And one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute that sits on many waters,
with whom the kings of the earth committed sexual immorality, and those who live on the earth were made drunk with the wine of her sexual immorality.”
And he carried me away in the spirit into a desert, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet-colored beast, full of names that are defaming, having seven heads and ten horns.
And the woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and decked with gold and precious stone and pearls, having in her hand a gold cup full of abominations, even the unclean things of her sexual immorality,
and on her forehead a name written, SECRET: BABYLON THE GREAT. THE MOTHER OF THE PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the holy ones, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I was astonished with great astonishment.
And the angel said to me, “Why did you wonder? I will tell you the sacred secret of the woman, and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns.
The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss, and to go into destruction. And those who live on the earth will wonder, they whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast, that he was, and is not, and will come.
Here is the mind that has wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits,
and they are seven kings, the five are fallen, the one is, the other is not yet come, and when he comes, he must remain a little while.
And the beast that was, and is not, is himself also an eighth, and is of the seven, and he goes into destruction.
And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings, who have not yet received a kingdom, but they will receive authority as kings, with the beast, for one hour.
These have one mind, and they give their power and authority to the beast.
These will fight against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings, and those who are with him are called and chosen and faithful.”
And he said to me, “The waters that you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and languages.
And the ten horns that you saw, and the beast, these will hate the prostitute, and will make her desolate and naked, and will eat her flesh, and will burn her up with fire.
For God put in their hearts to do his mind, and to come to one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are accomplished.
And the woman that you saw is the great city, which reigns over the kings of the earth.”