⁴⁵ But if that slave says to himself, ‘My master is delayed in coming,’ and begins to beat the other slaves, men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk,

⁴⁸ But if that wicked slave says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ ⁴⁹ and begins to beat his fellow slaves and eats and drinks with drunkards, ⁵⁰ the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour that he does not know.

⁵ and on her forehead was written a name, a mystery: “Babylon the great, mother^[a] of whores^[b] and of earth’s abominations.”^{(A) 6} And I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints and the blood of the witnesses to Jesus.

When I saw her, I was greatly amazed.^(B)

¹⁵ and it was allowed to give breath^[a] to the image of the beast so that the image of the beast could even speak and cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. ¹⁶ Also, it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be given a brand on the right hand or the forehead,^{(A) 17} so that no one can buy or sell who does not have the brand, that is, the name of the beast or the number for its name.^(B)

⁷ Also, it was allowed to wage war on the saints and to conquer them.^[a] It was given authority over every tribe and people and language and nation,^{(A) 8} and all the inhabitants of the earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb that was slaughtered.^[b](B)

⁹ Let anyone who has an ear listen:

Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints.^(C)

¹² These are blots^[a] on your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, feeding themselves.^[b] They are waterless clouds carried along by the winds; autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, uprooted;^{(A) 13} wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the deepest darkness has been reserved forever.^(B)