大淫妇与兽

17 拿着七碗的七位天使中,有一位过来对我讲话,说:“来,我要给你看那坐在众水之上的大淫妇所要受的审判。 地上的众君王曾与她行淫乱,住在地上的人也喝醉了她淫乱的酒。” 于是我在灵里被天使带到旷野。随后,我看见一个女人骑在一只深红色的兽上,这兽有七个头,十只角,遍体布满了亵渎的名号。 那女人身穿紫色和深红色的衣服,以金子、宝石和珍珠为装饰。她手里拿着金杯,杯中盛满了可憎之物和她淫乱的污秽。 在她的额上写着一个奥秘的名号:“大巴比伦,地上的淫妇们和可憎之物的母亲。” 随后,我看见那女人喝醉了圣徒们的血,以及为耶稣做见证之人的血。我看到她就大大惊奇。

解明奥秘的含义

那位天使对我说:“你为什么惊奇呢?我要把这女人和驮着她的那七头十角兽的奥秘告诉你。 你所看见的那兽,先前在而现今不在,并将要从无底坑里上来,然后走向灭亡[a]。住在地上的人,凡是名字从创世以来没有被记在生命册上的,看见那先前在而现今不在,并将要出现[b]的兽时,都会感到惊奇。

“带有智慧的理性就在这里。那七个头就是女人所坐的七座山,也就是七个君王。 10 五个已经倒了,一个还在,另一个还没有到来;他来的时候,必须存留片刻。 11 那先前在而现今不在的兽,自己就是第八个,也是属于[c]那七个,并且要走向灭亡[d] 12 你所看见的那十只角,是十个王,他们还没有得到王权,然而他们要得到权柄,与那兽一同做王一段时间。 13 他们目的一致,把自己的能力和权柄交给[e]那兽。 14 他们将要与羔羊交战,而羔羊将胜过他们,因为他是万主之主,万王之王;与羔羊在一起的,是那些蒙召唤的、蒙拣选的、忠心的人。”

15 天使又对我说:“你所看见的众水,那淫妇所坐的地方,就是许多民族、人群、国家和语言群体。 16 你所看见的那十只角和那兽,他们将恨恶那淫妇,并且将使她成为荒芜、赤身露体,又要吃她的肉,而且用火烧掉她。 17 因为神把意念[f]放在他们心中,要他们实现他的目的,要他们行事目的一致,并把十只角[g]的王权交给那兽,直到神的话语[h]成就。 18 你所看见的那女人,就是那有王权统管地上众君王的大城。”

Footnotes

  1. 启示录 17:8 灭亡——或译作“沉沦”。
  2. 启示录 17:8 并将要出现——有古抄本作“其实现今在”。
  3. 启示录 17:11 属于——或译作“出于”。
  4. 启示录 17:11 灭亡——或译作“沉沦”。
  5. 启示录 17:13 交给——有古抄本作“移交给”。
  6. 启示录 17:17 意念——辅助词语。
  7. 启示录 17:17 十只角——原文直译“他们”。
  8. 启示录 17:17 神的话语——或译作“神的道”。

大淫妇的下场

17 拿着七碗的七位天使中有一位前来对我说:“你过来!我要让你看那坐在众水之上的大淫妇将要遭受的刑罚。 地上的君王与她行淫,地上其他人也因喝了她淫乱的酒而酩酊大醉。”

那时,我被圣灵感动,被天使带到旷野,在那里见到一个妇人骑着一只朱红色的怪兽。怪兽有七头十角,浑身写满亵渎上帝的名号。 那妇人身穿紫色和朱红色的袍子,用黄金、宝石及珍珠装扮自己。她手中拿着金杯,里面盛满了她淫乱的污秽、可憎之物。 在她额上还写了一个神秘的名号:“大巴比伦——地上淫妇及可憎事物之母”。 我又见她醉了,因她喝了众圣徒的血,就是为耶稣做见证之人的血。

我看见她,非常惊奇。 天使对我说:“你为什么这样惊奇呢?我要将这妇人和她骑的七头十角怪兽的奥秘告诉你。 你看见的这怪兽以前出现过,现今没有出现,将来要从无底坑上来,然后走向灭亡。那些住在地上、自创世以来名字没有记在生命册上的人,都因见到这只从前出现过、现今没有出现、将来会再出现的怪兽而感到惊奇。 这里需要智慧才能明白,它的七个头代表那妇人坐镇的七座山,又代表七个王。 10 其中五个已经衰亡,一个还在,另外一个还未来到,他来后只能短暂存留。 11 那从前出现过、现今没有出现的怪兽是第八个王,他是七个王之一,也要走向灭亡。 12 你看见的那十个角象征另外十个还没有得势的王,他们将取得王权和那怪兽一同统治短暂的一段时期。 13 他们一致同意把自己所有的能力和权柄交给那怪兽。 14 他们将与羔羊交战,但羔羊必胜过他们,因为羔羊是万主之主,万王之王。那些跟随羔羊的是被呼召、蒙拣选、忠心耿耿的人。”

15 天使又对我说:“你看见的那淫妇所坐的众水象征来自各民族、各国家、各语言族群的人。 16 怪兽和它头上的十角必憎恨那淫妇,使她赤身露体、景况凄凉。它们要吃她的肉,最后用火将她烧尽。 17 因为上帝使众王定意这样做,好完成祂的旨意。他们便同心将政权交给那怪兽,直到上帝的话得到实现。 18 你看见的那妇人就是那掌管世上众王的大城。”

The Great Whore and the Beast

17 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot[a] who is seated upon many waters, with whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and with the wine of whose fornication[b] the dwellers on earth have become drunk.” And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of blasphemous names, and it had seven heads and ten horns. The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and bedecked with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her fornication; and on her forehead was written a name of mystery: “Babylon the great, mother of harlots and of earth’s abominations.” And I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and the blood of the martyrs of Jesus.

When I saw her I marveled greatly. But the angel said to me, “Why marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman, and of the beast with seven heads and ten horns that carries her. The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is to ascend from the bottomless pit and go to perdition; and the dwellers on earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, will marvel to behold the beast, because it was and is not and is to come. This calls for a mind with wisdom: the seven heads are seven hills on which the woman is seated; 10 they are also seven kings, five of whom have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when he comes he must remain only a little while. 11 As for the beast that was and is not, it is an eighth but it belongs to the seven, and it goes to perdition. 12 And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received royal power, but they are to receive authority as kings for one hour, together with the beast. 13 These are of one mind and give over their power and authority to the beast; 14 they will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.”

15 And he said to me, “The waters that you saw, where the harlot is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues. 16 And the ten horns that you saw, they and the beast will hate the harlot; they will make her desolate and naked, and devour her flesh and burn her up with fire, 17 for God has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose by being of one mind and giving over their royal power to the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled. 18 And the woman that you saw is the great city which has dominion over the kings of the earth.”

Footnotes

  1. 17.1 great harlot: i.e., Rome.
  2. 17.2 fornication: i.e., idolatry.

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) With her the kings of the earth committed adultery, and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries.”(F)

Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit(G) into a wilderness.(H) There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet(I) beast that was covered with blasphemous names(J) and had seven heads and ten horns.(K) The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls.(L) She held a golden cup(M) in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries.(N) The name written on her forehead was a mystery:(O)

babylon the great(P)

the mother of prostitutes(Q)

and of the abominations of the earth.

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

When I saw her, I was greatly astonished. Then the angel said to me: “Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the mystery(S) of the woman and of the beast she rides, which has the seven heads and ten horns.(T) The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and yet will come up out of the Abyss(U) and go to its destruction.(V) The inhabitants of the earth(W) whose names have not been written in the book of life(X) from the creation of the world will be astonished(Y) when they see the beast, because it once was, now is not, and yet will come.

“This calls for a mind with wisdom.(Z) The seven heads(AA) 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,(AB) is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction.

12 “The ten horns(AC) you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour(AD) will receive authority as kings along with the beast. 13 They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast.(AE) 14 They will wage war(AF) against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over(AG) them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings(AH)—and with him will be his called, chosen(AI) and faithful followers.”

15 Then the angel said to me, “The waters(AJ) you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages.(AK) 16 The beast and the ten horns(AL) you saw will hate the prostitute.(AM) They will bring her to ruin(AN) and leave her naked;(AO) they will eat her flesh(AP) and burn her with fire.(AQ) 17 For God has put it into their hearts(AR) to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to hand over to the beast their royal authority,(AS) until God’s words are fulfilled.(AT) 18 The woman you saw is the great city(AU) that rules over the kings of the earth.”