The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Revelation 17
1 One of the seven angels who had the
seven bowls came and spoke with me,
saying, “Come here. I will show you the
judgment of the great prostitute who sits
on many waters,
2 with whom the kings of the earth committed
sexual immorality. Those who
dwell in the earth were made drunken
with the wine of her sexual immorality.”
3 He carried me away in the Spirit into
a wilderness. I saw a woman sitting on a
scarlet-colored beast, full of blasphemous
names, having seven heads and ten horns.
4 The woman was dressed in purple and
scarlet, and decked with gold and precious
stones and pearls, having in her hand a
golden cup full of abominations and the
impurities of the sexual immorality of the
earth.
5 And on her forehead a name was written,
“MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT,
THE MOTHER OF THE PROSTITUTES AND
OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.”
6 I saw the woman drunken with the
blood of the saints and with the blood of
the martyrs of Jesus. When I saw her, I
wondered with great amazement.
7 The angel said to me, “Why do you
wonder? I will tell you the mystery of the
woman and of the beast that carries her,
which has the seven heads and the ten
horns.
8 The beast that you saw was, and is not;
and is about to come up out of the abyss
and to go into destruction. Those who
dwell on the earth and whose names have
not been written in the book of life from
the foundation of the world will marvel
when they see that the beast was, and is
not, and shall be present.†
9 Here is the mind that has wisdom.
The seven heads are seven mountains on
which the woman sits.
10 They are seven kings. Five have fallen,
the one is, and the other has not yet come.
When he comes, he must continue a little
while.
11 The beast that was, and is not, is
himself also an eighth, and is of the seven; and
he goes to destruction.
12 The ten horns that you saw are ten
kings who have received no kingdom as
yet, but they receive authority as kings
with the beast for one hour.
13 These have one mind, and they give
their power and authority to the beast.
14 These will war 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, chosen, and
faithful.”
15 He said to me, “The waters which you
saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples,
multitudes, nations, and languages.
16 The tenhorns which you saw,they and
the beast willhate the prostitute, willmake
her desolate, will strip her naked, will eat
her flesh, and will burn her utterly with
fire.
17 For God has put in their hearts to do
whathehas inmind,tobe of onemind, and
to give their kingdom to the beast, until the
words of God should be accomplished.
18 The woman whom yousaw is the great
city which reigns over the kings of the
earth.”