M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

17 One of the seven angels who had carried the seven bowls came and talked to me. He said, `Come, and I will show you the woman who has given herself over to wrong ways of using sex. She is sitting over many waters. I will show you how she will be punished.

² The kings on earth have been with her and copied her. And the people on earth gladly copy her wrong ways.'

³ Then the angel took me away in the Spirit to a wilderness. There I saw a woman sitting on a red beast that had names against God written all over it. It had seven heads and ten horns.

⁴ The woman was wearing blue and red clothes. She was shining with gold, fine stones, and pearls. In her hand she held a gold cup. It was full of the wrong things she did and of her dirty ways of using sex.

⁵ A name was written on her forehead. It has a secret meaning. The name is Great Babylon, the mother of all people who give their bodies for wrong ways of using sex. The mother of all things done on earth too bad to talk about.

⁶ And I saw the woman was drunk because of the blood she drank. It was the blood of God's people, and the blood of people who had been killed because they belonged to Jesus. When I saw her, I was very much surprised.

⁷ The angel asked me, `Why are you surprised? I will tell you the secret meaning of the woman and the beast with seven heads and horns that carries her.

⁸ `The beast that you saw was alive at one time, then it was dead. It will come up from the big hole that has no bottom and it will be killed. The people on earth will be surprised when they see the beast, because it was alive and then it was dead, and it comes alive again. These are the people who do not have their names written in the book of life from the time the world was made.

⁹ `To understand this, one must be wise. The seven heads are the seven hills on which the woman is sitting.

¹⁰ They are also seven kings. Five have already lost their power. One is ruling now, and the other one has not yet come. When he comes he will rule for a short time.

¹¹ The beast that was alive at the one time, and then was dead, is the eighth king. He is really one of the seven. He will be killed.

¹² The ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet ruled. They will have power for one hour to rule with the animal.

¹³ These ten all think the same way, and they give to the beast their power and right to rule.

¹⁴ They will fight against the Lamb, but the Lamb will win the fight against them. He will win because he is Lord of lords and King of kings. `Those who are with the Lamb will also win. God has called them and chosen them, and they believe in him.'

¹⁵ And the angel said to me, `You saw the water on which the bad woman is sitting. The water is the many nations, many people, many countries, and many languages.

¹⁶ You saw the ten horns and the animal. They will hate the bad woman. They will take away everything she has and her fine clothes. They will eat her body and burn her up in a fire.

¹⁷ God has put it into their hearts to do what he wants done to her. They will all agree. They will give to the beast their power to rule until what God has said comes true.

¹⁸ `The woman whom you saw is the big city that rules over the kings on earth.'

16 I have told you these things so that you will not turn back.

² The people will put you out of the meeting place. Yes, the time is coming when someone will kill you and think he is working for God.

³ They will do these things because they do not know my Father nor me.

⁴ I have told you all these things now. Then when that time comes, you will remember that I told you about them. `I did not tell you these things in the beginning because I myself was with you.

⁵ But now I am going back to him who sent me here. Yet not one of you is asking me, "Where are you going?"

⁶ Your hearts are very sad because I have told you these things.

⁷ Anyway, I am telling you the truth. It is better for you if I go away. If I do not go away, the one who is to help you will not come to you. But if I go away, I will send him to you.

⁸ `When the Helper comes, he will prove this to the people of the world that they are wrong. They are wrong about what they call bad and about what they call good. He will show them how to be right with God. He will show them about God's judgement.

⁹ He will prove it is a bad thing that they do not believe in me.

¹⁰ He will show what really is right, because I am going to my Father and you will not see me any more.

¹¹ He will show them how to judge right, because the ruler of this world himself will be judged.

¹² `I have many other things to tell you, but you cannot understand them now.

¹³ When the truth-giving Spirit comes, he will show you everything that is true. He will not speak his own message, but he will tell you the things that he has been told to tell you. He will tell you what is going to happen.

¹⁴ He will make my name great. He will take what is mine and tell it to you.

¹⁵ Everything that belongs to my Father belongs to me also. That is why I said, "He will take what is mine and tell it to you."

¹⁶ `Very soon now, you will not see me. A little while after that, you will see me again, because I go to my Father.'

¹⁷ Some of the disciples talked among themselves and said, `He says, "Very soon now, you will not see me. A little while after that, you will see me." And he says, "Because I go to my Father." What does he mean by "a little while"?

¹⁸ We do not know what he means.'

¹⁹ Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him this question. So he said to them, `Are you asking each other what I mean by saying, "Very soon you will not see me. Then in a little while after that you will see me"?

²⁰ I tell you the truth. You people will cry and be very sad, but the people in the world will be very glad. At first you will be sad, but after that you will not be sad. You will be glad.

²¹ `Any woman is sad just before her baby is born. She has much pain because the time has come for the baby to be born. But as soon as the baby is born, she forgets the pain she had. She is very glad because a person has been born into the world.

²² So you also are very sad now. But I will see you again. Then you will be very glad. And no one can take your joy from you.

²³ When that time comes, you will not ask me for anything. I tell you the truth. My Father will do for you anything you ask in my name.

²⁴ You have not asked for anything in my name yet. Ask my Father and he will give it to you. That is what will make you very glad always.

²⁵ `I have told you these things by a story. The time will come when I will not talk by stories. I will tell you about my Father plainly.

²⁶ When that day comes, you will ask in my name. I do not say that I will ask my Father for you.

²⁷ My Father himself loves you. He loves you because you have loved me. And he loves you because you have believed that God sent me.

²⁸ My Father sent me into the world. And now I will leave the world and go back to my Father.'

²⁹ The disciples said to him, `Yes, now you are telling us plainly. You are not telling us with words we do not understand.

³⁰ We know now that you know everything. No one needs to ask you questions. This makes us believe that God sent you.'

³¹ Jesus answered them, `Do you really believe now?

³² Listen, the time is coming. No, the time is here when you will run away. Every man will go to his own home. You will leave me on my own. And yet I am not alone, because my Father is with me.

³³ I have told you these things so that you may have peace. I give you peace. The world will trouble you much. But be glad. I have power over the world.'