1 And there
came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me,
saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great
whore that sitteth upon many waters:
2 With whom
the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the
earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
3 So he
carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a
scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten
horns.
4 And the
woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and
precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of
abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
5 And upon
her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER
OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
6 And I saw
the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the
martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.
7 And the
angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery
of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads
and ten horns.
8 The beast
that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit,
and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose
names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world,
when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
9 And here is
the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the
woman sitteth.
10 And there
are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet
come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.
11 And the
beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and
goeth into perdition.
12 And the
ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as
yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
13 These
have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
14 These
shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord
of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and
chosen, and faithful.
15 And he saith
unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples,
and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.
16 And the
ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and
shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with
fire.
17 For God
hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their
kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.
18 And the
woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of
the earth.