The Judgment of the Great Prostitute Babylon

17 And one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute who is seated on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth committed sexual immorality, and those who live on the earth became drunk with the wine of her sexual immorality.” And he carried me away into the wilderness in the Spirit,[a] and I saw a woman seated on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was dressed in purple and scarlet and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, holding a golden cup in her hand full of detestable things and the unclean things of her sexual immorality. And on her forehead a name was written, a mystery: “Babylon the great, the mother of prostitutes and of the detestable things of the earth.” And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the witnesses to Jesus.

And I was greatly astonished when I saw her[b]. And the angel said to me, “Why are you astonished? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that has the seven heads and the ten horns that carries her. The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is going to come up from the abyss, and he is going to destruction. And those who live on the earth, whose names are not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, will be astonished when they[c] see the beast that was, and is not, and will be present. Here is the mind that has wisdom: the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits[d] and they are seven kings. 10 Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and whenever he comes it is necessary for him to remain a short time. 11 And the beast that was, and is not, is also himself an eighth, and is of the seven, and he is going to destruction. 12 And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings, who have not yet received a kingdom, but they will receive authority as kings for one hour with the beast. 13 These have one opinion, and they will give their power and authority to the beast. 14 These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, because he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.”

15 And he said to me, “The waters that you saw, where the prostitute is seated, are peoples and crowds and nations and languages. 16 And the ten horns that you saw and the beast, these will hate the prostitute and will make her desolate and naked, and they will eat her flesh and will burn her up with fire. 17 For God put into their hearts to carry out his purpose and to make a unanimous decision[e] and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled. 18 And the woman that you saw is the great city that has sovereignty over the kings of the earth.

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 17:3 Or “in the spirit,” referring to the human spirit
  2. Revelation 17:6 Literally “I marveled a great marvel seeing her”
  3. Revelation 17:8 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“see”) which is understood as temporal
  4. Revelation 17:9 Literally “where the woman is seated on them”
  5. Revelation 17:17 Literally “to make one decision”

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 .”