Chapter 17
001
One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, "Come here. I will show you the judgment of the great philanderer who sits on many waters,
002
with whom the queens of the earth committed sexual immorality, and those who dwell in the earth were made drunken with the wine of his sexual immorality."
003
She carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness. I saw a man sitting on a scarlet-colored animal, full of blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns.
004
The man was dressed in purple and scarlet, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in his hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of the sexual immorality of the earth.
005
And on his forehead a name was written, "MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF THE PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH."
006
I saw the man drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. When I saw him, I wondered with great amazement.
007
The angel said to me, "Why do you wonder? I will tell you the mystery of the man, and of the beast that carries him, which has the seven heads and the ten horns.
008
The beast that you saw was, and is not; and is about to come up out of the abyss and to go into destruction. Those who dwell on the earth and whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world will marvel when they see that the beast was, and is not, and shall be present.
009
Here is the mind that has wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the man sits.
010
They are seven queens. Five have fallen, the one is, the other has not yet come. When she comes, she must continue a little while.
011
The beast that was, and is not, is herself also an eighth, and is of the seven; and she goes to destruction.
012
The ten horns that you saw are ten queens who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority as queens, with the beast, for one hour.
013
These have one mind, and they give their power and authority to the beast.
014
These will war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for she is Domina of dominas, and Queen of queens. They also will overcome who are with her, called and chosen and faithful."
015
She said to me, "The waters which you saw, where the philanderer sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages.
016
The ten horns which you saw, and the beast, these will hate the philanderer, and will make him desolate, and will make his naked, and will eat his flesh, and will burn his utterly with fire.
017
For God has put in their hearts to do what she has in mind, and to be of one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God should be accomplished.
018
The man whom you saw is the great city, which reigns over the queens of the earth."