1 And there came one of the seven angels who had the seven phials, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the judgment of the great whore, that sitteth upon many waters: 2 With 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. 3 And he carried me away in the spirit into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting upon a scarlet wild beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. 4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and decked with gold and precious stone and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup, full of abominations and filthiness of her fornification: 5 And on her forehead a name written, Mystery; Babylon the Great, the mother of harlots, and abominations of the earth.
6 And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. And when I saw, I wondered exceedingly.
7 And the angel said to me, Wherefore didst thou wonder? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the wild beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and the ten horns. 8 The wild beast which thou sawest, was, and is not, and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth, (whose names are not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world) shall wonder when they behold the wild beast, that he was, and is not, and yet will be.
9 Here is the mind that hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sitteth, 10 And they are seven kings: five are fallen: one is, the other is not yet come; when he cometh, he must continue a short space. 11 And the wild beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition. 12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, who have not received the kingdom, but receive authority as kings one hour with the wild beast. 13 These have one mind, and give their power and authority to the wild beast. 14 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 that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
15 And he saith to me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are people, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. 16 And the ten horns which thou sawest, and the wild beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. 17 For God hath put it into their hearts, to fulfill his will, and to agree and to give their kingdom to the beast, till the words of God shall be fulfilled. 18 And the woman whom thou sawest is the great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.