I know where you are living; [it is] where Satan's throne is. And [I know] that you are holding on firmly to my name, and did not deny [your] faith in me, even in the days of my faithful witness Antipas [Note: The Greek word here for witness is "martyr"], who was killed there where you are, where Satan lives.

And I gave her time to repent, but she refused to repent of her sexual immorality.

Listen, I will throw her, and those who commit sexual unfaithfulness with her, into a bed where they will experience terrible suffering unless they repent of her [or, their] practices.

And I will strike her children dead [or, "kill her children by some terrible calamity" See Ex. 5:3 LXX]. Then all the churches will know that I am the One who searches the inmost being of people [Note: The Greek says, "searches the kidneys and hearts." In that day these internal organs stood for the inner thoughts, emotions, etc.]. And I will repay each one of you people according to what you have done.

After [seeing all] these things, I looked, and there in heaven I saw [a vision of] an open door, and the voice I had first heard speaking to me like [the sound of] a trumpet [See 1:10], said, "Come up here [i.e., to heaven], and I will show you the things which must happen after these things [i.e., the things just revealed]."

And each of the four living beings had six wings [and] were covered with eyes all around them and [even] within them. And day and night they never stop saying, [Note: Some translations have "singing" here and at other places below], "Holy, holy, holy [is] the Lord God Almighty, who was [in the past] and who is [in the present] and who will come [in the future]."

And the star was called "Wormwood" [Note: The Greek word here means "bitter," See Lam. 3:15 ASV], and one third of the waters became wormwood [i.e., bitter], and many people died from the waters because they had become bitter.

Then the two witnesses/prophets heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, "Come up here." So, they went up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies saw them.

Then a great [supernatural] sign appeared in heaven. [It was that of] a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon was under her feet. On her head was a crown with twelve stars.

And his tail swept away one third of the stars of the sky and threw them to earth. And the dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that he could eat her child as soon as it was born.

Then she gave birth to a baby boy, a son who will rule all the nations with an iron staff. And her child was snatched away to God and His throne.

Then the woman ran away to the desert, to a place prepared for her by God, where they could care for her for 1,260 days. [Note: The plural "they" here simply means "she would be cared for" See 10:11].

And the woman was given the two wings of a large eagle so she could fly to her place in the desert, where she would be taken care of for a time, and times and half a time, from the presence of the snake [i.e., for three and one half years. See 11:2; 12:6].

If anyone goes [or "leads others"] into captivity, he will go into captivity [himself]; if anyone is killed [or "kills others"] with the sword, he will be killed with the sword [himself]. Here is [where] God's holy people [need] perseverance and faith.

Then [I saw] a second angel following [him]. He said, "Fallen! Great Babylon has fallen. She has forced all the nations to drink the wine of her passionate sexual immorality [Note: The word "passionate" here could also mean "angry"]."

Here is [where] God's holy people, who obey His commandments and the faith of Jesus, [need] perseverance.

And the great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations were destroyed. And God remembered the great Babylon and made her drink from the cup of wine of His fierce anger.

Then one of the seven angels, who had the seven bowls, came and spoke to me, saying, "Come [here]; I will show you the punishment [to fall] on the great prostitute who is situated on many bodies of waters.

The kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality with her, and those who live on the earth became drunk from [drinking] the wine of her sexual immorality."

And the woman was dressed in purple and red [clothing], and was adorned with gold [jewelry] and precious stones and pearls. In her hand she held a golden cup full of disgusting things and of the pollutions of her sexual immorality.

And on her forehead was written a mysterious [name], "The great Babylon, the mother of the prostitutes and the disgusting things of the earth."

And I saw that the woman was drunk on the blood of God's holy people and on the blood of those [who were killed] witnessing about Jesus. And when I saw her I was greatly amazed.

And the ten horns and the beast you saw will hate the prostitute and will take away everything from her, leaving her naked; they will eat her flesh and will burn her up with fire.

For all the nations have drunk [or, "have been forced to drink"] the wine of her passionate sexual immorality [See 14:8], and the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality with her and the [retail] merchants of the earth became rich from her excessive luxury."

Then I heard another voice from heaven, saying, "Come out of her, my people, so that you do not share in her sins, and so that you do not receive her plagues [i.e., judgments].

For her sins have piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her evil deeds.

Give back to her the way [i.e., the kind of treatment] she has given back [to others], and repay her double for what she has done. Mix a double dose for her from her own cup.

Cause her as much torment and sorrow as she gave herself honor and luxurious living. For she is saying to herself, 'I sit as a queen; I am not a widow and I will never suffer grief.'

So, all at once her plagues [i.e., judgments] will fall upon her. [They will be] death and grief and famine. And she will be burned up with fire, for the Lord God who judges her, is mighty.

And the kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality with her, and indulged in luxurious living with her, will cry and mourn over her when they see the smoke of her burning [i.e., the city of Babylon. See verse 2].

They will stand far away, out of fear over her torment [Note: They will keep their distance for fear of becoming involved in the torment themselves], saying, 'It is too bad for the great, strong city of Babylon! Your judgment has come in a single hour.'

"And the [wholesale] merchants of the earth cry and mourn over her, for no one buys their cargoes [of goods] anymore:

The store owners who sold these things and were made wealthy from her [i.e., from the prosperous trade with Babylon] will stand far away, out of fear over her [See verse 10], crying and mourning,

And they threw dust on their heads, and lamented and cried out loud, saying, 'It is too bad for the great city, from which all ocean shipping companies got rich on her wealth! For in a single hour she was wasted.

Be glad, heaven, and you saints, and you apostles, and you prophets, for God has brought judgment on her for you [i.e., for the way she treated you].'"

And the blood of the prophets and the saints and all [others] who were killed on earth was found in her."

For His judgments are true and just; He has judged [i.e., condemned] the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her sexual immorality, and He has punished her for [shedding] the blood of His servants."

And again they shouted, "Hallelujah! The smoke from her [burning. See 18:18] ascends forever and ever."

and he will [again] go out to deceive the nations which are [located] throughout the whole world --- Gog and Magog. [Note: Based on Eze. 35-40, it appears that these names are used here figuratively for all the forces of wickedness which are enemies of God]. Satan will assemble them together for battle, and they will be as numberless as the sand on the seashore.

And I [also] saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

Then one of the seven angels who held the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues [i.e., judgments, See 15:1], came and spoke to me, saying, "Come here, [and] I will show you the bride, the Lamb's wife."