The Woman on the Beast

1And there came one of the seven angels that had the seven cups, and talked with me, saying: Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot that sits on many waters, 2with whom the kings of the earth have practiced lewdness, and with the wine of whose lewdness the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk. 3And he carried me away in spirit into the wilderness; and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast, that was full of impious names, and that had seven heads and ten horns. 4And the woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold, and precious stones, and pearls; and she had in her hand a golden cup full of idolatrous pollutions, and the impurities of her lewdness. 5And on her forehead was a name written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS, AND OF THE IDOLATROUS POLLUTIONS OF THE EARTH.

The Mystery Explained

6And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus; and when I saw her, I wondered with great astonishment.

7And the angel said to me: Why did you wonder? I will tell you the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carries her, that has seven heads and ten horns.

8The beast that you saw, was, and is not, and will come out of the abyss, and go to perdition; and those who dwell on the earth, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, will wonder, when they see the beast that was, and is not, though he is yet present. 9Here is the mind that has wisdom: the seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sits. 10And there are seven kings: five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come; and when he comes, he must remain but a little while. 11And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goes to perdition. 12And the ten horns which you saw are ten kings, who have received no kingdom as yet, but receive authority as kings at the same time with the beast. 13These have one mind, and will give their power and authority to the beast.

The Victory of the Lamb

14These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.

15And he said to me: The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues. 16And the ten horns that you saw, and the beast, these will hate the harlot, and will make her desolate and naked, and will eat her flesh, and burn her up with fire. 17For God has put into their hearts to fulfill his will, and to agree, and to give their kingdom to the beast, till the words of God be accomplished. 18And the woman that you saw is that great city, which reigns over the kings of the earth.