¶ And there came one¹ of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked² with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will³ shew unto thee the judgment of the great⁴ whore that sitteth⁵ upon many waters:

⁶With 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.

So he carried⁷ me away in the spirit into⁸ the wilderness: and I saw a woman⁹ sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full¹⁰ of names of blasphemy, having¹¹ seven heads and ten horns.

And the woman was arrayed¹² in purple and scarlet colour, and decked¹³ with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden¹⁴ cup in her hand full of abominations¹⁵ and filthiness¹⁶ of her fornication:

And upon¹⁷ her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY¹⁸, BABYLON¹⁹ THE GREAT, THE MOTHER²⁰ OF HARLOTS²¹ AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

And I saw the woman drunken²² with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs²³ of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered²⁴ with great admiration.

¶ And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will²⁵ tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.

The beast that thou²⁶ sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go²⁷ into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder²⁸, whose²⁹ names were not written in the book of life from³⁰ the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was³¹, and is not, and yet is.

And here³² is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven³³ heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.

¶ And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.

And the beast that was³⁴, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.

And the ten³⁵ horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.

These have one³⁶ mind, and shall³⁷ give their power and strength unto the beast.

¶ These shall make³⁸ war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall³⁹ overcome them: for he is Lord⁴⁰ of lords, and King of kings: and they⁴¹ that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful⁴².

And he saith unto me, The waters⁴³ which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are⁴⁴ peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.

And the ten⁴⁵ horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these⁴⁶ shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked⁴⁷, and shall eat⁴⁸ her flesh, and burn⁴⁹ her with fire.

For God hath⁵⁰ put⁵¹ in their hearts to fulfil⁵² his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until⁵³ the words of God shall be fulfilled.

And the woman⁵⁴ which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth⁵⁵ over the kings of the earth.