Babylon, the Prostitute on the Beast

17 One of the seven angels^(A) who had the seven bowls^(B) came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the punishment^(C) of the great prostitute,^(D) who sits by many waters.^{(E) 2} With her the kings of the earth committed adultery, and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries.”^(F)

The Ten Commandments^(A)

20 And God spoke^(B) all these words:^(C)

³ Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit^(A) into a wilderness.^(B) There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet^(C) beast that was covered with blasphemous names^(D) and had seven heads and ten horns.^{(E) 4} The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls.^(F) She held a golden cup^(G) in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries.^{(H) 5} The name written on her forehead was a mystery:^(I)

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

When I saw her, I was greatly astonished.

The Beast out of the Sea

13 The dragon^[a] stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea.^(A) It had ten horns and seven heads,^(B) with ten crowns on its horns, and on each head a blasphemous name.^(C)

The Fall of Jerusalem^(A)(B)

¹⁵ The Lord, the God of their ancestors, sent word to them through his messengers^(C) again and again,^(D) because he had pity on his people and on his dwelling place. ¹⁶ But they mocked God’s messengers, despised his words and scoffed^(E) at his prophets until the wrath^(F) of the Lord was aroused against his people and there was no remedy.^{(G) 17} He brought up against them the king of the Babylonians,^[a](H) who killed their young men with the sword in the sanctuary, and did not spare young men^(I) or young women, the elderly or the infirm.^(J) God gave them all into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar.^{(K) 18} He carried to Babylon all the articles^(L) from the temple of God, both large and small, and the treasures of the Lord’s temple and the treasures of the king and his officials. ¹⁹ They set fire^(M) to God’s temple^(N) and broke down the wall^(O) of Jerusalem; they burned all the palaces and destroyed^(P) everything of value there.^(Q)

²⁰ He carried into exile^(R) to Babylon the remnant, who escaped from the sword, and they became servants^(S) to him and his successors until the kingdom of Persia came to power. ²¹ The land enjoyed its sabbath rests;^(T) all the time of its desolation it rested,^(U) until the seventy years^(V) were completed in fulfillment of the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah.

39 ¹ In the ninth year of Zedekiah^(A) king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar^(B) king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army and laid siege^(C) to it. ² And on the ninth day of the fourth^(D) month of Zedekiah’s eleventh year, the city wall^(E) was broken through.^{(F) 3} Then all the officials^(G) of the king of Babylon came and took seats in the Middle Gate: Nergal-Sharezer of Samgar, Nebo-Sarsekim a chief officer, Nergal-Sharezer a high official and all the other officials of the king of Babylon. ⁴ When Zedekiah king of Judah and all the soldiers saw them, they fled; they left the city at night by way of the king’s garden, through the gate between the two walls,^(H) and headed toward the Arabah.^[a](I)

⁵ But the Babylonian^[b] army pursued them and overtook Zedekiah^(J) in the plains of Jericho. They captured^(K) him and took him to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon at Riblah^(L) in the land of Hamath, where he pronounced sentence on him. ⁶ There at Riblah the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes and also killed all the nobles^(M) of Judah. ⁷ Then he put out Zedekiah’s eyes^(N) and bound him with bronze shackles to take him to Babylon.^(O)

⁸ The Babylonians^[c] set fire^(P) to the royal palace and the houses of the people and broke down the walls^(Q) of Jerusalem. ⁹ Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard carried into exile to Babylon the people who remained in the city, along with those who had gone over to him,^(R) and the rest of the people.^{(S) 10} But Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard left behind in the land of Judah some of the poor people, who owned nothing; and at that time he gave them vineyards and fields.

The Writing on the Wall

5 King Belshazzar^(A) gave a great banquet^(B) for a thousand of his nobles^(C) and drank wine with them. ² While Belshazzar was drinking^(D) his wine, he gave orders to bring in the gold and silver goblets^(E) that Nebuchadnezzar his father^[a] had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines^(F) might drink from them.^{(G) 3} So they brought in the gold goblets that had been taken from the temple of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines drank from them. ⁴ As they drank the wine, they praised the gods^(H) of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone.^(I)

⁵ Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. The king watched the hand as it wrote. ⁶ His face turned pale^(J) and he was so frightened^(K) that his legs became weak^(L) and his knees were knocking.^(M)

⁷ The king summoned the enchanters,^(N) astrologers^[b](O) and diviners.^(P) Then he said to these wise^(Q) men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this writing and tells me what it means will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around his neck,^(R) and he will be made the third^(S) highest ruler in the kingdom.”^(T)

⁸ Then all the king’s wise men^(U) came in, but they could not read the writing or tell the king what it meant.^{(V) 9} So King Belshazzar became even more terrified^(W) and his face grew more pale. His nobles were baffled.

¹⁰ The queen,^[c] hearing the voices of the king and his nobles, came into the banquet hall. “May the king live forever!”^(X) she said. “Don’t be alarmed! Don’t look so pale! ¹¹ There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods^(Y) in him. In the time of your father he was found to have insight and intelligence and wisdom^(Z) like that of the gods.^(AA) Your father, King Nebuchadnezzar, appointed him chief of the magicians, enchanters, astrologers and diviners.^{(AB) 12} He did this because Daniel, whom the king called Belteshazzar,^(AC) was found to have a keen mind and knowledge and understanding, and also the ability to interpret dreams, explain riddles^(AD) and solve difficult problems.^(AE) Call for Daniel, and he will tell you what the writing means.^(AF)”

¹³ So Daniel was brought before the king, and the king said to him, “Are you Daniel, one of the exiles my father the king brought from Judah?^{(AG) 14} I have heard that the spirit of the gods^(AH) is in you and that you have insight, intelligence and outstanding wisdom.^{(AI) 15} The wise men and enchanters were brought before me to read this writing and tell me what it means, but they could not explain it.^{(AJ) 16} Now I have heard that you are able to give interpretations and to solve difficult problems.^(AK) If you can read this writing and tell me what it means, you will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around your neck,^(AL) and you will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”^(AM)

¹⁷ Then Daniel answered the king, “You may keep your gifts for yourself and give your rewards to someone else.^(AN) Nevertheless, I will read the writing for the king and tell him what it means.

¹⁸ “Your Majesty, the Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar^(AO) sovereignty and greatness and glory and splendor.^{(AP) 19} Because of the high position he gave him, all the nations and peoples of every language dreaded and feared him. Those the king wanted to put to death, he put to death;^(AQ) those he wanted to spare, he spared; those he wanted to promote, he promoted; and those he wanted to humble, he humbled.^{(AR) 20} But when his heart became arrogant and hardened with pride,^(AS) he was deposed from his royal throne^(AT) and stripped^(AU) of his glory.^{(AV) 21} He was driven away from people and given the mind of an animal; he lived with the wild donkeys and ate grass like the ox; and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he acknowledged that the Most High God is sovereign^(AW) over all kingdoms on earth and sets over them anyone he wishes.^(AX)

²² “But you, Belshazzar, his son,^[d] have not humbled^(AY) yourself, though you knew all this. ²³ Instead, you have set yourself up against^(AZ) the Lord of heaven. You had the goblets from his temple brought to you, and you and your nobles, your wives^(BA) and your concubines drank wine from them. You praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or understand.^(BB) But you did not honor the God who holds in his hand your life^(BC) and all your ways.^{(BD) 24} Therefore he sent the hand that wrote the inscription.

²⁵ “This is the inscription that was written:

²⁶ “Here is what these words mean:

²⁹ Then at Belshazzar’s command, Daniel was clothed in purple, a gold chain was placed around his neck,^(BK) and he was proclaimed the third highest ruler in the kingdom.^(BL)

³⁰ That very night Belshazzar,^(BM) king^(BN) of the Babylonians,^[h] was slain,^{(BO) 31} and Darius^(BP) the Mede^(BQ) took over the kingdom, at the age of sixty-two.^[i]

Treasures in Heaven^(A)

¹⁹ “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth,^(B) where moths and vermin destroy,^(C) and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰ But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven,^(D) where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.^{(E) 21} For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.^(F)