Common - Revelation of John - 17

17:1  Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, "Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters,

17:2  with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication."

17:3  And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of blasphemous names, and it had seven heads and ten horns.

17:4  The woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and of the unclean things of her immorality,

17:5  And on her forehead was written a name of mystery, "BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH."

17:6  And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. When I saw her, I wondered greatly.

17:7  And the angel said to me, "Why do you wonder? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns.

17:8  The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss and go to destruction. And those who dwell on the earth, whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, will wonder when they see the beast, because he was and is not and will come.

17:9  This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits.

17:10  And they are also seven kings; five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; and when he comes, he must remain a little while.

17:11  The beast who was, and is not, is an eighth. He belongs to the seven and he goes to destruction.

17:12  And the ten horns which you saw are ten kings, who have not yet received a kingdom, but they receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour.

17:13  These have one purpose and they give their power and authority to the beast.

17:14  These will make war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with him are the called and chosen and faithful."

17:15  And he said to me, "The waters you saw where the harlot sits, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues.

17:16  And the ten horns you saw, they and the beast will hate the harlot; they will make her desolate and naked, and will eat her flesh and burn her up with fire,

17:17  for God has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose by being of one mind and giving over their royal power to the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.

17:18  The woman that you saw is the great city which has dominion over the kings of the earth."