MODERN LITERAL VERSION

17:1 And one out of the seven messengers who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, Come-here. I will show you the judgment of the large harlot who is sitting upon many waters;
17:2 with whom the kings of the earth fornicated and those who are dwelling in the earth were made drunken with the wine of her fornication.
17:3 And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness and I saw a woman sitting upon a scarlet beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
17:4 And the woman was dressed in purple and scarlet arrayed with gold and precious stone and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the unclean things of her fornication of the earth,
17:5 and a name written upon her forehead, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF THE HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
17:6 And I saw the woman drunken from the blood of the holy-ones and from the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. And I marveled when I saw her– with great marvel!
17:7 And the messenger said to me, Why did you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast which is bearing her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns.
17:8 The beast which you saw was and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss and to go into destruction. And those who are dwelling upon the earth will marvel, those whose names have not been written in the Book of Life from the conception of the world, when they see the beast, how that he was and is not and will be present*.

17:9 Here is the mind that has wisdom: the seven heads are seven mountains, where the woman is sitting;
17:10 and they are seven kings; the five have fallen, the one is, the other has not yet come, and when he should come, it is essential for him to remain a little while.
17:11 And the beast that was and is not, is himself also an eighth and is out of the seven, and he goes into destruction.
17:12 And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings, who did not yet receive a kingdom, but they receive authority like kings, with the beast, for one hour.
17:13 These have one intention and they distribute their power and authority to the beast.
17:14 These will make war with the Lamb and the Lamb will overcome them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those called and chosen and faithful with him.
17:15 And he says to me, The waters which you saw, where the harlot is sitting, are peoples and crowds and nations and languages.
17:16 And the ten horns which you saw and the beast, these will hate the harlot and will make* her desolate and will make her naked and will eat her flesh and will burn her up in fire.
17:17 For* God gave to their hearts to do his intention and to do it with one intention and to give their kingdom to the beast, till the words of God should be finished.
17:18 And the woman whom you saw is the great city, which has a kingdom over the kings of the earth.