⁴ The woman ^(A)was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned ^(B)with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand ^(C)a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality. ⁵ And on her forehead was written a name of ^(D)mystery: ^(E)“Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth's abominations.” ⁶ And I saw the woman, drunk ^(F)with the blood of the saints, the blood of ^(G)the martyrs of Jesus.^[a]

When I saw her, I marveled greatly.

⁸ But Elymas the ^(A)magician (for that is the meaning of his name) ^(B)opposed them, seeking to turn ^(C)the proconsul away from the faith. ⁹ But Saul, who was also called Paul, ^(D)filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him ¹⁰ and said, “You ^(E)son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and ^(F)villainy, will you not stop ^(G)making crooked ^(H)the straight paths of the Lord? ¹¹ And now, behold, ^(I)the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time.” Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking ^(J)people to lead him by the hand. ¹² Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had occurred, for he was astonished at ^(K)the teaching of the Lord.

^7 (A)The king called loudly to bring in ^(B)the enchanters, the ^(C)Chaldeans, and ^(D)the astrologers. The king declared^[a] to the wise men of Babylon, ^(E)“Whoever reads this writing, and shows me its interpretation, shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around his neck and ^(F)shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.” ⁸ Then all the king's wise men came in, but ^(G)they could not read the writing or make known to the king the interpretation. ⁹ Then King Belshazzar was greatly ^(H)alarmed, and his ^(I)color changed, and his ^(J)lords were perplexed.