CHAPTER 17 :1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials , and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither ; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth 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 sit 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 filthiness of her fornication : :5 And upon her forehead [was] a name written , MYSTERY , BABYLON THE GREAT , THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND 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 wondered with great admiration . :7 And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel ? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman , and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath 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 go into perdition : and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder , whose names were 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 mind which hath wisdom . The seven heads are seven mountains , on which the woman sitteth . :10 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. :11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth , and is of the seven , and goeth into perdition . :12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings , which have received no kingdom as yet ; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast . :13 These have one mind , and shall give their power and strength unto the beast . :14 These shall make war with the Lamb , and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords , and King of kings : and they that are with him [are] called , and chosen , and faithful . :15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest , where the whore sitteth , are peoples , and multitudes , and nations , and tongues . :16 And the ten horns which thou sawest 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 hath 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 sawest is that great city , which reigneth over the kings of the earth . ~~~~~~