1One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, ‘Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits by many waters.2With her the kings of the earth committed adultery, and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries.’3Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a desert. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns.4The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries.5The name written on her forehead was a mystery: Babylon the great the mother of prostitutes and of the abominations of the earth.6I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God’s holy people, 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 of the woman and of the beast she rides, which has the seven heads and ten horns.8The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and yet will come up out of the Abyss and go to its destruction. The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast, because it once was, now is not, and yet will come.9‘This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads 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, is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction.12‘The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast.13They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast.14They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings – and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.’15Then the angel said to me, ‘The waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages.16The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute. They will bring her to ruin and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire.17For God has put it into their hearts to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to hand over to the beast their royal authority, until God’s words are fulfilled.18The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth.’
Revelation 17
English Standard Version
The Great Prostitute and the Beast
1Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute who is seated on many waters, (Isa 1:21; Jer 2:20; Jer 51:13; Na 3:4; Re 15:7; Re 17:15; Re 19:2; Re 21:9)2with whom the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality, and with the wine of whose sexual immorality the dwellers on earth have become drunk.” (Isa 23:17; Jer 51:7; Re 3:10; Re 14:8; Re 18:3; Re 18:9)3And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names, and it had seven heads and ten horns. (Re 12:3; Re 12:6; Re 12:14; Re 13:1; Re 17:7; Re 17:9; Re 17:12; Re 21:10)4The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality. (Jer 51:7; Da 11:38; Re 18:6; Re 18:16)5And on her forehead was written a name of mystery: “Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth’s abominations.” (2Th 2:7; Re 14:8; Re 17:7)6And I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of the martyrs of Jesus.[1] When I saw her, I marveled greatly. (Re 2:13; Re 13:15; Re 16:6)7But the angel said to me, “Why do you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman, and of the beast with seven heads and ten horns that carries her. (Re 17:5)8The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to rise from the bottomless pit[2] and go to destruction. And the dwellers on earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world will marvel to see the beast, because it was and is not and is to come. (Re 1:4; Re 3:5; Re 3:10; Re 9:1; Re 11:7; Re 13:3; Re 13:10; Re 17:11)9This calls for a mind with wisdom: the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated; (Re 13:18)10they are also seven kings, five of whom have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when he does come he must remain only a little while.11As for the beast that was and is not, it is an eighth but it belongs to the seven, and it goes to destruction. (Re 11:17; Re 17:8)12And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received royal power, but they are to receive authority as kings for one hour, together with the beast. (Da 7:24; Zec 1:18; Re 13:1; Re 17:16; Re 18:10; Re 18:17; Re 18:19)13These are of one mind, and they hand over their power and authority to the beast.14They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.” (De 10:17; Ps 136:3; Da 2:47; Mt 28:18; Lu 18:7; Ac 10:36; Ro 1:6; 1Ti 6:15; Re 1:5; Re 2:10; Re 3:21; Re 16:14; Re 19:16)15And the angel[3] said to me, “The waters that you saw, where the prostitute is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages. (Isa 8:7; Re 17:1)16And the ten horns that you saw, they and the beast will hate the prostitute. They will make her desolate and naked, and devour her flesh and burn her up with fire, (Le 21:9; Jer 50:41; Eze 16:37; Eze 16:39; Re 17:12; Re 18:8; Re 18:17; Re 18:19; Re 19:18)17for God has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose by being of one mind and handing over their royal power to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled. (2Co 8:16; 2Th 2:11)18And the woman that you saw is the great city that has dominion over the kings of the earth.” (Re 16:19)