The Woman and the Scarlet Beast

17 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls(A) came and spoke with me: “Come, I will show you the judgment of the notorious prostitute[a] who sits on many[b] waters.(B) The kings of the earth committed sexual immorality with her, and those who live on the earth became drunk on the wine of her sexual immorality.”(C) So he carried me away in the Spirit[c](D) to a desert. I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered[d] with blasphemous names and had seven heads and 10 horns.(E) The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, adorned with gold, precious stones, and pearls. She had a gold cup in her hand filled with everything vile(F) and with the impurities of her[e] prostitution. On her forehead a cryptic name(G) was written:

BABYLON THE GREAT

THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES

AND OF THE VILE THINGS OF THE EARTH.

Then I saw that the woman was drunk on the blood of the saints and on the blood of the witnesses to Jesus. When I saw her, I was greatly astonished.

The Meaning of the Woman and of the Beast

Then the angel said to me, “Why are you astonished? I will tell you the secret meaning of the woman and of the beast, with the seven heads and the 10 horns, that carries her. The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up from the abyss(H) and go to destruction.(I) Those who live on the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world(J) will be astonished when they see the beast that was, and is not, and will be present again.(K)

“Here is the mind with wisdom:[f](L) The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated. 10 They are also seven kings:[g] Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when he comes, he must remain for a little while. 11 The beast that was and is not, is himself an eighth king, yet he belongs to the seven and is going to destruction. 12 The 10 horns you saw are 10 kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but they will receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour. 13 These have one purpose, and they give their power and authority to the beast. 14 These will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will conquer them because He is Lord of lords and King of kings.(M) Those with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.”

15 He also said to me, “The waters you saw, where the prostitute was seated, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages.(N) 16 The 10 horns you saw, and the beast, will hate the prostitute.(O) They will make her desolate and naked, devour her flesh, and burn her up with fire.(P) 17 For God has put it into their hearts to carry out His plan by having one purpose(Q) and to give their kingdom[h] to the beast until God’s words are accomplished. 18 And the woman you saw is the great city that has an empire[i] over the kings of the earth.”

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 17:1 Traditionally translated the great whore
  2. Revelation 17:1 Or by many
  3. Revelation 17:3 Or in spirit
  4. Revelation 17:3 Lit was filled
  5. Revelation 17:4 Other mss read of earth’s
  6. Revelation 17:9 Or This calls for the mind with wisdom
  7. Revelation 17:10 Some editors or translators put They are also seven kings: in v. 9.
  8. Revelation 17:17 Or sovereignty
  9. Revelation 17:18 Or has sovereignty or rulership

17 Then kai one heis of ek the ho seven hepta angels angelos who ho had echō the ho seven hepta bowls phialē came erchomai and kai talked laleō with meta me egō, saying legō, “ Come deuro, I will show deiknymi you sy the ho judgment krima of the ho great megas prostitute pornē · ho who ho is seated kathēmai on epi many polys waters hydōr. The ho kings basileus of the ho earth committed acts of immorality porneuō with meta her hos, and kai those ho who dwell katoikeō upon the ho earth became intoxicated methyskō with ek the ho wine oinos of ho her autos immorality porneia.” So kai he carried apopherō me egō away in en the spirit pneuma into eis a wilderness erēmos, and kai there I saw a woman gynē sitting kathēmai on epi a scarlet kokkinos beast thērion covered gemō with blasphemous blasphēmia names onoma. It had echō seven hepta heads kephalē and kai ten deka horns keras. · kai The ho woman gynē was eimi clothed periballō in purple porphyrous and kai scarlet kokkinos, and kai adorned chrysoō with gold chrysion and kai jewels lithos timios and kai pearls margaritēs. In en her autos hand cheir she held echō a golden chrysous cup potērion · ho full gemō of abominations bdelygma, · kai the ho impurities akathartos of ho her autos fornication porneia. And kai on epi · ho her autos forehead metōpon was written graphō a name onoma, a mystery mystērion: “ Babylon Babylōn the ho great megas, · ho mother mētēr of ho prostitutes pornē and kai of the ho abominations bdelygma of the ho earth .” And kai I saw the ho woman gynē drunk methyō with ek the ho blood haima of the ho saints hagios, · kai the ho blood haima of those ho who bore witness martys to Jesus Iēsous. · kai When I saw her autos, I was thaumazō greatly thauma megas astounded thaumazō. Then kai the ho angel angelos said legō to me egō, “ Why dia tis are you astounded thaumazō? I egō will explain legō to you sy the ho mystery mystērion of the ho woman gynē and kai of the ho beast thērion with echō seven hepta heads kephalē and kai ten deka horns keras that ho carries bastazō her autos. · ho · ho · ho The ho beast thērion that hos you saw was eimi, and kai now is eimi not ou, but kai is about mellō to rise anabainō from ek the ho abyss abyssos and kai go hypagō to eis destruction apōleia. And kai those ho who dwell katoikeō on epi the ho earth , whose hos names onoma have not ou been written graphō · ho in epi the ho Book biblion of ho Life zōē from apo the foundation katabolē of the world kosmos, will be astounded thaumazō when they see blepō the ho beast thērion, because hoti he was eimi and kai is eimi not ou, but kai is to come pareimi.

This hōde calls for a ho mind nous · ho with echō wisdom sophia. The ho seven hepta heads kephalē are eimi seven hepta mountains oros on epi which autos the ho woman gynē sits kathēmai. They are eimi also kai seven hepta kings basileus: 10 · ho five pente have fallen piptō, · ho one heis is eimi, the ho other allos has not yet oupō come erchomai; and kai when hotan he does come erchomai, he autos must dei remain menō for only a brief time oligos. 11 · kai The ho beast thērion that hos was eimi, and kai now is eimi not ou, · kai is eimi himself autos an eighth ogdoos king, but kai also one of ek the ho seven hepta, and kai is on his way hypagō to eis destruction apōleia. 12 And kai the ho ten deka horns keras that hos you saw are eimi ten deka kings basileus who hostis as yet oupō have lambanō not oupō received lambanō royal power basileia, but alla will receive lambanō ruling authority exousia as hōs kings basileus for one heis hour hōra, along with meta the ho beast thērion. 13 These houtos are echō of one heis mind gnōmē and kai will hand over didōmi · ho their autos power dynamis and kai authority exousia to the ho beast thērion. 14 They houtos will make war polemeō on meta the ho Lamb arnion, but kai the ho Lamb arnion will conquer nikaō them autos because hoti he is eimi Lord kyrios of lords kyrios and kai King basileus of kings basileus; and kai with meta him autos will be the ho called klētos, · kai the chosen eklektos, and kai the faithful pistos.” 15 Then kai the angel said legō to me egō, “ The ho waters hydōr that hos you saw, where hou the ho prostitute pornē is seated kathēmai, are eimi peoples laos, · kai multitudes ochlos, · kai nations ethnos, and kai languages glōssa. 16 As for kai the ho ten deka horns keras that hos you saw, they and kai the ho beast thērion will hate miseō the ho prostitute pornē and kai make poieō her autos desolate erēmoō and kai naked gymnos. · kai They will devour esthiō · ho her autos flesh sarx and kai burn katakaiō her autos up with en fire pyr, 17 · ho for gar God theos has put didōmi it into eis · ho their autos hearts kardia to carry out poieō · ho his autos purpose gnōmē · kai by agreeing together poieō · kai to turn over didōmi · ho their autos royal power basileia to the ho beast thērion, until achri the ho words logos of ho God theos are fulfilled teleō. 18 And kai the ho woman gynē you saw is eimi the ho great megas city polis · ho that ho has echō dominion basileia over epi the ho kings basileus of the ho earth .”