Revelation 17
1 One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me: “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute, who sits on many waters.
2 The kings of the earth committed sexual immorality with her, and those who live on the earth became drunk with the wine of her sexual immorality.”
3 He carried me in the Spirit to a wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast, full of blasphemous names, with seven heads and ten horns.
4 The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, adorned with gold, precious stones, and pearls, and she held in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality.
5 On her forehead a name was written, a mystery: “Babylon the Great, the mother of prostitutes and of the earth’s abominations.”
6 I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. When I saw her, I was filled with great astonishment.
7 Then the angel said to me: “Why were you astonished? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, the one with the seven heads and the ten horns.
8 The beast you saw was and is not; it is about to come up from the abyss and is going to destruction. And those who live on the earth, whose names are not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, will be astonished when they see that the beast was, and is not, and will be present.
9 Here is the mind that has wisdom: the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits; and they are also seven kings.”
10 “Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come; and when he comes, he must remain for a short time.
11 The beast that was and is not is itself also an eighth; it is one of the seven and is going to destruction.
12 The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but they receive authority as kings for one hour, along with the beast.
13 They have one purpose, and they give their power and authority to the beast.
14 They will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, because he is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those with him are called, chosen, and faithful.”
15 He also said to me: “The waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages.
16 The ten horns you saw, and the beast, will hate the prostitute; they will leave her desolate and naked, eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.
17 For God put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose, to act with one purpose, and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled.
18 And the woman you saw is the great city that reigns over the kings of the earth.”
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