17:1 Then ¹  one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke to me. ²  “Come,” he said, “I will show you the condemnation and punishment ³  of the great prostitute who sits on many waters, 17:2 with whom the kings of the earth committed sexual immorality and the earth’s inhabitants got drunk with the wine of her immorality.” ⁴  17:3 So ⁵  he carried me away in the Spirit ⁶  to a wilderness, ⁷  and there ⁸  I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. 17:4 Now ⁹  the woman was dressed in purple and scarlet clothing, ¹⁰  and adorned with gold, ¹¹  precious stones, and pearls. She held ¹²  in her hand a golden cup filled with detestable things and unclean things from her sexual immorality. ¹³  17:5 On ¹⁴  her forehead was written a name, a mystery: ¹⁵  “Babylon the Great, the Mother of prostitutes and of the detestable things of the earth.” 17:6 I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints and the blood of those who testified to Jesus. ¹⁶  I ¹⁷  was greatly astounded ¹⁸  when I saw her. 17:7 But ¹⁹  the angel said to me, “Why are you astounded? I will interpret ²⁰  for you the mystery of the woman and of the beast with the seven heads and ten horns that carries her. 17:8 The beast you saw was, and is not, but is about to come up from the abyss ²¹  and then go to destruction. The ²²  inhabitants of the earth – all those whose names have not been written in the book of life since the foundation of the world – will be astounded when they see that ²³  the beast was, and is not, but is to come. 17:9 (This requires ²⁴  a mind that has wisdom.) The seven heads are seven mountains ²⁵  the woman sits on. They are also seven kings: 17:10 five have fallen; one is, ²⁶  and the other has not yet come, but whenever he does come, he must remain for only a brief time. 17:11 The ²⁷  beast that was, and is not, is himself an eighth king and yet is one of the seven, and is going to destruction. 17:12 The ²⁸  ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but will receive ruling authority ²⁹  as kings with the beast for one hour. 17:13 These kings ³⁰  have a single intent, and they will give their power and authority to the beast. 17:14 They will make war with the Lamb, but the Lamb will conquer them, because he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those accompanying ³¹  the Lamb are the called, chosen, and faithful.”

17:15 Then ³²  the angel ³³  said to me, “The waters you saw (where the prostitute is seated) are peoples, multitudes, ³⁴  nations, and languages. 17:16 The ³⁵  ten horns that you saw, and the beast – these will hate the prostitute and make her desolate and naked. They ³⁶  will consume her flesh and burn her up with fire. ³⁷  17:17 For God has put into their minds ³⁸  to carry out his purpose ³⁹  by making ⁴⁰  a decision ⁴¹  to give their royal power ⁴²  to the beast until the words of God are fulfilled. ⁴³  17:18 As for ⁴⁴  the woman you saw, she is the great city that has sovereignty over the kings of the earth.”

18:1 After these things I saw another angel, who possessed great authority, coming down out of heaven, and the earth was lit up by his radiance. ⁴⁵  18:2 He ⁴⁶  shouted with a powerful voice:

“Fallen, fallen, is Babylon the great!

She ⁴⁷  has become a lair for demons,

a haunt ⁴⁸  for every unclean spirit,

a haunt for every unclean bird,

a haunt for every unclean and detested beast. ⁴⁹ 

18:3 For all the nations ⁵⁰  have fallen ⁵¹  from

the wine of her immoral passion, ⁵² 

and the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality with her,

and the merchants of the earth have gotten rich from the power of her sensual behavior.” ⁵³ 

18:4 Then ⁵⁴  I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, so you will not take part in her sins and so you will not receive her plagues, 18:5 because her sins have piled ⁵⁵  up all the way to heaven ⁵⁶  and God has remembered ⁵⁷  her crimes. ⁵⁸  18:6 Repay her the same way she repaid others; ⁵⁹  pay her back double ⁶⁰  corresponding to her deeds. In the cup she mixed, mix double the amount for her. 18:7 As much as ⁶¹  she exalted herself and lived in sensual luxury, ⁶²  to this extent give her torment and grief because she said to herself, ⁶³  ‘I rule as queen and am no widow; I will never experience grief!’ 18:8 For this reason, she will experience her plagues ⁶⁴  in a single day: disease, ⁶⁵  mourning, ⁶⁶  and famine, and she will be burned down ⁶⁷  with fire, because the Lord God who judges her is powerful!”

18:9 Then ⁶⁸  the kings of the earth who committed immoral acts with her and lived in sensual luxury ⁶⁹  with her will weep and wail for her when they see the smoke from the fire that burns her up. ⁷⁰  18:10 They will stand a long way off because they are afraid of her torment, and will say,

“Woe, woe, O great city,

Babylon the powerful city!

For in a single hour your doom ⁷¹  has come!”

18:11 Then ⁷²  the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn for her because no one buys their cargo ⁷³  any longer – 18:12 cargo such as gold, silver, ⁷⁴  precious stones, pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk, ⁷⁵  scarlet cloth, ⁷⁶  all sorts of things made of citron wood, ⁷⁷  all sorts of objects made of ivory, all sorts of things made of expensive wood, bronze, iron and marble, 18:13 cinnamon, spice, ⁷⁸  incense, perfumed ointment, ⁷⁹  frankincense, ⁸⁰  wine, olive oil and costly flour, ⁸¹  wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and four-wheeled carriages, ⁸²  slaves and human lives. ⁸³ 

18:14 (The ripe fruit ⁸⁴  you greatly desired ⁸⁵ 

has gone from you,

and all your luxury ⁸⁶  and splendor ⁸⁷ 

have gone from you –

they will never ever be found again!) ⁸⁸ 

18:15 The merchants who sold ⁸⁹  these things, who got rich from her, will stand a long way off because they are afraid of her torment. They will weep ⁹⁰  and mourn, 18:16 saying,

“Woe, woe, O great city –

dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet clothing, ⁹¹ 

and adorned with gold, ⁹²  precious stones, and pearls –

18:17 because in a single hour such great wealth has been destroyed!” ⁹³ 

And every ship’s captain, ⁹⁴  and all who sail along the coast ⁹⁵  – seamen, and all who ⁹⁶  make their living from the sea, stood a long way off 18:18 and began to shout ⁹⁷  when they saw the smoke from the fire that burned her up, ⁹⁸  “Who is like the great city?” 18:19 And they threw dust on their heads and were shouting with weeping and mourning, ⁹⁹ 

“Woe, Woe, O great city –

in which all those who had ships on the sea got rich from her wealth –

because in a single hour she has been destroyed!” ¹⁰⁰ 

18:20 (Rejoice over her, O heaven,

and you saints and apostles and prophets,

for God has pronounced judgment ¹⁰¹  against her on your behalf!) ¹⁰² 

18:21 Then ¹⁰³  one powerful angel picked up a stone like a huge millstone, threw it into the sea, and said,

“With this kind of sudden violent force ¹⁰⁴ 

Babylon the great city will be thrown down ¹⁰⁵ 

and it will never be found again!

18:22 And the sound of the harpists, musicians,

flute players, and trumpeters

will never be heard in you ¹⁰⁶  again.

No ¹⁰⁷  craftsman ¹⁰⁸  who practices any trade

will ever be found in you again;

the noise of a mill ¹⁰⁹  will never be heard in you again.

18:23 Even the light from a lamp

will never shine in you again!

The voices of the bridegroom and his bride

will never be heard in you again.

For your merchants were the tycoons of the world,

because all the nations ¹¹⁰  were deceived by your magic spells! ¹¹¹ 

18:24 The ¹¹²  blood of the saints and prophets was found in her, ¹¹³ 

along with the blood ¹¹⁴  of all those who had been killed on the earth.”