1 O ne of the seven angels who had the seven bowls then came and spoke to me, saying, Come with me! I will show you the doom (sentence, judgment) of the great harlot (idolatress) who is seated on many waters,

And one of the seven angels, which had the seven bowls, came and spoke with me, saying, Come here, I will shew thee the sentence of the great harlot who sits upon the many waters;

2 w ith whom the rulers of the earth have joined in prostitution (idolatry) and with the wine of whose immorality (idolatry) the inhabitants of the earth have become intoxicated.

with whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication; and they that dwell on the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.

3 A nd bore me away in the Spirit into a desert (wilderness), and I saw a woman seated on a scarlet beast that was all covered with blasphemous titles (names), and he had seven heads and ten horns.

And he carried me away in spirit to a desert; and I saw a woman sitting upon a scarlet beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.

4 T he woman was robed in purple and scarlet and bedecked with gold, precious stones, and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of the accursed offenses and the filth of her lewdness and vice.

And the woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and had ornaments of gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and the unclean things of her fornication;

5 A nd on her forehead there was inscribed a name of mystery: Babylon the great, the mother of prostitutes (idolatresses) and of the filth and atrocities and abominations of the earth.

and upon her forehead a name written, Mystery, great Babylon, the mother of the harlots, and of the abominations of the earth.

6 I also saw that the woman was drunk, with the blood of the saints (God’s people) and the blood of the martyrs for Jesus. And when I saw her, I was utterly amazed and wondered greatly.

And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. And I wondered, seeing her, with great wonder.

7 B ut the angel said to me, Why do you wonder? I will explain to you the mystery of the woman, as well as of the beast having the seven heads and ten horns that carries her.

And the angel said to me, Why hast thou wondered? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast which carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns.

8 T he beast that you saw was, but is no more, and he is going to come up out of the Abyss (the bottomless pit) and proceed to go to perdition. And the inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been recorded in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world will be astonished when they look at the beast, because he was, but is no more, and he is to come.

The beast which thou sawest was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss and go into destruction: and they who dwell on the earth, whose names are not written from the founding of the world in the book of life, shall wonder, seeing the beast, that it was, and is not, and shall be present.

9 T his calls for a mind with wisdom and intelligence. The seven heads are seven hills upon which the woman is sitting;

Here is the mind that has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains, whereon the woman sits.

10 A nd they are also seven kings, five of whom have fallen, one still exists; the other has not yet appeared, and when he does arrive, he must stay a brief time.

And there are seven kings: five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; and when he comes he must remain a little while.

11 A nd as for the beast that was, but now is no more, he is an eighth ruler (king, head), but he is of the seven and belongs to them, and he goes to perdition.

And the beast that was and is not, he also is an eighth, and is of the seven, and goes into destruction.

12 A lso the ten horns that you observed are ten rulers (kings) who have as yet received no royal dominion, but together they are to receive power and authority as rulers for a single hour, along with the beast.

And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have not yet received a kingdom, but receive authority as kings one hour with the beast.

13 T hese have one common policy (opinion, purpose), and they deliver their power and authority to the beast.

These have one mind, and give their power and authority to the beast.

14 T hey will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will triumph over them; for He is Lord of lords and King of kings—and those with Him and on His side are chosen and called and loyal and faithful followers.

These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them; for he is Lord of lords and King of kings: and they with him called, and chosen, and faithful.

15 A nd said to me, The waters that you observed, where the harlot is seated, are races and multitudes and nations and dialects (languages).

And he says to me, The waters which thou sawest, where the harlot sits, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues.

16 A nd the ten horns that you saw, they and the beast will hate the harlot (the idolatrous woman); they will make her cheerless (bereaved, desolate), and they will strip her and eat up her flesh and utterly consume her with fire.

And the ten horns which thou sawest, and the beast, these shall hate the harlot, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and shall burn her with fire;

17 F or God has put it into their hearts to carry out His own purpose by acting in harmony in surrendering their royal power and authority to the beast, until the prophetic words (intentions and promises) of God shall be fulfilled.

for God has given to their hearts to do his mind, and to act with one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast until the words of God shall be fulfilled.

18 A nd the woman that you saw is herself the great city which dominates and controls the rulers and the leaders of the earth.

And the woman which thou sawest is the great city, which has kingship over the kings of the earth.