The Great Prostitute and the Beast
1 Then one of the wseven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the xgreat prostitute ywho is seated on many waters, 2 zwith whom the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality, and with the awine of whose sexual immorality the dwellers on earth have become drunk.” 3 And he bcarried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of cblasphemous names, and it had dseven heads and ten horns. 4 The woman was arrayed ein purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a fgolden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality. 5 And on her gforehead was written a name of mystery: “Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth’s abominations.” 6 And I saw the woman, hdrunk with the iblood of the saints, the blood of the martyrs of Jesus.1
When I saw her, I marveled greatly. 7 But the angel said to me, “Why do you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman, and of the beast with seven heads and ten horns that carries her. 8 The beast that you saw jwas, and is not, and is about to krise from the bottomless pit2 and go to destruction. And the dwellers on earth whose names have not been written in the lbook of life from the foundation of the world will mmarvel to see the beast, because it was and is not and is to come. 9 nThis calls for a mind with wisdom: the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated; 10 they are also seven kings, five of whom have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when he does come he must remain only a little while. 11 As for the beast that was and is not, it is an eighth but it belongs to the seven, and it goes to destruction. 12 And othe ten horns that you saw are ten pkings who have not yet received royal power, but they are to receive authority as kings for one hour, together with the beast. 13 These are of one mind, and they hand over their power and authority to the beast. 14 They will make war on the qLamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is rLord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.”
15 And the angel3 said to me, “The waters that you saw, swhere the prostitute is seated, are tpeoples and multitudes and nations and languages. 16 And the ten horns that you saw, they and the beast will hate the prostitute. They will make her desolate and naked, and devour her flesh and burn her up with fire, 17 for God has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose by being of one mind and handing over their royal power to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled. 18 And the woman that you saw is uthe great city that has dominion over the kings of the earth.”
The Fall of Babylon
1 After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, vand the earth was made bright with his glory. 2 And he called out with a mighty voice,
w“Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great!
She has become a dwelling place for demons,
a haunt for every unclean spirit,
xa haunt for every unclean bird,
a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast.
3 For all nations have drunk4
the ywine of the passion of her sexual immorality,
and the kings of the earth have committed immorality with her,
and the zmerchants of the earth have grown rich from the power of her luxurious living.”
4 Then I heard another voice from heaven saying,
a“Come out of her, my people,
lest you take part in her sins,
lest you share in her plagues;
5 for bher sins are heaped high as heaven,
and cGod has remembered her iniquities.
6 dPay her back eas she herself has paid back others,
and repay her fdouble for her deeds;
mix a double portion for her in the cup she mixed.
7 As she glorified herself and lived in luxury,
so give her a like measure of torment and mourning,
since in her heart she says,
g‘I sit as a queen,
I am no widow,
and mourning I shall never see.’
8 For this reason her plagues will come hin a single day,
death and mourning and famine,
and she will be iburned up with fire;
for mighty is the Lord God who has judged her.”
9 jAnd the kings of the earth, kwho committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her, will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning. 10 They will stand far off, in fear of her torment, and say,
“Alas! Alas! You great city,
you mighty city, Babylon!
For in a single hour your judgment has come.”
11 And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn for her, since no one buys their cargo anymore, 12 cargo of gold, silver, jewels, pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk, scarlet cloth, all kinds of scented wood, all kinds of articles of ivory, all kinds of articles of costly wood, bronze, iron and marble, 13 cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and slaves, that is, human souls.5
14 “The fruit for which your soul longed
has gone from you,
and all your delicacies and your splendors
are lost to you,
never to be found again!”
15 The merchants of these wares, who gained wealth from her, will stand far off, in fear of her torment, weeping and mourning aloud,
16 “Alas, alas, for the great city
that was clothed in fine linen,
lin purple and scarlet,
adorned with gold,
with jewels, and with pearls!
17 For in a single hour all this wealth has been laid waste.”
mAnd all shipmasters and seafaring men, sailors and all whose trade is on the sea, stood far off 18 and cried out as they saw the smoke of her burning,
“What city was like the great city?”
19 And they threw dust on their heads as they wept and mourned, crying out,
“Alas, alas, for the great city
where all who had ships at sea
grew rich by her wealth!
For in a single hour she has been laid waste.
20 nRejoice over her, O heaven,
and you saints and apostles and prophets,
for God has given judgment for you against her!”
21 Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and othrew it into the sea, saying,
“So will Babylon the great city be thrown down with violence,
and will be found no more;
22 and pthe sound of harpists and musicians, of flute players and trumpeters,
will be heard in you no more,
and a craftsman of any craft
will be found in you no more,
and qthe sound of the mill
will be heard in you no more,
23 and the light of a lamp
will shine in you no more,
and rthe voice of bridegroom and bride
will be heard in you no more,
for your merchants were the great ones of the earth,
and all nations were deceived by your ssorcery.
24 And in her was found the tblood of prophets and of saints,
and of uall who have been slain on earth.”
God Is Our Fortress
To the choirmaster. Of the Sons of Korah. gAccording to Alamoth.1 A Song.
1 hGod is our refuge and strength,
a very present2 help in trouble.
2 Therefore iwe will not fear though the earth give way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah
4 There is a jriver whose streams make glad the kcity of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
God will help her when morning dawns.
6 The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
he utters his voice, the earth melts.
7 The Lord of hosts is lwith us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
8 mCome, behold the works of the Lord,
how he has brought desolations on the earth.
9 nHe makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the chariots with fire.
10 “Be still, and oknow that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”
11 The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
