Apocalisse 17
1 ED uno de' sette angeli, che aveano le sette coppe, venne, e parlò meco, dicendo: Vieni, io ti mostrerò la condannazione della gran meretrice, che siede sopra molte acque;
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.
2 con la quale hanno fornicato i re della terra; e del vino della cui fornicazione sono stati inebbriati gli abitanti della terra.
[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.”
3 Ed egli mi trasportò in ispirito in un deserto; ed io vidi una donna, che sedeva sopra una bestia di color di scarlatto, piena di nomi di bestemmia, ed avea sette teste, e dieci corna.
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.
4 E quella donna, ch'era vestita di porpora, e di scarlatto, adorna d'oro, e di pietre preziose, e di perle, avea una coppa d'oro in mano, piena d'abbominazioni, e delle immondizie della sua fornicazione.
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].
5 E in su la sua fronte [era] scritto un nome: Mistero, Babilonia la grande, la madre delle fornicazioni, e delle abbominazioni della terra.
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.”
6 Ed io vidi quella donna ebbra del sangue dei santi, e del sangue de' martiri di Gesù; ed avendola veduta, mi maravigliai di gran maraviglia.
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.
7 E l'angelo mi disse: Perchè ti maravigli? Io ti dirò il mistero della donna, e della bestia che la porta, la quale ha le sette teste, e le dieci corna.
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.
8 La bestia che tu hai veduta, era, e non è [più]; e salirà dell'abisso, e poi andrà in perdizione; e gli abitanti della terra, i cui nomi non sono scritti nel libro della vita, fin dalla fondazione del mondo, si maraviglieranno, veggendo la bestia che era, e non è, e pure è. (Abyssos g12)
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)
9 Qui [è] la mente, che ha sapienza: le sette teste son sette monti, sopra i quali la donna siede.
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.
10 Sono ancora sette re; i cinque son caduti, l'uno è, e l'altro non è ancora venuto; e quando sarà venuto, ha da durar poco.
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].
11 E la bestia che era, e non è [più], è anch'essa un ottavo [re], ed è de' sette, e se ne va in perdizione.
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.
12 E le dieci corna, che tu hai vedute, son dieci re, i quali non hanno ancora preso il regno; ma prenderanno podestà, come re, in uno stesso tempo con la bestia.
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.
13 Costoro hanno un medesimo consiglio: e daranno la lor potenza, e podestà alla bestia.
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].
14 Costoro guerreggeranno con l'Agnello, e l'Agnello li vincerà; perciocchè egli è il Signor de' signori, e il Re dei re; e coloro che [son] con lui[son] chiamati, ed eletti, e fedeli.
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.”
15 Poi mi disse: Le acque che tu hai vedute, dove siede la meretrice, [son] popoli, e moltitudini, e nazioni, e lingue.
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].
16 E le dieci corna, che tu hai vedute nella bestia, [son] quelli che odieranno la meretrice, e la renderanno deserta, e nuda; e mangeranno le sue carni, e bruceranno lei col fuoco.
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.
17 Perciocchè Iddio ha messo nel cuor loro di eseguire la sua sentenza, e di prendere un medesimo consiglio, e di dare il lor regno alla bestia; finchè sieno adempiute le parole di Dio.
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].
18 E la donna, che tu hai veduta, è la gran città, che ha il regno sopra i re della terra.
The prostitute that you saw [represents] the very evil city [whose leaders] [MTY] rule over the kings of the earth.”
