Font Size
Revelation 17-18
Christian Standard Bible
Revelation 17-18
Christian Standard Bible
The Woman and the Scarlet Beast
17 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls(A) came and spoke with me: “Come, I will show you the judgment of the notorious prostitute[a](B) who is seated on many[b] waters.(C) 2 The kings of the earth(D) committed sexual immorality with her, and those who live on the earth became drunk on the wine of her sexual immorality.”(E) 3 Then he carried me away in the Spirit[c](F) to a wilderness.
I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered[d] with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns.(G) 4 The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, adorned with gold, jewels, and pearls.(H) She had a golden cup in her hand filled with everything detestable(I) and with the impurities of her[e] prostitution. 5 On her forehead was written a name, a mystery:(J) Babylon the Great, the Mother of Prostitutes and of the Detestable Things of the Earth. 6 Then I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the witnesses to Jesus.(K) When I saw her, I was greatly astonished.
The Meaning of the Woman and of the Beast
7 Then the angel said to me, “Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the mystery of the woman and of the beast, with the seven heads and the ten horns, that carries her. 8 The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up from the abyss(L) and go to destruction.(M) Those who live on the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world(N) will be astonished when they see the beast that was, and is not, and is to come.(O) 9 This calls for a mind that has wisdom.[f](P)
“The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated. They are also seven kings: 10 Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when he comes, he must remain for only a little while. 11 The beast that was and is not, is itself an eighth king, but it belongs to the seven and is going to destruction. 12 The ten horns you saw are ten kings(Q) who have not yet received a kingdom, but they will receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour.(R) 13 These have one purpose, and they give their power and authority to the beast. 14 These will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will conquer them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings.(S) Those with him are called, chosen, and faithful.”(T)
15 He also said to me, “The waters you saw,(U) where the prostitute was seated, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages.(V) 16 The ten horns you saw, and the beast, will hate the prostitute.(W) They will make her desolate and naked, devour her flesh, and burn her up with fire.(X) 17 For God has put it into their hearts to carry out his plan by having one purpose(Y) and to give their kingdom[g] to the beast until the words of God are fulfilled.(Z) 18 And the woman you saw is the great city that has royal power over the kings of the earth.”
The Fall of Babylon the Great
18 After this I saw another angel with great authority coming down from heaven,(AA) and the earth was illuminated by his splendor. 2 He called out in a mighty voice:
It has fallen,[h]
Babylon the Great has fallen!(AB)
She has become a home for demons,
a haunt for every unclean spirit,
a haunt for every unclean bird,
and a haunt[i] for every unclean and despicable beast.[j](AC)
3 For all the nations have drunk[k]
the wine of her sexual immorality,
which brings wrath.(AD)
The kings of the earth
have committed sexual immorality with her,
and the merchants of the earth
have grown wealthy from her sensuality and excess.(AE)
4 Then I heard another voice from heaven:
Come out of her, my people,
so that you will not share in her sins(AF)
or receive any of her plagues.
5 For her sins are piled up[l] to heaven,(AG)
and God has remembered her crimes.(AH)
6 Pay her back the way she also paid,(AI)
and double it according to her works.(AJ)
In the cup in which she mixed,(AK)
mix a double portion for her.
7 As much as she glorified herself and indulged her sensual and excessive ways,
give her that much torment and grief.
For she says in her heart,
“I sit as a queen;
I am not a widow,
and I will never see grief.”(AL)
8 For this reason her plagues will come in just one day—
death and grief and famine.(AM)
She will be burned up with fire,(AN)
because the Lord God who judges(AO) her is mighty.(AP)
The World Mourns Babylon’s Fall
9 The kings of the earth who have committed sexual immorality and shared her sensual and excessive ways will weep and mourn over her when they see the smoke from her burning. 10 They will stand far off in fear of her torment,(AQ) saying,
Woe, woe, the great city,(AR)
Babylon, the mighty city!
For in a single hour
your judgment has come.
11 The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, because no one buys their cargo any longer— 12 cargo of gold, silver, jewels, and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk, and scarlet; all kinds of fragrant wood products; objects of ivory; objects of expensive wood, brass,[m] iron, and marble; 13 cinnamon, spice,[n] incense, myrrh,[o] and frankincense; wine, olive oil, fine flour, and grain; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and slaves—human lives.(AS)
14 The fruit you craved has left you.
All your splendid and glamorous things are gone;
they will never find them again.
15 The merchants of these things, who became rich from her, will stand far off in fear of her torment, weeping and mourning, 16 saying,
Woe, woe, the great city,
dressed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet,
adorned with gold, jewels, and pearls;(AT)
17 for in a single hour
such fabulous wealth was destroyed!
And every shipmaster, seafarer, the sailors, and all who do business by sea, stood far off 18 as they watched the smoke from her burning and kept crying out, “Who was like the great city?” (AU) 19 They threw dust on their heads and kept crying out, weeping, and mourning,(AV)
Woe, woe, the great city,(AW)
where all those who have ships on the sea
became rich from her wealth;
for in a single hour she was destroyed.
20 Rejoice over her, heaven,
and you saints, apostles, and prophets,(AX)
because God has pronounced on her the judgment(AY) she passed on you!
The Finality of Babylon’s Fall
21 Then a mighty angel(AZ) picked up a stone like a large millstone and threw it into the sea, saying,
In this way, Babylon the great city
will be thrown down violently(BA)
and never be found again.(BB)
22 The sound of harpists, musicians,
flutists, and trumpeters
will never be heard in you again;(BC)
no craftsman of any trade
will ever be found in you again;
the sound of a mill
will never be heard in you again;
23 the light of a lamp
will never shine in you again;
and the voice of a groom and bride
will never be heard in you again.(BD)
All this will happen
because your merchants
were the nobility of the earth,
because all the nations were deceived
by your sorcery.
24 In her was found the blood of prophets and saints,(BE)
and of all those slaughtered on the earth.(BF)
Footnotes
- 17:1 Traditionally translated the great whore
- 17:1 Or by many
- 17:3 Or in spirit
- 17:3 Or was filled
- 17:4 Other mss read earth’s
- 17:9 Or Here is the mind of wisdom
- 17:17 Or sovereignty
- 18:2 Other mss omit It has fallen
- 18:2 Or prison
- 18:2 Other mss omit the words and a haunt for every unclean beast. The words and despicable then refer to the bird of the previous line.
- 18:3 Some mss read collapsed; other mss read fallen
- 18:5 Or sins have reached up
- 18:12 Or bronze, or copper
- 18:13 Other mss omit spice
- 18:13 Or perfume
Revelation 17-18
New International Version
Revelation 17-18
New International Version
Babylon, the Prostitute on the Beast
17 One of the seven angels(A) who had the seven bowls(B) came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the punishment(C) of the great prostitute,(D) who sits by many waters.(E) 2 With her the kings of the earth committed adultery, and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries.”(F)
3 Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit(G) into a wilderness.(H) There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet(I) beast that was covered with blasphemous names(J) and had seven heads and ten horns.(K) 4 The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls.(L) She held a golden cup(M) in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries.(N) 5 The name written on her forehead was a mystery:(O)
6 I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God’s holy people,(R) the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus.
When I saw her, I was greatly astonished. 7 Then the angel said to me: “Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the mystery(S) of the woman and of the beast she rides, which has the seven heads and ten horns.(T) 8 The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and yet will come up out of the Abyss(U) and go to its destruction.(V) The inhabitants of the earth(W) whose names have not been written in the book of life(X) from the creation of the world will be astonished(Y) when they see the beast, because it once was, now is not, and yet will come.
9 “This calls for a mind with wisdom.(Z) The seven heads(AA) are seven hills on which the woman sits. 10 They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for only a little while. 11 The beast who once was, and now is not,(AB) is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction.
12 “The ten horns(AC) you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour(AD) will receive authority as kings along with the beast. 13 They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast.(AE) 14 They will wage war(AF) against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over(AG) them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings(AH)—and with him will be his called, chosen(AI) and faithful followers.”
15 Then the angel said to me, “The waters(AJ) you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages.(AK) 16 The beast and the ten horns(AL) you saw will hate the prostitute.(AM) They will bring her to ruin(AN) and leave her naked;(AO) they will eat her flesh(AP) and burn her with fire.(AQ) 17 For God has put it into their hearts(AR) to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to hand over to the beast their royal authority,(AS) until God’s words are fulfilled.(AT) 18 The woman you saw is the great city(AU) that rules over the kings of the earth.”
Lament Over Fallen Babylon
18 After this I saw another angel(AV) coming down from heaven.(AW) He had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendor.(AX) 2 With a mighty voice he shouted:
“‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!’[a](AY)
She has become a dwelling for demons
and a haunt for every impure spirit,(AZ)
a haunt for every unclean bird,
a haunt for every unclean and detestable animal.(BA)
3 For all the nations have drunk
the maddening wine of her adulteries.(BB)
The kings of the earth committed adultery with her,(BC)
and the merchants of the earth grew rich(BD) from her excessive luxuries.”(BE)
Warning to Escape Babylon’s Judgment
4 Then I heard another voice from heaven say:
“‘Come out of her, my people,’[b](BF)
so that you will not share in her sins,
so that you will not receive any of her plagues;(BG)
5 for her sins are piled up to heaven,(BH)
and God has remembered(BI) her crimes.
6 Give back to her as she has given;
pay her back(BJ) double(BK) for what she has done.
Pour her a double portion from her own cup.(BL)
7 Give her as much torment and grief
as the glory and luxury she gave herself.(BM)
In her heart she boasts,
‘I sit enthroned as queen.
I am not a widow;[c]
I will never mourn.’(BN)
8 Therefore in one day(BO) her plagues will overtake her:
death, mourning and famine.
She will be consumed by fire,(BP)
for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.
Threefold Woe Over Babylon’s Fall
9 “When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her(BQ) and shared her luxury(BR) see the smoke of her burning,(BS) they will weep and mourn over her.(BT) 10 Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off(BU) and cry:
11 “The merchants(BX) of the earth will weep and mourn(BY) over her because no one buys their cargoes anymore(BZ)— 12 cargoes of gold, silver, precious stones and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet cloth; every sort of citron wood, and articles of every kind made of ivory, costly wood, bronze, iron and marble;(CA) 13 cargoes of cinnamon and spice, of incense, myrrh and frankincense, of wine and olive oil, of fine flour and wheat; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and human beings sold as slaves.(CB)
14 “They will say, ‘The fruit you longed for is gone from you. All your luxury and splendor have vanished, never to be recovered.’ 15 The merchants who sold these things and gained their wealth from her(CC) will stand far off,(CD) terrified at her torment. They will weep and mourn(CE) 16 and cry out:
“‘Woe! Woe to you, great city,(CF)
dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet,
and glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls!(CG)
17 In one hour(CH) such great wealth has been brought to ruin!’(CI)
“Every sea captain, and all who travel by ship, the sailors, and all who earn their living from the sea,(CJ) will stand far off.(CK) 18 When they see the smoke of her burning,(CL) they will exclaim, ‘Was there ever a city like this great city(CM)?’(CN) 19 They will throw dust on their heads,(CO) and with weeping and mourning(CP) cry out:
“‘Woe! Woe to you, great city,(CQ)
where all who had ships on the sea
became rich through her wealth!
In one hour she has been brought to ruin!’(CR)
20 “Rejoice over her, you heavens!(CS)
Rejoice, you people of God!
Rejoice, apostles and prophets!
For God has judged her
with the judgment she imposed on you.”(CT)
The Finality of Babylon’s Doom
21 Then a mighty angel(CU) picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea,(CV) and said:
“With such violence
the great city(CW) of Babylon will be thrown down,
never to be found again.
22 The music of harpists and musicians, pipers and trumpeters,
will never be heard in you again.(CX)
No worker of any trade
will ever be found in you again.
The sound of a millstone
will never be heard in you again.(CY)
23 The light of a lamp
will never shine in you again.
The voice of bridegroom and bride
will never be heard in you again.(CZ)
Your merchants were the world’s important people.(DA)
By your magic spell(DB) all the nations were led astray.
24 In her was found the blood of prophets and of God’s holy people,(DC)
of all who have been slaughtered on the earth.”(DD)
Footnotes
- Revelation 18:2 Isaiah 21:9
- Revelation 18:4 Jer. 51:45
- Revelation 18:7 See Isaiah 47:7,8.
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.