Ἀποκάλυψις Ἰωάννου — κεφάλαιον ιζ’

Καὶ ἦλθεν εἷς ἐκ τῶν ἑπτὰ ἀγγέλων τῶν ἐχόντων τὰς ἑπτὰ φιάλας, καὶ ἐλάλησε μετ’ ἐμοῦ, λέγων μοι, Δεῦρο, δείξω σοι τὸ κρίμα τῆς πόρνης τῆς μεγάλης, τῆς καθημένης ἐπὶ τῶν ὑδάτων τῶν πολλῶν· ²μεθ’ ἧς ἐπόρνευσαν οἱ βασιλεῖς τῆς γῆς, καὶ ἐμεθύσθησαν ἐκ τοῦ οἴνου τῆς πορνείας αὐτῆς οἱ οἱ κατοικοῦντες τὴν γῆν. ³καὶ ἀπήνεγκέ με εἰς ἔρημον ἐν Πνεύματι· καὶ εἶδον γυναῖκα καθημένην ἐπὶ τὸ θηρίον κόκκινον, γέμον ὀνομάτων βλασφημίας, ἔχον κεφαλὰς ἑπτὰ καὶ κέρατα δέκα. ⁴καὶ ἡ γυνὴ ἦν περιβεβλημένη πορφύρα καὶ κοκκίνῳ καὶ κεχρυσωμένη χρυσῷ καὶ λίθῳ τιμίῳ καὶ μαργαρίταις, ἔχουσα χρυσοῦν ποτήριον ἐν τῇ χειρὶ αὐτῆς, γέμον βδελυγμάτων καὶ ἀκαθάρτητος πορνείας αὐτῆς, ⁵καὶ ἐπὶ τὸ μέτωπον αὐτῆς ὄνομα γεγραμμένον, Μυστήριον, Βαβυλὼν ἡ μεγάλη, ἡ μήτηρ τῶν πορνῶν καὶ τῶν βδελυγμάτων τῆς γῆς. ⁶καὶ εἶδον τὴν γυναῖκα μεθύουσαν ἐκ τοῦ αἵματος τῶν ἁγίων, καὶ ἐκ τοῦ αἵματος τῶν μαρτύρων Ἰησοῦ. καὶ ἐθαύμασα, ἰδὼν αὐτήν, θαῦμα μέγα. ⁷καὶ εἶπέ μοι ὁ ἄγγελος, Διατί ἐθαύμασας; ἐγὼ σοι ἐρῶ τὸ μυστήριον τῆς γυναικὸς, καὶ τοῦ θηρίου τοῦ βαστάζοντος αὐτήν, τοῦ ἔχοντος τὰς ἑπτὰ κεφαλὰς καὶ τὰ δέκα κέρατα. ⁸τὸ θηρίον, ὃ εἶδες, ἦν, καὶ οὐκ ἔστι, καὶ μέλλει ἀναβαίνειν ἐκ τῆς ἀβύσσου, καὶ εἰς ἀπώλειαν ὑπάγειν, καὶ θαυμάσονται οἱ κατοικοῦντες ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ὧν οὐ γέγραπται τὰ ὀνόματα ἐπὶ τὸ βιβλίον τῆς ζωῆς ἀπὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου, βλέποντες τὸ θηρίον ὅτι ἦν, καὶ οὐκ ἔστι, καίπερ ἔστιν. ⁹ὦδε ὁ νοῦς ὁ ἔχων σοφίαν. αἱ ἑπτὰ κεφαλαὶ ὄρη εἰσὶν ἑπτά, ὅπου ἡ γυνὴ κάθηται ἐπ’ αὐτῶν. ¹⁰καὶ βασιλεῖς ἑπτά εἰσιν· οἱ πέντε ἔπεσαν, καὶ ὁ εἷς ἔστιν, ὁ ἄλλος οὔπω ἦλθε· καί, ὅταν ἔλθῃ, ὀλίγον αὐτὸν δεῖ μεῖναι. ¹¹καὶ τὸ θηρίον ὃ ἦν, καὶ οὐκ ἔστι, καὶ αὐτὸς ὄγδοός ἐστι, καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἑπτά ἐστι, καὶ εἰς ἀπώλειαν ὑπάγει. ¹²καὶ τὰ δέκα κέρατα, ἃ εἶδες, δέκα βασιλεῖς εἰσίν, οἵτινες βασιλείαν οὔπω ἔλαβον, ἀλλ’ ἐξουσίαν ὡς βασιλεῖς μίαν ὥραν λαμβάνουσι μετὰ τοῦ θηρίου. ¹³οὗτοι μίαν γνώμην ἔχουσι, καὶ τὴν δύναμιν καὶ τὴν ἐξουσίαν ἐαυτῶν τῷ θηρίῳ διαδιδώσουσιν. ¹⁴οὗτοι μετὰ τοῦ ἀρνίου πολεμήσουσι, καὶ τὸ ἀρνίον νικήσει αὐτούς, ὅτι Κύριος κυρίων ἐστὶ καὶ Βασιλεὺς βασιλέων, καὶ οἱ μετ’ αὐτοῦ, κλητοὶ καὶ ἐκλεκτοὶ καὶ πιστοί. ¹⁵καὶ λέγει μοι, Τὰ ὕδατα, ἃ εἶδες, οὗ ἡ πόρνη κάθηται, λαοὶ καὶ ὄχλοι εἰσί, καὶ ἔθνη καὶ γλῶσσαι. ¹⁶καὶ τὰ δέκα κέρατα, ἃ εἶδες, ἐπὶ τὸ θηρίον, οὗτοι μισήσουσι τὴν πόρνην, καὶ ἠρημωμένην ποιήσουσιν αὐτὴν καὶ γυμνήν, καὶ τὰς σάρκας αὐτῆς φάγονται, καὶ αὐτὴν κατακαύσουσιν ἐν πυρί. ¹⁷ὁ γὰρ Θεὸς ἔδωκεν εἰς τὰς καρδίας αὐτῶν ποιῆσαι τὴν γνώμην αὐτοῦ, καὶ ποιῆσαι μίαν γνώμην, καὶ δοῦναι τὴν βασιλείαν αὐτῶν τῷ θηρίῳ, ἄχρι τελεσθῇ τὰ ρήματα τοῦ Θεοῦ. ¹⁸καὶ ἡ γυνή, ἣν εἶδες, ἔστιν ἡ πόλις ἡ μεγάλη, ἡ ἔχουσα βασιλείαν ἐπὶ τῶν βασιλέων τῆς γῆς.

Kai ēlthen heis ek tōn hepta angelōn tōn echontōn tas hepta phialas, kai elalēse met’ emou, legōn moi, Deuro, deixō soi to krima tēs pornēs tēs megalēs, tēs kathēmenēs epi tōn hydatōn tōn pollōn; ²meth’ hēs eporneusan hoi basileis tēs gēs, kai emethysthēsan ek tou oinou tēs porneias autēs hoi hoi katoikountes tēn gēn. ³kai apēnenke me eis erēmon en Pneumati; kai eidon gynaika kathēmenēn epi to thērion kokkinon, gemon onomatōn blasphēmias, echon kephalas hepta kai kerata deka. ⁴kai hē gynē ēn peribeblēmenē porphyra kai kokkinō kai kechrysōmenē chrysō kai lithō timiō kai margaritais, echousa chrysoun potērion en tē cheiri autēs, gemon bdelygmatōn kai akathartētos porneias autēs, ⁵kai epi to metōpon autēs onoma gegrammenon, Mystērion, Babylōn hē megalē, hē mētēr tōn pornōn kai tōn bdelygmatōn tēs gēs. ⁶kai eidon tēn gynaika methyousan ek tou haimatos tōn hagiōn, kai ek tou haimatos tōn martyrōn Iēsou. kai ethaumasa, idōn autēn, thauma mega. ⁷kai eipe moi ho angelos, Diati ethaumasas? egō soi erō to mystērion tēs gynaikos, kai tou thēriou tou bastazontos autēn, tou echontos tas hepta kephalas kai ta deka kerata. ⁸to thērion, ho eides, ēn, kai ouk esti, kai mellei anabainein ek tēs abyssou, kai eis apōleian hypagein, kai thaumasontai hoi katoikountes epi tēs gēs, hōn ou gegraptai ta onomata epi to biblion tēs zōēs apo katabolēs kosmou, blepontes to thērion hoti ēn, kai ouk esti, kaiper estin. ⁹ōde ho nous ho echōn sophian. hai hepta kephalai orē eisin hepta, hopou hē gynē kathētai ep’ autōn. ¹⁰kai basileis hepta eisin; hoi pente epesan, kai ho heis estin, ho allos oupō ēlthe; kai, hotan elthē, oligon auton dei meinai. ¹¹kai to thērion ho ēn, kai ouk esti, kai autos ogdoos esti, kai ek tōn hepta esti, kai eis apōleian hypagei. ¹²kai ta deka kerata, ha eides, deka basileis eisin, hoitines basileian oupō elabon, all’ exousian hōs basileis mian hōran lambanousi meta tou thēriou. ¹³houtoi mian gnōmēn echousi, kai tēn dynamin kai tēn exousian eautōn tō thēriō diadidōsousin. ¹⁴houtoi meta tou arniou polemēsousi, kai to arnion nikēsei autous, hoti Kyrios kyriōn esti kai Basileus basileōn, kai hoi met’ autou, klētoi kai eklektoi kai pistoi. ¹⁵kai legei moi, Ta hydata, ha eides, hou hē pornē kathētai, laoi kai ochloi eisi, kai ethnē kai glōssai. ¹⁶kai ta deka kerata, ha eides, epi to thērion, houtoi misēsousi tēn pornēn, kai ērēmōmenēn poiēsousin autēn kai gymnēn, kai tas sarkas autēs phagontai, kai autēn katakausousin en pyri. ¹⁷ho gar Theos edōken eis tas kardias autōn poiēsai tēn gnōmēn autou, kai poiēsai mian gnōmēn, kai dounai tēn basileian autōn tō thēriō, achri telesthē ta rēmata tou Theou. ¹⁸kai hē gynē, hēn eides, estin hē polis hē megalē, hē echousa basileian epi tōn basileōn tēs gēs.

And there came one of the seven angels — the ones having the seven vials — and he spoke to me saying, “Come, I will show you the judgement of the great prostitute — the one sitting upon many waters — with whom the kings of the Earth committed adultery; and the inhabitants of the Earth were made drunk (by drinking) from the wine of her sexual immorality.

And he lead me away into (the) wilderness in Spirit. And I saw a woman sitting upon a red beast — filled with (the) names of blasphemy — and having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was clad in purple and red and adorned with gold and precious stone(s) and pearls; and she had a golden cup in her hand (that was) filled with abominations and the uncleanliness of her sexual immorality. And (there was) written a name upon her head, a mystery (a mysterious one): “THE GREAT BABYLON, THE MOTHER OF THE PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH”.

And I saw the woman being drunk from the blood of the holy and from the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. And seeing her, I was greatly astonished. And the angel said to me, “Why are you astonished? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast carrying her, the (one) having seven heads and ten horns. The beast which you saw was but (it) is not (any longer) and it will ascend out of the abyss (bottomless pit) and it walks into destruction. And the inhabitants upon the Earth — the ones whose name is not written upon the book of life from the foundation of the cosmos (world, universe) — (they) will marvel seeing the beast; for it was, but is not, and it will be here.

Here (is required?) a mind having wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sits (lit. where the woman sits upon them); and they are seven kings. Five of them fell (died), one is (still alive) and the remaining (one) has not yet come; and when he comes, he may (only) stay briefly.

And the beast which was but (which no longer) is, is itself an eighth and is (one) of the seven; and it walks into destruction. And the ten horns which you see are ten kings which have not yet taken (their) kingdom; but (they have the) authority of a king and, one hour, they will take the authority of a king alongside the beast. They have (but) one mind and they will give their power and authority to the beast. They will fight with (against) the Lamb and the Lamb will prevail over them, for He is the Lord of lords and the King of kings; for they are called and chosen and faithful.”

And he tells me, “The ten horns which you see — and the beast —, they hate the prostitute and they will make her desolate and naked; and her flesh is eaten and they will burn her in (a) fire; for God has placed into their hearts (the authority) to do (carry out) His plan (mind) and to act as one mind (lit. to do one mind) and to give their kingdom to the beast — until the words of God are finished (fulfilled). And the woman which you see is the great city, (the one) having the kingdom (the one which rules) over the kings of the Earth.