Beginning
The Vile Prostitute and the Beast
17 Then one of the seven angels holding the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, “Come, I will show you the sentencing of the great prostitute,[a] who sits on many waters. 2 The earth’s kings committed sexual immorality with her, and those who dwell on the earth got drunk with the wine of her immorality.”
3 So he carried me away in the Ruach into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. [b] 4 The woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls.[c] She was holding a golden cup[d] in her hand full of detestable things and the filth of her immorality, 5 and on her forehead was written a name, a mystery:
“Babylon the Great, the mother of prostitutes and the detestable things of the earth.”
6 And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the kedoshim and with the blood of the witnesses of Yeshua. When I saw her, I was totally astounded.
7 But the angel said to me, “Why are you astonished? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and ten horns. 8 The beast that you saw was, and is not, and yet is about to rise up from the abyss and head for destruction. Those who dwell on the earth—whose names have not been written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world—will be astonished when they see the beast, because he was and is not and is to come.
9 “This calls for a mind having wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated. They are also seven kings— 10 five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; and when he comes, he must remain a little while. 11 The beast that was and is not—he himself is the eighth, and is one of the seven, and is heading for destruction. 12 The ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received royal power, but receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour. 13 These kings are of one mind, and they give their power and authority to the beast. 14 They will make war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them—because He is Lord of lords and King of kings,[e] and those with Him are called and chosen and faithful.”
15 Then he tells me, “The waters that you saw, where the prostitute is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues. 16 The ten horns that you saw, and the beast—these will hate the prostitute. They will make her desolate and naked,[f] and devour her flesh and burn her up with fire. 17 For God has put it into their hearts to do His will, and to be of one mind, and to give their royal power to the beast until the words of God are fulfilled. 18 And the woman that you saw is the great city exercising kingship over the kings of the earth.”
Judgment of Babylon
18 After these things, I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his glory. 2 He cried out with a mighty voice, saying:
“Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great![g]
She has become a den for demons,
a haunt for every unclean spirit
and for every unclean bird
and for every unclean and detestable beast.[h]
3 For all the nations have drunk
of the wine of the fury of her immorality.
The kings of the earth have committed
sexual immorality with her,
and the merchants of the earth
grew rich off the power
of her self-indulgence.”
4 Then I heard another voice from heaven saying,
“Come out of her, my people,[i]
lest you participate in her sins
and receive her plagues!
5 For her sins have piled up to heaven,[j]
and God has remembered her crimes.
6 Pay her back just as she has paid out,
and give her back double for her deeds![k]
In the cup she has mixed—
mix a double dose for her!
7 As she has exalted herself and indulged herself in luxury,
so give her the same measure of torment and grief!
For in her heart she says,
‘I sit as a queen—
I am no widow;
I shall never see grief.’[l]
8 For this reason her plagues will arrive in
a single day—
death and grief and famine—
and she shall be burned down with fire.[m]
For mighty is Adonai Elohim who judges her!”
9 Then the kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality and indulged in luxury with her shall weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning[n]— 10 standing far off because of the terror of her torment, saying:
“Alas, alas, O great city—
O Babylon, the mighty city!
For in a single hour your judgment has come!”
11 And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn for her,[o] because no one buys their merchandise anymore— 12 shipments of gold, silver, precious stones, and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk, and scarlet; all kinds of citron wood; all kinds of ivory products; all kinds of products made of costly wood, bronze, iron, and marble; 13 cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, and frankincense; wine, oil, fine flour, and wheat; cattle, sheep, horses, and chariots; and slaves—that is, human souls.
14 The fruit of your soul’s desire has gone from you,
and all the expensive and beautiful things are lost to you
—never again will people find them.
15 The merchants of these things, who became rich from her, shall stand far off for fear of her torment, weeping and mourning, 16 saying,
“Alas, alas, O great city—
clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet,
adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls!
17 For in a single hour so much wealth has been ruined!”
And every ship captain and passenger, sailors and all who make their living at sea, stood at a distance 18 and were crying out, seeing the smoke of her burning, saying, ‘What city is like the great city?’ 19 And they threw dust on their heads and were crying out, weeping and mourning,
“Alas, alas, O great city—
in her all who had ships at sea grew rich from her wealth!
For in a single hour has she been ruined!
20 Rejoice over her, O heaven,[p]
and you kedoshim, emissaries and prophets!
For God has judged her condemnation of you!”
21 Then a mighty angel picked up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea,[q] saying:
“So shall Babylon, the great city,
be thrown down with violence,
never to be found again!
22 And the sound of harpists and musicians,
flautists and trumpeters,
shall never be heard in you again![r]
And the craftsman of any craft
shall never be found in you again!
And the sound of a mill
shall never be heard in you again!
23 And the light of a lamp
shall never shine in you again!
And the voice of the bridegroom and bride
shall never be heard in you again![s]
For your businessmen were the tycoons of the world,
for all the nations were deceived by your sorcery![t]
24 And in her was found the blood of the prophets and kedoshim
and all those slaughtered on the earth.”
Victory Songs in Heaven
19 After these things, I heard something like the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, shouting:
“Halleluyah![u]
Salvation and glory and power belong to our God.
2 For His judgments are true and just.[v]
For He has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her whoring,
and has avenged the blood of His servants caused by her hand.”[w]
3 And a second time they shouted,
“Halleluyah!
The smoke from her goes up forever and ever!”[x]
4 Then the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who is seated on the throne, saying, “Amen! Halleluyah!”[y]
5 Then a voice came from the throne, saying:
“Praise our God,
all you His servants and
all who fear Him,
both the small and the great!”[z]
Wedding of the Lamb
6 Then I heard something like the voice of a great multitude—like the roar of rushing waters[aa] or like the rumbling of powerful thunder—saying,
“Halleluyah!
For Adonai Elohei-Tzva’ot reigns!
7 Let us rejoice and be glad
and give the glory to Him!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come,
and His bride has made herself ready,[ab]
8 She was given fine linen to wear, bright and clean!
For the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the kedoshim.”
9 Then the angel tells me, “Write: How fortunate are those who have been invited to the wedding banquet of the Lamb!” He also tells me, “These are the true words of God.”
10 Then I fell down at his feet and worshiped him. But he said to me, “See that you do not do that—for I am only a fellow servant with you and your brothers and sisters who hold to the testimony of Yeshua. Worship God! For the testimony of Yeshua is the Spirit of Prophesy.”
Final Battle of this Age
11 Then I saw heaven opened,[ac] and behold, a white horse! The One riding on it is called Faithful and True, and He judges and makes war in righteousness. 12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and many royal crowns are on His head. He has a name written that no one knows except Himself. 13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood,[ad] and the name by which He is called is “the Word of God.”
14 And the armies of heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. 15 From His mouth comes a sharp sword—so that with it He may strike down the nations—and He shall rule them with an iron rod, and He treads the winepress of the furious wrath of Elohei-Tzva’ot. [ae] 16 On His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “King of kings, and Lord of lords.”[af]
17 Then I saw a single angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he cried out to all the birds flying high in the sky, “Come, gather for the great banquet of God— 18 to eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of generals and the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and those riding on them, the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great!”[ag]
19 Also I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against the One who sat on the horse and against His army. 20 Then the beast was captured, and along with him the false prophet who had performed the signs before him by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast, as well as those who had worshiped his image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. [ah] 21 The rest were killed with the sword coming out of the mouth of the One riding on the horse. And all the birds gorged themselves with their flesh.
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.