Revelation · Chapter 17

[ edit] And oon of þe ſeuen aungels cam, þat hadden ſeuen violes, and ſpake wiþ me, ſeiynge, Come þou, I ſhal ſhewe to þee þe dampnacioun of þe greet hoore, þat ſittiþ on many watris, wiþ which kynges of erþe diden fornycacioun; and þei þat dwellen in erþe ben ful drunkun of þe wijn of hir leccherie. And he toke me awey in to deſert in ſpirit. And I ſiȝe a womman ſittynge on a reed beeſt, ful of namys of blasfemye, hauynge ſeuen heedes, and ten hornes. And þe womman was enuyround wiþ purpur, and coccyn, þat is, reed, and engoldid wiþ gold, and wiþ precious ſtoon, and peerlis, hauynge a golden cuppe in hir hond, ful of abhomynaciouns and vnclenneſſe of hir fornycacioun.

And in þe forhed of hir a name writun, Myſterie, Babilon þe greet, modir of fornycaciouns, and of abhomynaciouns of erþe. And I ſiȝe a womman drunken of þe blood of ſeyntis, and of þe blood of martris of Jheſu. And whan I ſiȝe hir, I wondride wiþ greet wondringe. And þe aungel ſeide to me, Whi wondriſt þou? I ſhal ſeie to þee þe ſacrament of þe womman, and of þe beeſt þat beriþ hir, þat haþ ſeuen heedes and ten hornes. Þe beeſte whom þou ſiȝe, was, and is not; and ſhe is to ſtiȝing vp fro depneſſe, and ſhe ſhal go in to periſching. And men dwellinge in erþe ſhulen wondre, whois names ben not write in þe book of lijf fro makynge of þe world, ſeeynge þe beeſt, þat was, and is not.

And þis is witt, þat haþ wiſdom. Þe ſeuen heedes ben ſeuen hilles, on whom þe womman ſittiþ, and ben ſeuen kingis. Fyue han fallen doun, oon is, and an oþer comeþ not ȝit. And whan he ſhal come, it bihoueþ him for to dwelle a ſhort tyme. And þe beeſt þat was, and is not, and ſhe is þe eiȝtþe, and is of þe ſeuen, and ſhal go in to periſching. And þe ten hornes whom þou haſt ſeyn, ben ten kynges, þat ȝit han not takun kingdom; but þei ſhulen take power as kinges, oon hour aftir þe beeſt. Þes han oo counſeyl, and ſhulen bitake her vertu and power to þe beeſt.

Þes ſhulen fiȝte wiþ þe lomb, and þe lomb ſhal ouercome hem; for he is Lord of lordis, and kyng of kyngis; and þei þat ben wiþ hym clepid, choſen, and feiþful. And he ſeyde to me, Þe watris þat þou haſt ſeyn, where þe hoore ſittiþ, ben puplis, folkes, and tunges. And þe ten hornes þat þou haſt ſeyn in þe beeſt, þes ſhulen make hir deſolat, or diſcoumfortid, and nakid, and ſhulen ete þe fleſch of hir, and ſhulen brenne hir to gydere wiþ fijr. Soþeli God ȝaf in to þe hertis of hem, þat þei do þat þat is pleſaunt to hym, þat þei ȝiue hir kyngdom to þe beeſt, til þe wordis of God be endid. And þe womman whom þou haſt ſeyn, is þe greet citee, þat haþ kyngdom vpon kynges of erþe.