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.”
Mkazi Wachiwerewere
1Mmodzi wa angelo asanu ndi awiri aja amene anali ndi mbale zisanu ndi ziwiri anadza nati kwa ine, “Bwera ndikuonetse chilango cha mkazi wadama wotchuka uja amene akukhala pambali pa madzi ambiri. 2Mafumu a dziko lapansi amachita naye chigololo ndipo okhala pa dziko lapansi analedzera ndi vinyo wa zigololo zake.”
3Kenaka mngeloyo anandinyamula mwa Mzimu Woyera kupita nane ku chipululu. Kumeneko ndinaona mkazi atakhala pa chirombo chofiira chokutidwa ndi mayina a chipongwe ndipo chinali ndi mitu isanu ndi iwiri ndi nyanga khumi. 4Mkaziyo anavala zovala za pepo ndi zofiira nadzikongoletsa ndi golide, miyala yapamwamba ndi ngale. Ananyamula chikho chagolide mʼdzanja lake, chodzaza ndi zinthu zonyansa ndi fungo loyipa la zigololo zake. 5Pa mphumi pake panalembedwa dzina lodabwitsa:
BABULONI WAMKULU
MAYI WA AKAZI ADAMA
NDI WAZOYIPITSA ZA DZIKO LAPANSI.
6Ndinaona kuti mkaziyo anali ataledzera ndi magazi a oyera mtima, magazi a amene anachitira umboni Yesu.
Nditamuona mkaziyo ndinadabwa kwambiri. 7Kenaka mngelo uja anati kwa ine, “Bwanji ukudabwa? Ndikufotokozera chinsinsi cha mkaziyu ndi chinsinsi cha chirombo chimene wakwerapochi chokhala ndi mitu isanu ndi iwiri ndi nyanga khumi. 8Chirombo chimene wachionachi chinalipo kale koma tsopano kulibe ndipo chidzatuluka ku chidzenje chakuya ndi kupita kukawonongedwa. Anthu okhala pa dziko lapansi amene mayina awo sanalembedwe mʼbuku lamoyo kuyambira pa kulengedwa kwa dziko lapansi adzadabwa pamene adzaona chirombocho, chifukwa chinalipo kale, tsopano kulibe, komabe chidzabwera.
9“Zimenezi zikufunika kuganizira mwanzeru. Mitu isanu ndi iwiriyo ndi mapiri asanu ndi awiri pomwe mkazi uja amakhalirapo. Yomweyonso ndi mafumu asanu ndi awiri. 10Mafumu asanu anagwa, imodzi ilipo ndipo ina sinabwere; koma pamene idzafika, idzayenera kukhala kwa kanthawi kochepa. 11Chirombo chomwe chinalipo kale ndipo tsopano kulibe ndiyo mfumu yachisanu ndi chitatu. Iyo ndi ya mʼgulu la asanu ndi awiriwo ndipo ikupita kukawonongedwa.
12“Nyanga khumi unaziona zija ndi mafumu khumi amene sanapatsidwe ulamuliro, koma adzapatsidwa ulamuliro pamodzi ndi chirombo kwa ora limodzi. 13Mafumuwo ali ndi cholinga chimodzi ndipo adzapereka mphamvu ndi ulamuliro wawo kwa chirombocho. 14Iwo adzachita nkhondo ndi Mwana Wankhosa, koma Mwana Wankhosayo adzawagonjetsa chifukwa Iye ndi Mbuye wa ambuye ndi Mfumu ya mafumu, ndipo amene adzakhala ndi Iye ndi oyitanidwa ake, osankhidwa ndi otsatira ake okhulupirika.”
15Kenaka mngeloyo anati kwa ine, “Madzi amene unawaona pamene mkazi wadamayo anakhalapo ndiwo anthu ochuluka, mitundu ndi ziyankhulo. 16Nyanga khumi ndi chirombo unazionazo zidzadya mkazi wadamayo. Zidzamufwifwitsa ndi kumusiya wamaliseche; zidzadya nyama yake ndi kumutentha ndi moto. 17Pakuti Mulungu wayika ichi mʼmitima mwawo kuti akwaniritse cholinga chake povomerezana kupereka mphamvu zawo zolamulira kwa chirombo, kufikira Mawu a Mulungu atakwaniritsidwa. 18Mkazi unamuonayo ndi mzinda waukulu umene ulamulira mafumu a dziko lapansi.”
