1 And there came one of the seven angels who had the seven vials and talked with me, saying unto me, Come here; I will show unto thee the condemnation of the great whore that sits 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 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman seated upon a scarlet-coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. 4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and of the filthiness of her fornication; 5 and upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF THE HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus; and when I saw her, I marvelled with great surprise. 7 And the angel said unto me, Why didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and ten horns. 8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not, and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and shall go into perdition; and those that dwell on the earth shall wonder (whose names are not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world) when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. 9 And here is the meaning which has wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sits. 10 And they are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he comes, he must continue a short space. 11 And the beast that was, and is not, is also the eighth king, and is of the seven, and goes into perdition. 12 And the ten horns which thou hast seen are ten kings, which have not yet taken a kingdom, but shall take authority as kings one hour with the beast. 13 These have one mind and shall give their power and authority unto the beast. 14 These shall make war against the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them; for he is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those that are with him are called and chosen and faithful.
15 And he said unto me, The waters which thou hast seen, where the whore sits, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues. 16 And the ten horns which thou didst see upon the 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 has put in their hearts to fulfil his will and to agree and give their kingdom unto the beast until the words of God shall be fulfilled. 18 And the woman which thou hast seen is that great city, which reigns over the kings of the earth.