Revelation 17

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 One of the seven angels that had the seven bowls came to speak to me, and said, 'Come here and Iwil show you the punishment of the great prostitute who is enthroned beside abundant waters,	1 Then one of the seven angels who were holding the seven bowls came and said to me, "Come here. I will show you the judgment on the great harlot who lives near the many waters.
2 with whom al the kings of the earth have prostituted themselves, and who has made al the populationof the world drunk with the wine of her adultery.'	2 The kings of the earth have had intercourse with her, and the inhabitants of the earth became drunk on the wine of her harlotry."
3 He took me in spirit to a desert, and there I saw a woman riding a scarlet beast which had sevenheads and ten horns and had blasphemous titles written al over it.	3 Then he carried me away in spirit to a deserted place where I saw a woman seated on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names, with seven heads and ten horns.
4 The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet and glittered with gold and jewels and pearls, and shewas holding a gold winecup fil ed with the disgusting filth of her prostitution;	4 The woman was wearing purple and scarlet and adorned with gold, precious stones, and pearls. She held in her hand a gold cup that was filled with the abominable and sordid deeds of her harlotry.
5 on her forehead was written a name, a cryptic name: 'Babylon the Great, the mother of al theprostitutes and all the filthy practices on the earth.'	5 On her forehead was written a name, which is a mystery, "Babylon the great, the mother of harlots and of the abominations of the earth."
6 I saw that she was drunk, drunk with the blood of the saints, and the blood of the martyrs of Jesus;and when I saw her, I was completely mystified.	6 I saw that the woman was drunk on the blood of the holy ones and on the blood of the witnesses to Jesus. When I saw her I was greatly amazed.
7 The angel said to me, 'Do you not understand? I wil tel you the meaning of this woman, and of thebeast she is riding, with the seven heads and the ten horns.	7 The angel said to me, "Why are you amazed? I will explain to you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, the beast with the seven heads and the ten horns.
8 'The beast you have seen was once alive and is alive no longer; it is yet to come up from the Abyss,but only to go to its destruction. And the people of the world, whose names have not been written since thebeginning of the world in the book of life, wil be astonished when they see how the beast was once alive and isalive no longer, and is stil to come.	8 The beast that you saw existed once but now exists no longer. It will come up from the abyss and is headed for destruction. The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world shall be amazed when they see the beast, because it existed once but exists no longer, and yet it will come again.
9 'This cal s for shrewdness. The seven heads are the seven hil s, on which the woman is sitting.	9 Here is a clue for one who has wisdom. The seven heads represent seven hills upon which the woman sits. They also represent seven kings:
10 The seven heads are also seven emperors. Five of them have already gone, one is here now, andone is yet to come; once here, he must stay for a short while.	10 five have already fallen, one still lives, and the last has not yet come, and when he comes he must remain only a short while.
11 The beast, who was alive and is alive no longer, is at the same time the eighth and one of the seven,and he is going to his destruction.	11 The beast that existed once but exists no longer is an eighth king, but really belongs to the seven and is headed for destruction.
12 'The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have not yet been given their royal power but willhave royal authority only for a single hour and in association with the beast.	12 The ten horns that you saw represent ten kings who have not yet been crowned; they will receive royal authority along with the beast for one hour.
13 They are all of one mind in putting their strength and their powers at the beast's disposal,	13 They are of one mind and will give their power and authority to the beast.
14 and they wil go to war against the Lamb; but because the Lamb is Lord of lords and King of kings, hewil defeat them, he and his fol owers, the cal ed, the chosen, the trustworthy.'	14 They will fight with the Lamb, but the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and king of kings, and those with him are called, chosen, and faithful."
15 The angel continued, 'The waters you saw, beside which the prostitute was sitting, are al thepeoples, the populations, the nations and the languages.	15 Then he said to me, "The waters that you saw where the harlot lives represent large numbers of peoples, nations, and tongues.
16 But the ten horns and the beast will turn against the prostitute, and tear off her clothes and leave herstark naked; then they wil eat her flesh and burn the remains in the fire.	16 The ten horns that you saw and the beast will hate the harlot; they will leave her desolate and naked; they will eat her flesh and consume her with fire.
17 In fact, God has influenced their minds to do what he intends, to agree together to put their royalpowers at the beast's disposal until the time when God's words shal be fulfilled.	17 For God has put it into their minds to carry out his purpose and to make them come to an agreement to give their kingdom to the beast until the words of God are accomplished.
18 The woman you saw is the great city which has authority over all the rulers on earth.'	18 The woman whom you saw represents the great city that has sovereignty over the kings of the earth."