once was, and now is not,^s is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction.

¹²“The ten horns^t you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour^u will receive authority as kings along with the beast. ¹³They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast.^{v 14}They will wage war^w against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over^x them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings^y—and with him will be his called, chosen^z and faithful followers.”

¹⁵Then the angel said to me, “The waters^a you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages.^{b 16}The beast and the ten horns^c you saw will hate the prostitute.^d They will bring her to ruin^e and leave her naked;^f they will eat her flesh^g and burn her with fire.^{h 17}For God has put it into their heartsⁱ to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to hand over to the beast their royal authority,^j until God’s words are fulfilled.^{k 18}The woman you saw is the great city^l that rules over the kings of the earth.”