Revelation 17:1-13 ▼

1 THEN came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials and talked with me, saying, Come, I will show you the condemnation of the great harlot who sits upon many waters:

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

3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet wild beast inscribed with many words of blasphemy and having seven heads and ten horns.

4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls; and she had a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her adultery on earth.

5 And upon her forehead was a name written, that not all could understand, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

6 And I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great amazement.

7 And the angel said to me, Why do you wonder? I will tell you the mystery of the woman, and of the wild beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns.

8 The wild beast that you saw was, and is not, and is ready to come up from the bottomless pit and go to be destroyed: and those who dwell on earth whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, shall wonder when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and now whose end has come.

9 Here is understanding for him who has wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sits.

10 And there are seven kings of whom five have fallen, and one is, and the other has not yet come; and when he comes he shall continue only for a short time.

11 And the wild beast that was, and no longer is, even he is the eighth, and is one of the seven destined to be destroyed.

12 And the ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet; but receive authority as kings for one hour with the beast.

13 These are in one accord, and they shall give their strength and authority to the beast.