Revelation

17 And one of the seven messengers who had the seven bowls came and spake with me, saying—Hither! I will point out to thee the judgment of the great harlot who sitteth upon many waters,

2 with whom the kings of the earth committed lewdness,—and they who were dwelling upon the earth were made drunk with the wine of her lewdness.

3 And he carried me away into a desert in spirit. And I saw a woman, sitting upon a scarlet wild-beast full of names of blasphemy having seven heads and ten horns.

4 And the woman was arrayed with purple and scarlet and decked with gold and precious stone and pearls,—having a cup of gold in her hand full of abominations and the impurities of her lewdness;

5 and upon her forehead a name written, a secret: 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 witnesses of Jesus. And I was astonished when I beheld her with great astonishment.

7 And the messenger said unto me—Wherefore wast thou astonished? I will tell thee the secret of the woman and of the wild-beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and the ten horns.

8 The wild-beast which thou sawest was and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss and into destruction goeth away. And they who are dwelling upon the earth whose name is not written upon the book of life from the foundation of the world will be astonished, when they see the wild-beast, because it was and is not, and shall be present.

9 Here is the mind that hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains whereupon the woman sitteth;

10 and they are seven kings: the five have fallen, the one is, the other hath not yet come; and whensoever he shall come a little while must he remain

11 and the wild-beast which was and is not. And he is an eighth, and is of the seven,—and into destruction goeth away.

12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings,—who indeed have not received sovereignty as yet, but authority as kings for one hour shall receive with the wild-beast.

13 These have one mind, and their power and authority unto the wild-beast they give.

14 These with the Lamb will make war; and the Lamb will overcome them, because he is Lord of lords and King of kings,—and they who are with him are called and chosen and faithful.

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

16 And the ten horns which thou sawest and the wild-beast these shall hate the harlot, and desolate shall make her and naked, and her flesh shall they eat and herself shall they burn up with fire.

17 For God hath put into their hearts to do his mind, and to do one mind,—and to give their sovereignty unto the wild-beast, until the words of God shall be completed.

18 And the woman whom thou sawest is the great city which hath sovereignty over the kings of the earth.