⁶ I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God’s holy people,^(A) the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus.

When I saw her, I was greatly astonished. ⁷ Then the angel said to me: “Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the mystery^(B) of the woman and of the beast she rides, which has the seven heads and ten horns.^{(C) 8} The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and yet will come up out of the Abyss^(D) and go to its destruction.^(E) The inhabitants of the earth^(F) whose names have not been written in the book of life^(G) from the creation of the world will be astonished^(H) when they see the beast, because it once was, now is not, and yet will come.

⁹ “This calls for a mind with wisdom.^(I) The seven heads^(J) are seven hills on which the woman sits. ¹⁰ They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for only a little while. ¹¹ The beast who once was, and now is not,^(K) is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction.