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 whore^[a] who is seated on many waters,^{(A) 2} with whom the kings of the earth have engaged in sexual immorality^[b] and with the wine of whose prostitution the inhabitants of the earth have become drunk.”^{(B) 3} So he carried me away in the spirit^[c] into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names, and it had seven heads and ten horns.^{(C) 4} The woman was clothed in purple and scarlet and adorned with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her prostitution,^{(D) 5} and on her forehead was written a name, a mystery: “Babylon the great, mother^[d] of whores^[e] and of earth’s abominations.”^{(E) 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.^(F)

The Rider on the White Horse

¹¹ Then I saw heaven opened, and there was a white horse! Its rider is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and wages war.^{(A) 12} His eyes are like^[a] a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name inscribed that no one knows but himself.^{(B) 13} He is clothed in a robe dipped in^[b] blood, and his name is called The Word of God.^{(C) 14} And the armies of heaven, wearing fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. ¹⁵ From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule^[c] them with a scepter of iron; he will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.^{(D) 16} On his robe and on his thigh he has a name inscribed, “King of kings and Lord of lords.”^(E)