Babylon, the Prostitute on the Beast

17 One of the seven angels^(A) who had the seven bowls^(B) came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the punishment^(C) of the great prostitute,^(D) who sits by many waters.^{(E) 2} With her the kings of the earth committed adultery, and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries.”^(F)

³ Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit^(G) into a wilderness.^(H) There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet^(I) beast that was covered with blasphemous names^(J) and had seven heads and ten horns.^{(K) 4} The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls.^(L) She held a golden cup^(M) in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries.^{(N) 5} The name written on her forehead was a mystery:^(O)

⁶ I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God’s holy people,^(R) the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus.

When I saw her, I was greatly astonished. ⁷ Then the angel said to me: “Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the mystery^(S) of the woman and of the beast she rides, which has the seven heads and ten horns.^{(T) 8} The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and yet will come up out of the Abyss^(U) and go to its destruction.^(V) The inhabitants of the earth^(W) whose names have not been written in the book of life^(X) from the creation of the world will be astonished^(Y) when they see the beast, because it once was, now is not, and yet will come.

⁹ “This calls for a mind with wisdom.^(Z) The seven heads^(AA) are seven hills on which the woman sits. ¹⁰ They 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. ¹¹ The beast who once was, and now is not,^(AB) is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction.

¹² “The ten horns^(AC) you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour^(AD) will receive authority as kings along with the beast. ¹³ They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast.^{(AE) 14} They will wage war^(AF) against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over^(AG) them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings^(AH)—and with him will be his called, chosen^(AI) and faithful followers.”

¹⁵ Then the angel said to me, “The waters^(AJ) you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages.^{(AK) 16} The beast and the ten horns^(AL) you saw will hate the prostitute.^(AM) They will bring her to ruin^(AN) and leave her naked;^(AO) they will eat her flesh^(AP) and burn her with fire.^{(AQ) 17} For God has put it into their hearts^(AR) to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to hand over to the beast their royal authority,^(AS) until God’s words are fulfilled.^{(AT) 18} The woman you saw is the great city^(AU) that rules over the kings of the earth.”

Living to Please God

4 As for other matters, brothers and sisters,^(A) we instructed you how to live^(B) in order to please God,^(C) as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. ² For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.

³ It is God’s will^(D) that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality;^{(E) 4} that each of you should learn to control your own body^[a](F) in a way that is holy and honorable, ⁵ not in passionate lust^(G) like the pagans,^(H) who do not know God;^{(I) 6} and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister.^[b](J) The Lord will punish^(K) all those who commit such sins,^(L) as we told you and warned you before. ⁷ For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.^{(M) 8} Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit.^(N)

⁹ Now about your love for one another^(O) we do not need to write to you,^(P) for you yourselves have been taught by God^(Q) to love each other.^{(R) 10} And in fact, you do love all of God’s family throughout Macedonia.^(S) Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more,^{(T) 11} and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands,^(U) just as we told you, ¹² so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders^(V) and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.

Believers Who Have Died

¹³ Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed^(W) about those who sleep in death,^(X) so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.^{(Y) 14} For we believe that Jesus died and rose again,^(Z) and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.^{(AA) 15} According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord,^(AB) will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.^{(AC) 16} For the Lord himself will come down from heaven,^(AD) with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel^(AE) and with the trumpet call of God,^(AF) and the dead in Christ will rise first.^{(AG) 17} After that, we who are still alive and are left^(AH) will be caught up together with them in the clouds^(AI) to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord^(AJ) forever. ¹⁸ Therefore encourage one another^(AK) with these words.

David Defeats the Ammonites^(A)

10 In the course of time, the king of the Ammonites died, and his son Hanun succeeded him as king. ² David thought, “I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash,^(B) just as his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent a delegation to express his sympathy to Hanun concerning his father.

When David’s men came to the land of the Ammonites, ³ the Ammonite commanders said to Hanun their lord, “Do you think David is honoring your father by sending envoys to you to express sympathy? Hasn’t David sent them to you only to explore the city and spy it out^(C) and overthrow it?” ⁴ So Hanun seized David’s envoys, shaved off half of each man’s beard,^(D) cut off their garments at the buttocks,^(E) and sent them away.

⁵ When David was told about this, he sent messengers to meet the men, for they were greatly humiliated. The king said, “Stay at Jericho till your beards have grown, and then come back.”

⁶ When the Ammonites realized that they had become obnoxious^(F) to David, they hired twenty thousand Aramean^(G) foot soldiers from Beth Rehob^(H) and Zobah,^(I) as well as the king of Maakah^(J) with a thousand men, and also twelve thousand men from Tob.^(K)

⁷ On hearing this, David sent Joab^(L) out with the entire army of fighting men. ⁸ The Ammonites came out and drew up in battle formation at the entrance of their city gate, while the Arameans of Zobah and Rehob and the men of Tob and Maakah were by themselves in the open country.

⁹ Joab saw that there were battle lines in front of him and behind him; so he selected some of the best troops in Israel and deployed them against the Arameans. ¹⁰ He put the rest of the men under the command of Abishai^(M) his brother and deployed them against the Ammonites. ¹¹ Joab said, “If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you are to come to my rescue; but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will come to rescue you. ¹² Be strong,^(N) and let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. The Lord will do what is good in his sight.”^(O)

¹³ Then Joab and the troops with him advanced to fight the Arameans, and they fled before him. ¹⁴ When the Ammonites^(P) realized that the Arameans were fleeing, they fled before Abishai and went inside the city. So Joab returned from fighting the Ammonites and came to Jerusalem.

¹⁵ After the Arameans saw that they had been routed by Israel, they regrouped. ¹⁶ Hadadezer had Arameans brought from beyond the Euphrates River; they went to Helam, with Shobak the commander of Hadadezer’s army leading them.

¹⁷ When David was told of this, he gathered all Israel, crossed the Jordan and went to Helam. The Arameans formed their battle lines to meet David and fought against him. ¹⁸ But they fled before Israel, and David killed seven hundred of their charioteers and forty thousand of their foot soldiers.^[a] He also struck down Shobak the commander of their army, and he died there. ¹⁹ When all the kings who were vassals of Hadadezer saw that they had been routed by Israel, they made peace with the Israelites and became subject^(Q) to them.

So the Arameans^(R) were afraid to help the Ammonites anymore.

Warnings Against Folly

Warning Against Adultery