⁵ And on her forehead a name was written:

^(A)MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT,
THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS
AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS
OF THE EARTH.

⁶ I saw ^(B)the woman, drunk ^(C)with the blood of the saints and with the blood of ^(D)the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement.

The Meaning of the Woman and the Beast

⁷ But the angel said to me, “Why did you marvel? I will tell you the ^[a]mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns. ⁸ The beast that you saw was, and is not, and ^(E)will ascend out of the bottomless pit and ^(F)go to ^[b]perdition. And those who ^(G)dwell on the earth ^(H)will marvel, ^(I)whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and ^[c]yet is.

^9 (J)“Here is the mind which has wisdom: ^(K)The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. ¹⁰ There are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must ^(L)continue a short time. ¹¹ The ^(M)beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going to ^[d]perdition.

^12 (N)“The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. ¹³ These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast. ^14 (O)These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will ^(P)overcome them, ^(Q)for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; ^(R)and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.”

¹⁵ Then he said to me, ^(S)“The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, ^(T)are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues. ¹⁶ And the ten horns which you ^[e]saw on the beast, ^(U)these will hate the harlot, make her ^(V)desolate ^(W)and naked, eat her flesh and ^(X)burn her with fire. ^17 (Y)For God has put it into their hearts to fulfill His purpose, to be of one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast, ^(Z)until the words of God are fulfilled. ¹⁸ And the woman whom you saw ^(AA)is that great city ^(AB)which reigns over the kings of the earth.”