THE
REVELATION
OF
JOHN THE DIVINE*
Revelation 17 ©
1 One of the previous seven angels brings the apostle into a wilderness, and shows him the great whore of Babylon, sitting upon a red beast, which has seven heads and ten horns. 4 Her apparel, ornament, titles and blood-thirstiness is described. 7 The angel declares first unto John the mystery of the beast. 9 Then he tells him of his seven heads, and of the eighth king who would follow. 12 And of the ten horns, which are so many kings, which receive their power with the beast. 14 Which contend with the Lamb, but are overcome thereafter by Him. 15 The angel declares which are the waters whereon sits this whore. 16 And how the kings shall again take away their power from the beast. 18 Lastly, he declares who this whore is.
AND there came 1one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, 2Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment 3of the great whore 4that sitteth upon many waters:
Witha whom the kings of the earth have 5committed fornication, and 6the inhabitants of the earth 7have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
So 8he carried me away in the spirit 9into the wilderness: and I saw 10a woman sit upon a 11scarlet coloured beast,b full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
And the woman was arrayedc12in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having 13a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
And 14upon her forehead was a name written, 15MYSTERY,d16BABYLON THE GREAT, 17THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND 18ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
And I saw the woman 19drunken with thee blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.f
And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? 20I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.
The beast that thou sawest 21was, and is not; and 22shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and 23go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth 24shall wonder, 25whoseg names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast 26that was, and is not, and yet is.
And here is the mind whichh hath wisdom. Thei seven heads 27are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.
And there 28are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and 29the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.
And 30the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, 31and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.
And thej ten horns which thou sawest are 32ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings 33one hour with the beast.
These have 34one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
These shallk make war 35with the Lamb, and 36the Lamb shall overcome them: forl he is Lord of lords, and 37King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
And he saith unto me, Them waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, 38are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.
And 39the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and 40shall make her desolate and naked, and 41shall eat her flesh, and burn 42her withn fire.
For 43God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his 44will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, 45until the words of God shall be fulfilled.
And the woman which thou sawest is 46thato great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.