1 ¶ And there came one of the seven angels who had the seven vials and talked with me, saying unto me, Come here; I will show unto thee the condemnation of the great whore that sits upon many waters,

Then one of the seven angels who had the seven jars came to me. He said, “Come! I will show you how the powerful woman who sells the use of her body will be punished. She sits on the many waters of the world.

2 w ith whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.

The kings of the earth have done sex sins with her. People of the world have been made drunk with the wine of her sex sins.”

3 S o 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.

I was carried away in the Spirit by the angel to a desert. I saw a woman sitting on a red wild animal. It had seven heads and ten horns. All over the red wild animal was written bad names which spoke against God.

4 A nd the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and of the filthiness of her fornication;

The woman was wearing purple and red clothes. She was wearing gold and pearls and stones worth much money. She had in her hand a gold cup full of sinful things from her sex sins.

5 a nd upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF THE HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

There was a name written on her forehead which had a secret meaning. It said, “The big and powerful Babylon, mother of all women who sell the use of their bodies and mother of everything sinful of the earth.”

6 A nd I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus; and when I saw her, I marvelled with great surprise.

I looked at the woman. She was drunk with the blood of God’s people and those who had been killed for telling about Jesus. When I saw her, I wondered very much.

7 ¶ And the angel said unto me, Why didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and ten horns.

The angel asked me, “Why do you wonder? I will tell you the secret about this woman and the red wild animal that carries her. It is the red wild animal with seven heads and ten horns.

8 T he beast that thou sawest was, and is not, and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and shall go into perdition; and those that dwell on the earth shall wonder (whose names are 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.

The red wild animal you saw was alive but is now dead. He will come up from the hole without a bottom and be destroyed. The people of the earth, whose names have not been written in the book of life from the beginning of the world, will be surprised as they look at the red wild animal. He was alive, but not now, but will yet come.

9 A nd here is the meaning which has wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sits.

“Here is where we need wisdom. The seven heads of the animal are mountains where the woman sits.

10 A nd they are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he comes, he must continue a short space.

They are seven kings also. Five of them are no longer kings. The sixth one is now king. The seventh one will be king, but only for a little while.

11 A nd the beast that was, and is not, is also the eighth king, and is of the seven, and goes into perdition.

The red wild animal that died is the eighth king. He belongs to the first seven kings, but he will be destroyed also.

12 A nd the ten horns which thou hast seen are ten kings, which have not yet taken a kingdom, but shall take authority as kings one hour with the beast.

“The ten horns of the red wild animal which you saw are ten kings. They have not become leaders yet. But they will be given the right and the power to lead their nations for one hour with the red wild animal.

13 T hese have one mind and shall give their power and authority unto the beast.

They agree to give the right and the power to the red wild animal.

14 ¶ These shall make war against the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them; for he is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those that are with him are called and chosen and faithful.

These kings will fight and make war with the Lamb. But the Lamb will win the war because He is Lord of lords and King of kings. His people are the called and chosen and faithful ones.”

15 A nd he said unto me, The waters which thou hast seen, where the whore sits, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues.

Then the angel said to me, “You saw the waters where the woman who sold the use of her body is sitting. The waters are people and large groups of people and nations and languages.

16 A nd the ten horns which thou didst see 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.

The ten horns you saw and the red wild animal will hate the woman who sold the use of her body. They will take everything from her and even her clothes. They will eat her flesh and burn her with fire.

17 F or God has put in their hearts to fulfil his will and to agree and give their kingdom unto the beast until the words of God shall be fulfilled.

God put in their minds a plan that would carry out His desire. They will agree to give their nation to the red wild animal until the words of God have been completed.

18 A nd the woman which thou hast seen is that great city, which reigns over the kings of the earth.

The woman you saw is the big and powerful city that has power over the kings of the earth.”