Revelation 17

The Doom of Babylon

11Then one of the 2seven angels who had the 3seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, “Come here, I will show you 4the judgment of the 5great prostitute who 6sits on many waters, 2with whom 7the kings of the earth committed acts of sexual immorality, and 8those who live on the earth 9became drunk with the wine of her sexual immorality.” 3And 10he carried me away 1112in the Spirit 13into a wilderness; and I saw a woman sitting on a 14scarlet beast, full of 15blasphemous names, having 16seven heads and ten horns. 4The woman 17was clothed in purple and scarlet, and 18adorned with gold, precious 19stones, and pearls, holding in her hand 20a gold cup full of abominations and of the unclean things of her sexual immorality, 5and on her forehead a name was written, 21a 22mystery: “23BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND OF 24THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” 6And I saw the woman drunk with 25the blood of the 26saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. When I saw her, I wondered 27greatly. 7And the angel said to me, “Why 28do you wonder? I will tell you the 29mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the 30seven heads and the ten horns.

8“31The beast that you saw 32was, and is not, and is about to 33come up out of the 34abyss and 3536go to destruction. And 37those who live on the earth, 38whose names have not been written in the book of life 39from the foundation of the world, will 40wonder when they see the beast, that he was, and is not, and will 41come. 942Here is the mind which has wisdom. The 43seven heads are seven mountains upon which the woman sits, 10and they are seven 44kings; five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; and when he comes, he must remain a little while. 11The beast which 45was, and is not, is himself also an eighth and is one of the seven, and he 46goes to destruction. 12The 47ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but they receive authority as kings with the beast 48for one hour. 13These have 49one 50purpose, and they give their power and authority to the beast.

Victory for the Lamb

14These will wage 51war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will 52overcome them because He is 53Lord of lords and 54King of kings; and 55those who are with Him are the 56called and chosen and faithful.”

15And he said to me, “The 57waters which you saw where the prostitute sits are 58peoples and multitudes, and nations and languages. 16And the 59ten horns which you saw, and the beast, these will hate the prostitute and will make her 60desolate and 61naked, and will 62eat her flesh and will 63burn her up with fire. 17For 64God has put it in their hearts to execute His 65purpose 66by 67having a common purpose, and by giving their kingdom to the beast, until the 68words of God will be fulfilled. 18The woman whom you saw is 69the great city, which 70reigns over the kings of the earth.”