Revelation 17

1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:

One of the seven angels who had been holding the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the condemnation of the great prostitute who is seated on many waters.

2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.

It is with her that the kings of the earth committed sexual immorality. It is with the wine of her sexual immorality that the earth's inhabitants became drunk.”

3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.

Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit to a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names. The beast had seven heads and ten horns.

4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:

The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet and was adorned with gold, precious stones, and pearls. She was holding in her hand a golden cup full of detestable things and the impurities of her sexual immorality.

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

On her forehead was written a name having a secret meaning: “Babylon the great, the mother of prostitutes and of the detestable things of the earth.”

6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.

I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs for Jesus. When I saw her, I was greatly astonished.

7 And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.

But the angel said to me, “Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the meaning of the woman and of the beast that is carrying her, the beast that has the seven heads and the ten horns.

8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. (Abyssos g12)

The beast you saw existed, does not exist now, but is about to come up from the bottomless pit. Then it will go on to destruction. Those who live on the earth, those whose names have not been written in the Book of Life since the foundation of the world—they will be astounded when they see the beast that existed, does not exist now, but is about to come. (Abyssos g12)

9 And here [is] the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.

This calls for a mind that has wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman is seated.

10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, [and] the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.

They are also seven kings. Five kings have fallen, one exists, and the other has not yet come; when he comes, he can remain only for a little while.

11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.

The beast that existed, but does not exist now, is itself also an eighth king; but it is one of those seven kings, and it is going to destruction.

12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.

The ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but they will receive authority as kings for one hour together with the beast.

13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.

These are of one mind, and they give over their power and authority to the beast.

14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him [are] called, and chosen, and faithful.

They will wage war against the Lamb. But the Lamb will conquer them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him are the called ones, the chosen ones, and the faithful ones.”

15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.

The angel said to me, “The waters you saw, where the prostitute is seated, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages.

16 And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.

The ten horns that you saw—they and the beast will hate the prostitute. They will make her desolate and naked, they will devour her flesh, and they will burn her completely with fire.

17 For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.

For God has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose by agreeing to give their power to rule to the beast until God's words are fulfilled.

18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.

The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth.”