Revelation 17

1. And one of the seven angels who had the seven vials came and spoke with me, saying to me, “Come here; I will show you the judgment of the great whore who sits upon many waters;

2. With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and those who dwell on the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication.”

3. Then he carried me away in the spirit to a wilderness; and I saw a woman sitting upon a scarlet beast that had seven heads and ten horns, full of names of blasphemy.

4. And the woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and was adorned with gold and pearls and precious stones; and she had a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominations and the filthiness of her fornication;

5. And across her forehead a name was written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF THE HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

6. And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And after seeing her, I wondered with great amazement.

7. Then the angel said to me, “Why are you amazed? I will tell you the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns.

8. The beast that you saw was, and is not, but is about to come up out of the abyss and to go into perdition. And those who dwell on the earth, whose names are not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, shall be astonished when they see the beast that was, but is not, and yet is.

9. Here is the mind that has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits.

10. And there are seven kings; five are fallen, and one is, and the other has not yet come; and when he has come, it is ordained that he remain a little while.

11. And the beast that was, and is not, he is also the eighth, and is from the seven, and goes into perdition.

12. And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings, who have not yet received a kingdom, but shall receive authority as kings for one hour with the beast.

13. These all have one mind, and shall give up their power and authority to the beast.

14. These will make war with the Lamb, but the Lamb shall overcome them; for He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are called, and chosen, and faithful.”

15. Then he said to me, “The waters that you saw, where the whore sits, are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages.

16. But the ten horns that you saw on the beast shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and shall burn her with fire;

17. For God has put into their hearts to do His will, and to act with one accord, and to give their kingdom to the beast until the words of God have been fulfilled.

18. And the woman whom you saw is the great city that has royal power over the kings of the earth.”