The Great Whore and the Beast
AND there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying to me: “Come here; I will show to you the judgment of the great whore that sits upon many waters:
2 With whom, the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her sexual immorality.”
3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman seated 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, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand, full of abominations and filthiness of her sexual immorality.
5 And upon her forehead was a name written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF WHORES AND THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
6 And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the holy people, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great amazement.
Meaning of the Woman and Beast
7 And the Angel said to me: “Why are you amazed? I will tell you the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and ten horns.
8 The beast that you saw: was, and is not; and shall yet ascend out of the Abyss, and go into destruction; and those that dwell on the earth shall marvel, 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 has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sits.
10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other has not yet come: and when he comes, he must continue a short space.
11 And the beast that was, and is not: he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goes into destruction.
12 And the ten horns which you saw, are ten kings: which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive authority as kings, one hour with the beast.
13 These have one mind, and shall give their authority and strength to 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 those that are with Him: called, and elect, and faithful.”
15 And he said to me: “The waters which you saw, where the whore sits: are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.
16 And the ten horns which you saw 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 has put in their hearts to fulfil His purpose, and to agree, and give their kingdom to the beast: until the words of God shall be fulfilled.
18 And the woman which you saw, is that great city, which reigns over the kings of the earth.”