Revelation 17

Modern

Literal

The Woman on the Beast

¹Then one of the seven angels with the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits on many waters.

¹And one of the seven angels having the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, “Come here, I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute, the one sitting upon many waters,

²The kings of the earth were immoral with her, and those who dwell on the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her immorality.”

²with whom the kings of the earth committed sexual immorality, and those dwelling on the earth were made drunk with the wine of her sexual immorality.”

³And the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, where I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns.

³And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting upon a scarlet beast being full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.

⁴The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls. She held in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality.

⁴And the woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stone and pearls, holding a golden cup in her hand, being full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality.

⁵And on her forehead a mysterious name was written:

BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

⁵And upon her forehead a name was written, a mystery: BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF THE PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

The Mystery Explained

⁶I could see that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints and witnesses for Jesus. And I was utterly amazed at the sight of her.

⁶And I saw the woman being drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. And having seen her, I marveled with great wonder.

⁷“Why are you so amazed?” said the angel. “I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and ten horns.

⁷And the angel said to me, “Why did you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast carrying her, having the seven heads and the ten horns.

⁸The beast that you saw—it was, and now is no more, but is about to come up out of the Abyss and go to its destruction. And those who dwell on the earth whose names were not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world will marvel when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet will be.

⁸The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the Abyss and go into destruction; and those dwelling on the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world will marvel, seeing the beast that was, and is not, and will be.

⁹This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits.

⁹Here is the mind having wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains, where the woman sits on them;

¹⁰There are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. But when he does come, he must remain for only a little while.

¹⁰and there are seven kings. The five fell, the one is, the other did not yet come; and when he shall have come, it is necessary for him to remain a little while.

¹¹The beast that was, and now is not, is an eighth king, who belongs to the other seven and is going into destruction.

¹¹And the beast that was and is not is also himself an eighth, and is of the seven, and goes into destruction.

¹²The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but will receive one hour of authority as kings along with the beast.

¹²And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings who did not yet receive a kingdom, but receive authority as kings one hour with the beast.

¹³These kings have one purpose: to yield their power and authority to the beast.

¹³These have one purpose, and they give their power and authority to the beast.

The Victory of the Lamb

¹⁴They will make war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will triumph over them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and He will be accompanied by His called and chosen and faithful ones.”

¹⁴These will war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those with Him are called and chosen and faithful.”

¹⁵Then the angel said to me, “The waters you saw, where the prostitute was seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues.

¹⁵And he says to me, “The waters that you saw where the prostitute sits are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues.

¹⁶And the ten horns and the beast that you saw will hate the prostitute. They will leave her desolate and naked, and they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire.

¹⁶And the ten horns that you saw, and the beast, these will hate the prostitute, and they will make her desolate and naked, and they will eat her flesh and will burn her in fire.

¹⁷For God has put it into their hearts to carry out His purpose by uniting to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled.

¹⁷For God gave into their hearts to do His purpose, and to do one purpose, and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God will be completed.

¹⁸And the woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth.”

¹⁸And the woman whom you saw is the great city, the one having kingship over the kings of the earth.”