Revelation 17

1 One of the seven angels, who had [one of] the seven bowls, came to me. He said to me, “Come [with me], and I will show you how [God] will punish the very evil [city that is represented by] [SYM] a prostitute, a city in which there are many canals [of] water.

And there came one of the seven messengers, who were having the seven vials, and he spake with me, saying to me, 'Come, I will shew to thee the judgment of the great whore, who is sitting upon the many waters,

2 [It is as though] the rulers of earth have acted immorally [and idolatrously] with the people of that city [MET], and they [have persuaded people] who live on the earth to act immorally [and idolatrously] with them [MET], [just like a prostitute persuades men to drink] the [strong] wine [she gives them, resulting in their] becoming drunk [and] then committing sexual immorality. with her.”

with whom the kings of the earth did commit whoredom; and made drunk from the wine of her whoredom were those inhabiting the earth;'

3 Then, as [God’s] Spirit [controlled me], the angel carried me away to a desolate area. There I saw a woman who was sitting on a red beast. The beast had names [written] all over itself. They were names that (insulted/spoke evil against) [God]. The beast had seven heads and ten horns.

and he carried me away to a wilderness in the Spirit, and I saw a woman sitting upon a scarlet-coloured beast, full of names of evil-speaking, having seven heads and ten horns,

4 The woman [that I saw] was wearing purple and red [clothes]; and gold, precious stones, and pearls were fastened to her [clothes and her body]. She held in her hand a golden cup. The cup was full of [a liquid that represents] [SYM] the detestable/disgusting, idolatrous things and filthy immoral things that she [does].

and the woman was arrayed with purple and scarlet-colour, and gilded with gold, and precious stone, and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and uncleanness of her whoredom,

5 This name, that has a hidden/secret [meaning], was written on her forehead: “[This woman is] Babylon, the very evil [city! She acts like] the mother of the prostitutes on the earth. She teaches them to [act] immorally and to worship idols.”

and upon her forehead was a name written: 'Secret, Babylon the Great, the Mother of the Whores, and the Abominations of the earth.'

6 I saw that the woman had become drunk as a result of drinking the blood of God’s people, those who had told others about Jesus. When I saw her, I was very bewildered/perplexed.

And I saw the woman drunken from the blood of the saints, and from the blood of the witnesses of Jesus, and I did wonder — having seen her — with great wonder;

7 The angel said to me, “Do not be bewildered [RHQ]! I will explain to you the hidden/secret meaning of the woman and of the beast on which she rides, the beast that has the seven heads and the ten horns.

and the messenger said to me, 'Wherefore didst thou wonder? I — I will tell thee the secret of the woman and of the beast that [is] carrying her, which hath the seven heads and the ten horns.

8 The beast that you saw [lived] previously. Eventually God will destroy him, but now he is dead. He is [about to] come up (from the underworld/from the deep dark pit). [When] the beast who had previously lived, and who then had died, reappears, the people who live on the earth will be amazed. [They are people whose] names were not in the book in which are written the names of people [who will] have eternal life. [The angels have been writing those names in a list] (from the beginning of the world/from the time when the world began). (Abyssos g12)

'The beast that thou didst see: it was, and it is not; and it is about to come up out of the abyss, and to go away to destruction, and wonder shall those dwelling upon the earth, whose names have not been written upon the scroll of the life from the foundation of the world, beholding the beast that was, and is not, although it is. (Abyssos g12)

9 Those who [think] wisely [can understand] this: The seven heads [of the beast] on which the woman sits [symbolize] the seven hills [of the city that the woman represents]. They also [symbolize] seven rulers.

'Here [is] the mind that is having wisdom; the seven heads are seven mountains, upon which the woman doth sit,

10 Five [of those rulers] have died. One is [still alive]. The seventh [ruler] has not yet come. When he comes, he must remain on earth for [only] a short [time].

and there are seven kings, the five did fall, and the one is, the other did not yet come, and when he may come, it behoveth him to remain a little time;

11 The beast that [lived] before and then was not [alive] will be the eighth [ruler]. He will be [evil like] the seven [rulers were, but God] will surely destroy him.

and the beast that was, and is not, he also is eighth, and out of the seven he is, and to destruction he doth go away.

12 The ten horns that you saw [represent] ten rulers who have not yet begun to rule. They, together with the beast, will be authorized to rule [people for only a short time, as if it were] [MET] for one hour.

'And the ten horns that thou sawest, are ten kings, who a kingdom did not yet receive, but authority as kings the same hour do receive with the beast,

13 Those [rulers] will all agree to do the same thing. [As a result] they will give to the beast their power [to rule people] as well as their authority [to rule people] [DOU].

these have one mind, and their own power and authority to the beast they shall give over;

14 The rulers and the beast will fight against [Jesus], the [one who is like a] lamb. He will defeat them, because he is Lord [who rules over all other] lords and the King [who rules over all other] kings. Those [people] who are with [and helping him] are the ones whom [God] has chosen, and who keep [serving him] faithfully.”

these with the Lamb shall make war, and the Lamb shall overcome them, because Lord of lords he is, and King of kings, and those with him are called, and choice, and stedfast.'

15 Then the angel said to me, “The waters that you saw in the city where the prostitute sits represent people-[groups], multitudes [of people], nations, and [speakers of many languages] [MTY].

And he saith to me, 'The waters that thou didst see, where the whore doth sit, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues;'

16 The ten horns that you saw [represent rulers] [SYM]. They and the beast will hate [the people in the city] [MTY] that the prostitute [represents]. As a result, they will [take away everything that is in the city, as if] they were [MET] leaving it naked. They will [destroy it as if] [MET] devouring flesh/meat, and they will burn it with fire.

and the ten horns that thou didst see upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and shall burn her in fire,

17 They will do that because God has caused them to decide to do what he wants them to do. As a result, they will let the beast have their power to rule until what God has said is fulfilled {until [they] fulfill what God has said} [MTY].

for God did give into their hearts to do its mind, and to make one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast till the sayings of God may be complete,

18 The prostitute that you saw [represents] the very evil city [whose leaders] [MTY] rule over the kings of the earth.”

and the woman that thou didst see is the great city that is having reign over the kings of the land.'