Revelation 17
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 17
Babylon the Great, the Infamous Harlot.[a] 1 One of the seven angels who held the seven bowls approached me and said, “Come here and I will show you the judgment on the great harlot who is enthroned over many waters. 2 The kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the inhabitants of the earth have become drunk on the wine of her harlotry.”
3 Then he carried me away in the spirit[b] into the wilderness, and I saw a woman seated on a scarlet beast that had seven heads and ten horns and was covered with blasphemous names. 4 The woman was clothed in purple and scarlet and adorned with gold and jewels and pearls. In her hand she held a gold cup filled with accursed things and the impurities of her harlotry.
5 On her forehead was written a mysterious name: “Babylon the Great, the mother of harlots and of every abomination on the earth.” 6 And I noticed that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints and the blood of those who had borne witness to Jesus.
When I saw her, I was utterly astounded. 7 But the angel said to me, “Why are you astounded? 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 once alive but is now alive no longer. It is about to ascend from the abyss and go to its destruction. All the inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life since the foundation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast, because it was once alive but is now alive no longer, and yet it is still to come.
9 “This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads represent seven hills upon which the woman is seated. They also represent seven kings. 10 Five have already fallen, one is still living, and the other has not yet come. When he does come, he must remain only for a short while. 11 As for the beast that was alive but is now alive no longer, it is at the same time the eighth and one of the seven, and it is headed for destruction.
12 “The ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet begun to reign. They will have royal authority for only a single hour together with the beast. 13 They are all of the same mind and will confer their power and authority on the beast. 14 They will wage war against the Lamb, but because the Lamb is Lord of lords and King of kings,[c] he will overcome them—he and those who are with him, the called, the chosen, and the faithful.”
15 The angel continued, “The waters that you saw, where the harlot sits, represent peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages. 16 The ten horns that you saw and the beast will hate the harlot. They will render her desolate and naked; after they devour her flesh, they will burn her up with fire.
17 “For God has influenced their hearts to carry out his purpose by agreeing to confer their royal powers upon the beast until the words of God will be fulfilled. 18 The woman you saw is the great city that has authority over the kings of the earth.”
Footnotes
- Revelation 17:1 Harlot and mother of harlots: such is Babylon because it is the wellspring of idolatry, especially by imposing emperor worship; and for the people of the Bible an idol is an abomination, and idolatry is prostitution (Ezek, chs. 16 and 23). The woman on the beast is named Babylon, a name that stands for all oppressions and all sufferings; the real reference is to imperial Rome, the famous city on the seven hills (v. 9), the center of the great empire that has enslaved the peoples of the Mediterranean basin (vv. 1, 15). She will drink the blood of Christians, especially during the terrible persecutions of Nero and Domitian.
The beast that once was and now is not, but is returning—a parody of God who is described as “hIm who is, who was, and who is to come” (Rev 1:4)—is probably Nero (A.D. 54–68), whose resurrection was predicted in some popular legends. And if the seven kings need to be identified (vv. 9-11), the list is as follows: Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, Nero, Vespasian, and Titus (omitting Galba, Otho, and Vitellius, interim emperors, who ruled in quick succession in A.D. 68–69, after the death of Nero). The eighth emperor acts as people would expect Nero to act if he returned to life, i.e., as a beast; we can give him a name: Domitian (A.D. 81–96), during whose reign the Book of Revelation was probably composed. The other ten kings (v. 12) lead peoples subject to the empire. Empires and governors waste the political and cultural patrimony of Rome (v. 16): tyranny and bullying will be the cause of its destruction. - Revelation 17:3 In the spirit: see note on Rev 1:10.
- Revelation 17:14 Lord of lords and King of kings: a title that stresses the Lamb’s supreme sovereignty (see Deut 10:17; Ps 136:2-3; Dan 2:47; 1 Tim 6:15).
Apocalipsis 17
Dios Habla Hoy
Visión preparatoria
17 Uno de los siete ángeles que tenían las siete copas, vino y me dijo: «Ven, te voy a mostrar el castigo de la gran prostituta que está sentada sobre las aguas. 2 Los reyes del mundo se han entregado a la prostitución con ella, y los habitantes de la tierra se han emborrachado con el vino de su prostitución.»
3 Luego, en la visión que me hizo ver el Espíritu, el ángel me llevó al desierto.
La mujer sobre el monstruo
Allí vi una mujer montada en un monstruo rojo, el cual estaba cubierto de nombres ofensivos para Dios y tenía siete cabezas y diez cuernos. 4 Aquella mujer iba vestida con ropa de colores púrpura y rojo, y estaba adornada con oro, piedras preciosas y perlas. Tenía en la mano una copa de oro llena de cosas odiosas y de la impureza de su prostitución; 5 y llevaba escrito en la frente un nombre misterioso: «La gran Babilonia, madre de las prostitutas y de todo lo que hay de odioso en el mundo.» 6 Luego me di cuenta de que la mujer estaba borracha de la sangre del pueblo santo y de los que habían sido muertos por ser testigos de Jesús.
Al verla, me quedé muy asombrado. 7 Entonces el ángel me dijo: «¿Por qué te asombras? Te voy a decir el significado secreto de esa mujer y del monstruo que la lleva, el que tiene las siete cabezas y los diez cuernos. 8 El monstruo que has visto es uno que antes vivía, pero ya no existe; sin embargo, va a subir del abismo antes de ir a su destrucción total. Los habitantes de la tierra cuyos nombres no están escritos en el libro de la vida desde la creación del mundo, se asombrarán cuando vean ese monstruo que antes vivía y ya no existe, pero que volverá a venir.
9 »Aquí se verá quién tiene sabiduría y entendimiento: Las siete cabezas representan siete montes sobre los que esa mujer está sentada; las cabezas, a su vez, representan siete reyes. 10 Cinco de estos reyes ya cayeron, uno de ellos gobierna ahora y el otro no ha venido todavía. Pero cuando venga, no durará mucho tiempo. 11 El monstruo que antes vivía y que ya no existe, es el octavo rey; aunque es también uno de los otros siete, y se encamina a su destrucción total.
12 »Los diez cuernos que has visto son diez reyes que todavía no han comenzado a gobernar; pero por una hora recibirán, junto con el monstruo, autoridad como de reyes. 13 Estos diez reyes están de acuerdo, y darán su poder y autoridad al monstruo. 14 Pelearán contra el Cordero; pero el Cordero los vencerá, teniendo con él a los que Dios ha llamado y escogido y son fieles, porque el Cordero es Señor de señores y Rey de reyes.»
15 El ángel me dijo también: «Las aguas que viste, sobre las cuales está sentada la prostituta, son pueblos, gentes, lenguas y naciones. 16 Y los diez cuernos que viste y el monstruo odiarán a la prostituta, y la dejarán abandonada y desnuda; comerán la carne de su cuerpo, y la quemarán con fuego. 17 Dios les ha puesto en el corazón la determinación de hacer lo que él quiere que hagan: se pondrán de acuerdo para entregar su autoridad de reyes al monstruo, hasta que se cumpla lo que Dios ha dicho. 18 La mujer que viste es aquella gran ciudad que domina a los reyes del mundo.»
Revelation 17
King James Version
17 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.
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