Babylon, the Prostitute on the Beast

17 One of the seven angels(A) who had the seven bowls(B) came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the punishment(C) of the great prostitute,(D) who sits by many waters.(E) With her the kings of the earth committed adultery, and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries.”(F)

Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit(G) into a wilderness.(H) There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet(I) beast that was covered with blasphemous names(J) and had seven heads and ten horns.(K) The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls.(L) She held a golden cup(M) in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries.(N) The name written on her forehead was a mystery:(O)

babylon the great(P)

the mother of prostitutes(Q)

and of the abominations of the earth.

I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God’s holy people,(R) the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus.

When I saw her, I was greatly astonished. Then the angel said to me: “Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the mystery(S) of the woman and of the beast she rides, which has the seven heads and ten horns.(T) The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and yet will come up out of the Abyss(U) and go to its destruction.(V) The inhabitants of the earth(W) whose names have not been written in the book of life(X) from the creation of the world will be astonished(Y) when they see the beast, because it once was, now is not, and yet will come.

“This calls for a mind with wisdom.(Z) The seven heads(AA) are seven hills on which the woman sits. 10 They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for only a little while. 11 The beast who once was, and now is not,(AB) is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction.

12 “The ten horns(AC) you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour(AD) will receive authority as kings along with the beast. 13 They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast.(AE) 14 They will wage war(AF) against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over(AG) them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings(AH)—and with him will be his called, chosen(AI) and faithful followers.”

15 Then the angel said to me, “The waters(AJ) you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages.(AK) 16 The beast and the ten horns(AL) you saw will hate the prostitute.(AM) They will bring her to ruin(AN) and leave her naked;(AO) they will eat her flesh(AP) and burn her with fire.(AQ) 17 For God has put it into their hearts(AR) to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to hand over to the beast their royal authority,(AS) until God’s words are fulfilled.(AT) 18 The woman you saw is the great city(AU) that rules over the kings of the earth.”

The Doom of Babylon

17 (A)Then one of the (B)seven angels who had the (C)seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, “Come here, I will show you (D)the judgment of the (E)great prostitute who (F)sits on many waters, with whom (G)the kings of the earth committed acts of sexual immorality, and (H)those who live on the earth (I)became drunk with the wine of her sexual immorality.” And (J)he carried me away [a](K)in the Spirit (L)into a wilderness; and I saw a woman sitting on a (M)scarlet beast, full of (N)blasphemous names, having (O)seven heads and ten horns. The woman (P)was clothed in purple and scarlet, and [b]adorned with gold, precious [c]stones, and pearls, holding in her hand (Q)a gold cup full of abominations and of the unclean things of her sexual immorality, and on her forehead a name was written, [d]a (R)mystery: “(S)BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND OF (T)THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” And I saw the woman drunk with (U)the blood of the [e]saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. When I saw her, I wondered [f]greatly. And the angel said to me, “Why [g]do you wonder? I will tell you the (V)mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the (W)seven heads and the ten horns.

(X)The beast that you saw (Y)was, and is not, and is about to (Z)come up out of the (AA)abyss and [h](AB)go to destruction. And (AC)those who live on the earth, (AD)whose names have not been written in the book of life (AE)from the foundation of the world, will (AF)wonder when they see the beast, that he was, and is not, and will [i]come. (AG)Here is the mind which has wisdom. The (AH)seven heads are seven mountains upon which the woman sits, 10 and they are seven (AI)kings; five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; and when he comes, he must remain a little while. 11 The beast which (AJ)was, and is not, is himself also an eighth and is one of the seven, and he (AK)goes to destruction. 12 The (AL)ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but they receive authority as kings with the beast (AM)for one hour. 13 These have (AN)one [j]purpose, and they give their power and authority to the beast.

Victory for the Lamb

14 These will wage (AO)war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will (AP)overcome them because He is (AQ)Lord of lords and (AR)King of kings; and (AS)those who are with Him are the (AT)called and chosen and faithful.”

15 And he *said to me, “The (AU)waters which you saw where the prostitute sits are (AV)peoples and multitudes, and nations and languages. 16 And the (AW)ten horns which you saw, and the beast, these will hate the prostitute and will make her (AX)desolate and (AY)naked, and will (AZ)eat her flesh and will (BA)burn her up with fire. 17 For (BB)God has put it in their hearts to execute His [k]purpose [l]by (BC)having a common purpose, and by giving their kingdom to the beast, until the (BD)words of God will be fulfilled. 18 The woman whom you saw is (BE)the great city, which [m]reigns over the kings of the earth.”

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 17:3 Or in spirit
  2. Revelation 17:4 Lit gilded
  3. Revelation 17:4 Lit stone
  4. Revelation 17:5 Or “MYSTERY...”
  5. Revelation 17:6 Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s people
  6. Revelation 17:6 Lit with great wonder
  7. Revelation 17:7 Lit have you wondered
  8. Revelation 17:8 One early ms is going
  9. Revelation 17:8 Lit be present
  10. Revelation 17:13 Or mind
  11. Revelation 17:17 Or mind
  12. Revelation 17:17 Lit even to do one mind and to give
  13. Revelation 17:18 Lit has a kingdom

野兽身上的妇人

17 这时,拿碗的七位天使中的一位走过来对我说∶“过来,我要让你看看坐在众河之上的大妓女所要得到的惩罚。 地上的诸王都与她行过淫,世人喝了她的淫荡的酒,都变得醉醺醺的。”

然后,天使把圣灵附体的我带到旷野里,在那里我看见一个女人骑在一只鲜红的野兽身上,那野兽遍体写着亵渎上帝的名称,它长着七头十角。 那女人身穿大红大紫的长袍,浑身上下戴满了金饰、宝石和珍珠,她手拿一盏金杯,里面盛满恶心的东西和她淫乱的污秽。 她的额头上写着象征性的称号:

“大巴比伦城,
世上的淫妇和
一切龌龊之物之母。”

我看到那女人由于喝多了上帝子民和为耶稣作见证的人的血而醉成一滩。

看到她,我很诧异。 天使对我说∶“你为什么要吃惊呢?我要告诉你这个女人和她骑着的七头十角兽的隐秘。 你看到的那头野兽,过去是活着的,但是现在死了。不过它就要从无底深渊钻出来,然后,走向毁灭。凡活在世上、名字在创世以来未被记入生命册的人,看到那这头野兽时,都会非常惊诧不已,因为它曾活过,现在死了,但将来还会再来。

“这就需要有智慧的头脑了。那七个头就是女人坐着的七座山,也是七个王。 10 前五个王已经倒了,一个还在位,另一个还没有来。当他来时,也注定只能统治很短的一段时间。 11 这个曾活着、现在已经死去的野兽本身是第八个王,也是七王中的一个,它正在走向毁灭。

12 “你看到的那十角,是十个还没有开始统治的王,但他们将得到王权,与这只野兽一起统治一个钟头。 13 他们的目的都一样,都会把力量和权柄交给这只野兽。 14 他们都会与羔羊交战,羔羊必胜过他们,因他是万君之主,万王之王。他必将和他所选召的忠诚的信徒一起打败他们。”

15 天使对我说∶“你所看见那妓女坐在的众水,就是不同民族、不同种族、不同国家和说各种语言的人。 16 你看到的十角和那只野兽将会恨这个妓女,要夺走她所有的一切,让她赤身裸体。他们要吃她的肉,并烧死她。 17 之所以要发生这一切,是因为上帝把执行他的旨意的意念放进了他们的心里,使他们一致同意把自己的统治权交给那野兽,直到上帝的话实现为止。 18 你看到的那女人,就是统治地上诸王的那个大城。”

The Scarlet Woman and the Scarlet Beast

17 Then (A)one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying [a]to me, “Come, (B)I will show you the judgment of (C)the great harlot (D)who sits on many waters, (E)with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and (F)the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication.”

So he carried me away in the Spirit (G)into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting (H)on a scarlet beast which was full of (I)names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. The woman (J)was arrayed in purple and scarlet, (K)and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, (L)having in her hand a golden cup (M)full of abominations and the filthiness of [b]her fornication. And on her forehead a name was written:

(N)MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT,
THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS
AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS
OF THE EARTH.

I saw (O)the woman, drunk (P)with the blood of the saints and with the blood of (Q)the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement.

The Meaning of the Woman and the Beast

But the angel said to me, “Why did you marvel? I will tell you the [c]mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns. The beast that you saw was, and is not, and (R)will ascend out of the bottomless pit and (S)go to [d]perdition. And those who (T)dwell on the earth (U)will marvel, (V)whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and [e]yet is.

(W)“Here is the mind which has wisdom: (X)The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. 10 There are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must (Y)continue a short time. 11 The (Z)beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going to [f]perdition.

12 (AA)“The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. 13 These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast. 14 (AB)These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will (AC)overcome them, (AD)for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; (AE)and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.”

15 Then he said to me, (AF)“The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, (AG)are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues. 16 And the ten horns which you [g]saw on the beast, (AH)these will hate the harlot, make her (AI)desolate (AJ)and naked, eat her flesh and (AK)burn her with fire. 17 (AL)For God has put it into their hearts to fulfill His purpose, to be of one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast, (AM)until the words of God are fulfilled. 18 And the woman whom you saw (AN)is that great city (AO)which reigns over the kings of the earth.”

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 17:1 NU, M omit to me
  2. Revelation 17:4 M the fornication of the earth
  3. Revelation 17:7 hidden truth
  4. Revelation 17:8 destruction
  5. Revelation 17:8 NU, M shall be present
  6. Revelation 17:11 destruction
  7. Revelation 17:16 NU, M saw, and the beast