The Prostitute and the Beast
1 One of the seven angels who had emptied the bowls came over and said to me, “Come on! I will show you how God will punish that shameless prostitute who sits on many oceans. 2 Every king on earth has slept with her, and her shameless ways are like wine that has made everyone on earth drunk.”
3 With the help of the Spirit, the angel took me into a desert, where I saw a woman sitting on a red beast. The beast was covered with names that were an insult to God, and it had seven heads and ten horns. 4 The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet robes, and she wore jewelry made of gold, precious stones, and pearls. In her hand she held a gold cup filled with the filthy and nasty things she had done. 5 On her forehead a mysterious name was written:
I AM THE GREAT CITY OF BABYLON, THE MOTHER OF EVERY IMMORAL AND FILTHY THING ON EARTH.6 I could tell that the woman was drunk on the blood of God's people who had given their lives for Jesus. This surprising sight amazed me, 7 and the angel said:
Why are you so amazed? I will explain the mystery about this woman and about the beast she is sitting on, with its seven heads and ten horns. 8 The beast you saw is one that used to be and no longer is. It will come back from the deep pit, but only to be destroyed. Everyone on earth whose names were not written in the book of life before the time of creation will be amazed. They will see this beast that used to be and no longer is, but will be once more.
9 Anyone with wisdom can figure this out. The seven heads that the woman is sitting on stand for seven hills. These heads are also seven kings. 10 Five of the kings are dead. One is ruling now, and the other one has not yet come. But when he does, he will rule for only a little while.
11 You also saw a beast that used to be and no longer is. That beast is one of the seven kings who will return as the eighth king, but only to be destroyed.
12 The ten horns you saw are ten more kings, who have not yet come into power, and they will rule with the beast for only a short time. 13 They all think alike and will give their power and authority to the beast. 14 These kings will go to war against the Lamb. But he will defeat them, because he is Lord over all lords and King over all kings. His followers are chosen and special and faithful.
15 The oceans you saw the prostitute sitting on are crowds of people from all races and languages. 16 The ten horns and the beast will start hating the shameless woman. They will strip off her clothes and leave her naked. Then they will eat her flesh and throw the rest of her body into a fire. 17 God is the one who made these kings all think alike and decide to give their power to the beast. And they will do this until what God has said comes true.
18 The woman you saw is the great city that rules over all kings on earth.
1 Then there came one of the seuen Angels, which had the seuen vials, and talked with me, saying vnto me, Come: I will shewe thee the damnation of the great whore that sitteth vpon many waters, 2 With whom haue committed fornication the Kings of the earth, and the inhabitants of the earth are drunken with the wine of her fornication. 3 So he caried me away into the wildernesse in the Spirit, and I sawe a woman sit vpon a skarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemie, which had seuen heads, and tenne hornes. 4 And the woman was arayed in purple and skarlet, and gilded with golde, and precious stones, and pearles, and had a cup of gold in her hand, full of abominations, and filthines of her fornication. 5 And in her forehead was a name written, A mysterie, that great Babylon, that mother of whoredomes, and abominations of the earth. 6 And I sawe ye woman drunken with the blood of Saintes, and with the blood of the Martyrs of IESVS: and when I sawe her, I wondred with great marueile. 7 Then the Angel saide vnto me, Wherefore marueilest thou? I will shewe thee the misterie of that woman, and of that beast, that beareth her, which hath seuen heads, and tenne hornes. 8 The beast that thou hast seene, was, and is not, and shall ascend out of the bottomles pit, and shall goe into perdition, and they that dwell on the earth, shall wonder (whose names are not written in the booke of life from the foundation of ye world) when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. 9 Here is the mind that hath wisdome. The seuen heads, are seuen mountaines, whereon the woman sitteth: they are also seuen Kings. 10 Fiue are fallen, and one is, and another is not yet come: and when he commeth, he must continue a short space. 11 And the beast that was, and is not, is euen the eight, and is one of the seuen, and shall goe into destruction. 12 And the tenne hornes which thou sawest, are tenne Kings, which yet haue not receiued a kingdome, but shall receiue power, as Kings at one houre with the beast. 13 These haue one minde, and shall giue their power, and authoritie vnto the beast. 14 These shall fight with the Lambe, and the Lambe shall ouercome them: for he is Lord of Lordes, and King of Kings: and they that are on his side, called, and chosen, and faithfull. 15 And he said vnto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are people, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. 16 And the tenne hornes which thou sawest vpon the beast, are they that shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eate her flesh, and burne her with fire. 17 For God hath put in their heartes to fulfill his will, and to doe with one consent for to giue their kingdome vnto the beast, vntill the wordes of God be fulfilled. 18 And that woman which thou sawest, is that great citie, which reigneth ouer the kings of ye earth.