⁵ The name written on her forehead was a mystery:^(A)

⁸ A second angel followed and said, “‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great,’^[a](A) which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries.”^(B)

² With a mighty voice he shouted:

⁷ Then the angel said to me: “Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the mystery^(A) of the woman and of the beast she rides, which has the seven heads and ten horns.^(B)

¹⁹ The great city^(A) split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. God remembered^(B) Babylon the Great^(C) and gave her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of his wrath.^(D)

3 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.^{(A) 2} People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money,^(B) boastful, proud,^(C) abusive,^(D) disobedient to their parents,^(E) ungrateful, unholy, ³ without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, ⁴ treacherous,^(F) rash, conceited,^(G) lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— ⁵ having a form of godliness^(H) but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.^(I)

⁷ For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back^(A) will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way.