Babylon, the Prostitute on the Beast
1One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits by many waters. 2With her the kings of the earth committed adultery, and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries.”
3Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. 4The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries. 5The name written on her forehead was a mystery:
babylon the great
the mother of prostitutes
and of the abominations of the earth.
6I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God’s holy people, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus.
When I saw her, I was greatly astonished. 7Then the angel said to me: “Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the mystery of the woman and of the beast she rides, which has the seven heads and ten horns. 8The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and yet will come up out of the Abyss and go to its destruction. The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast, because it once was, now is not, and yet will come.
9“This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits. 10They 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. 11The beast who once was, and now is not, is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction.
12“The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast. 13They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast. 14They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.”
15Then the angel said to me, “The waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages. 16The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute. They will bring her to ruin and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire. 17For God has put it into their hearts to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to hand over to the beast their royal authority, until God’s words are fulfilled. 18The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth.”
Odwamanfoɔ Bi
1Abɔfoɔ baason no mu baako a ɔkura nkuruwa nson no baa me nkyɛn bɛkaa sɛ, “Bra na menkyerɛ wo kwan a wɔbɛfa so atwe odwamanfoɔ kɛseɛ a ɔte nsuo pii so no aso. 2Ewiase ahene ne no bɔɔ adwaman, na asase so nnipa aboto wɔ nʼadwaman nsã no mu.”
3Honhom no faa me maa ɔbɔfoɔ no de me kɔɔ ɛserɛ so. Ɛhɔ na mehunuu ɔbaa bi sɛ ɔte aboa kɔkɔɔ bi a wɔatwerɛ edin a ɛyɛ abususɛm agu ne ho nyinaa. Na aboa no wɔ tire nson, ne mmɛn edu. 4Na ɔbaa no hyɛ atadeɛ afasebire ne kɔkɔɔ a ɔde sikakɔkɔɔ aboɔ ne nhweneɛ a ne boɔ yɛ den ahyehyɛ ne ho. Na ɔkura sika kuruwa a afideɛ ne adwamammɔ ho nneɛma ayɛ no ma tɔ. 5Na wɔatwerɛ edin bi wɔ ne moma so a ne nkyerɛaseɛ no wɔ ahintasɛm mu sɛ,
“Babilonia kɛseɛ
asase so adwamanfoɔ
ne akyiwadeɛ maame.”
6Na mehunuu sɛ Onyankopɔn nkurɔfoɔ ne Yesu akyidifoɔ a wɔkumm wɔn no mogya aboro no.
Mehunuu no no, ɛyɛɛ me nwanwa. 7Ɔbɔfoɔ no bisaa me sɛ, “Adɛn enti na ɛyɛ wo nwanwa? Mɛkyerɛ wo ahintasɛm nkyerɛaseɛ a ɛwɔ ɔbaa no ne aboa no a ɔwɔ tire nson ne mmɛn edu a ɔte ne so no ho. 8Aboa a wohunuu no no na ɔte ase, nanso ɔnte ase bio. Ɔrebɛfiri bunu no mu aba ama wɔasɛe no. Nnipa a wɔte asase so a wɔantwerɛ wɔn din angu ateasefoɔ nwoma no mu ansa na wɔrebɔ ewiase no, sɛ wɔhunu aboa no a, ɛbɛyɛ wɔn nwanwa. Ɛberɛ bi na ɔte ase, nanso seesei ɔnte ase na ɔbɛsane aba.
9“Nyansa ne nteaseɛ ho hia wɔ ha. Etire nson no gyina hɔ ma mmepɔ nson, mmepɔ a ɔbaa no tena so. Wɔyɛ ahene baason nso 10a wɔn mu baanum awuwu, na wɔn mu baako da so di ɔhene na ɔbaako a ɔka wɔn ho no mmaeɛ. Na sɛ ɔba a ɔbɛdi ɔhene kakra. 11Aboa no a anka na ɔte ase na afei deɛ, ɔnte ase no yɛ ɔhene a ɔtɔ so nwɔtwe a ɔka baason a wɔdi ɛkan no ho a ɔrekɔ ne sɛeɛ mu.
12“Mmɛn edu a wohunuiɛ no yɛ ahene edu a wɔmfirii wɔn ahennie ase a wɔbɛma wɔn tumi na wɔne aboa no adi ɔhene dɔnhwereɛ no. 13Wɔn nyinaa wɔ botaeɛ baako, na wɔde wɔn ahoɔden ne wɔn tumi bɛma aboa no. 14Wɔbɛko atia Odwammaa no, na ɔno ne nʼakyidifoɔ, agyidifoɔ ne nokwafoɔ a wɔafrɛ wɔn no bɛdi wɔn so, ɛfiri sɛ, ɔyɛ awuranom mu Awurade ne ahene mu Ɔhene.”
15Ɔbɔfoɔ no nso ka kyerɛɛ me sɛ, “Nsuo a wohunuiɛ a odwamanfoɔ no te so no yɛ nkuro ne nkurɔfoɔ akuakuo ne aman ne kasa hodoɔ. 16Mmɛn edu ne aboa no a wohunuiɛ no bɛkyiri odwamanfoɔ no. Wɔbɛfa biribiara a ɛwɔ ne ho ama wada adagya. Wɔbɛwe ne nam na wɔde ogya ahye no. 17Ɛfiri sɛ, Onyankopɔn de ahyɛ wɔn akoma mu sɛ wɔbɛpene so de wɔn tumi ama aboa no na wadi ɔhene kɔsi sɛ Onyankopɔn asɛm no bɛba mu de ahyɛ ne botaeɛ no ma. 18Ɔbaa a wohunuu no no yɛ kuro kɛseɛ a ɛdi asase so ahene so.”
