1One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me. He said, 'Come, I will show you how the great prostitute who sits on many waters will be judged.'
2This is the one with whom the kings of the earth committed sexual immorality, and those living on earth became drunk with the wine of her sexual immorality.
3The Spirit carried me away into a wilderness. I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast covered with blasphemous names. It had seven heads and ten horns.
4The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and decorated with gold, precious stones, and pearls. In her hand, she held a golden cup filled with the disgusting and impure things from the earth's sexual immorality.
5On her forehead was written a name: 'MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND DISGUSTING THINGS ON EARTH.'
6I saw the woman drunk with the blood of God's holy people and the blood of Jesus's martyrs. When I saw her, I was completely amazed.
7The angel said to me, 'Why are you amazed? I will explain to you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and ten horns.'
8The beast you saw once existed, then disappeared, and is about to come up from the Abyss and go to its destruction. Those living on earth whose names have not been written in the Book of Life since the world's creation will be amazed when they see the beast; it existed, then disappeared, and will appear again.
9This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits.
10They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one currently reigns, and the other has not yet come; when he does come, he must rule for a short time.
11The beast that once existed and then disappeared is an eighth king, but he is also one of the seven; and he is destined for destruction.
12The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but they will receive authority as kings for one hour along with the beast.
13They all have the same purpose, and they will give their power and authority to the beast.
14They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will defeat them, because he is Lord of lords and King of kings. His followers are called, chosen, and faithful.
15He also told me, 'The waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, represent peoples, crowds, nations, and languages.'
16The ten horns you saw, and the beast, will hate the prostitute. They will strip her bare, leave her desolate, eat her flesh, and burn her completely with fire.
17For God has put it in their hearts to carry out his purpose: to be of one mind and to give their kingdom to the beast until God's words are fulfilled.
18The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth.