³⁸ Instead of them, he will honor a god of fortresses; a god unknown to his ancestors he will honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts.

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)

³ 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) 4} 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) 5} The name written on her forehead was a mystery:^(O)

¹² It exercised all the authority^(A) of the first beast on its behalf,^(B) and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast,^(C) whose fatal wound had been healed.^{(D) 13} And it performed great signs,^(E) even causing fire to come down from heaven^(F) to the earth in full view of the people. ¹⁴ Because of the signs^(G) it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived^(H) the inhabitants of the earth.^(I) It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived.^{(J) 15} The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship^(K) the image to be killed.^{(L) 16} It also forced all people, great and small,^(M) rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads,^{(N) 17} so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark,^(O) which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.^(P)

4 The Spirit^(A) clearly says that in later times^(B) some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits^(C) and things taught by demons.

¹² cargoes of gold, silver, precious stones and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet cloth; every sort of citron wood, and articles of every kind made of ivory, costly wood, bronze, iron and marble;^(A)