Open Bible Data Home About News OET Key
OET OET-RV OET-LV ULT UST BSB MSB BLB AICNT OEB WEBBE WMBB NET LSV FBV TCNT T4T LEB BBE Moff JPS Wymth ASV DRA YLT Drby RV SLT Wbstr KJB-1769 KJB-1611 Bshps Gnva Cvdl TNT Wycl SR-GNT UHB BrLXX BrTr Related Topics Parallel Interlinear Reference Dictionary Search
InterlinearVerse GEN EXO LEV NUM DEU JOB JOS JDG RUTH 1 SAM 2 SAM PSA AMOS HOS 1 KI 2 KI 1 CHR 2 CHR PROV ECC SNG JOEL MIC ISA ZEP HAB JER LAM YNA (JNA) NAH OBA DAN EZE EZRA EST NEH HAG ZEC MAL LAO GES LES ESG DNG 2 PS TOB JDT WIS SIR BAR LJE PAZ SUS BEL MAN 1 MAC 2 MAC 3 MAC 4 MAC YHN (JHN) MARK MAT LUKE ACTs YAC (JAM) GAL 1 TH 2 TH 1 COR 2 COR ROM COL PHM EPH PHP 1 TIM TIT 1 PET 2 PET 2 TIM HEB YUD (JUD) 1 YHN (1 JHN) 2 YHN (2 JHN) 3 YHN (3 JHN) REV
Rev C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C9 C10 C11 C12 C13 C14 C15 C16 C17 C18 C19 C20 C21 C22
Rev 17 V1 V2 V3 V5 V6 V7 V8 V9 V10 V11 V12 V13 V14 V15 V16 V17 V18
OET (OET-LV) And the woman was having_been_clothed in_purple and scarlet, and having_been_gilded gold, and stone precious, and pearls, holding a_cup golden in the hand of_her, being_full of_abominations and the unclean of_the sexual_immorality of_her,
OET (OET-RV) The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stone and pearls. In her hand she was holding a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality,
In this section, John saw a woman sitting on a red beast. The woman had the symbolic name “Babylon.” An angel referred to her as a prostitute. The red beast had seven heads and ten horns. The beast worked together with her, but later he destroyed her.
Other examples of headings for this section are:
The great/famous prostitute with the symbolic name Babylon was destroyed
The red beast turned against the woman Babylon and destroyed her
The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet,
The woman wore purple and red clothes,
The woman wore clothing of very expensive purple and scarlet cloth.
The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet: The dress that the woman wore was made of purple and scarlet cloth. Purple cloth was very expensive at that time. It was worn only by the most important officials.
Scarlet cloth was also somewhat expensive at that time. It was worn only by the very wealthy or by military leaders. Other ways to translate this clause are:
The woman wore purple and scarlet clothing (NLT)
The woman wore an expensive purple and scarlet dress
purple: Purple is a mix of blue and red:
Use the proper color word or use the name of something purple in your area. For example:
lavender color
the color of eggplant
and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls.
and was adorned with gold, jewels, and pearls.
She was decorated all over with gold, valuable stones, and beautiful pearls.
and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls: The Greek word that the BSB translates as adorned means “wearing.” The woman was wearing jewelry and other ornaments in order to make herself look attractive. This showed how wealthy she was. Other ways to translate these words are:
adorned with gold and jewels and pearls (NRSV)
was decorated all over with gold and valuable stones and pearls
gold: The word gold refers to a rare metal of a somewhat yellow color. It was the most expensive metal at that time. It is naturally shiny and beautiful. See how you translated this word in 1:12 or 9:20.
precious stones: This phrase refers to rare stones that are naturally beautiful or become beautiful when shaped and polished. These rare stones are precious or expensive. The RSV translates this phrase as:
jewels
The foundation of the new Jerusalem is made of 12 different precious stones. See the descriptions and pictures of those kinds of precious stones in the notes at 21:19–20.
pearls: The word pearls refer to hard, shiny spheres up to 10 millimeters (half an inch) across. They are found in the shellfish called oysters. Pearls are often very beautiful. Good ones are very valuable.
Some languages do not have a word for pearls. If that is true in your language, you may want to:
Use the major language word. You may then want to explain it in your translation or in a footnote. Some examples for explaining in your translation are:
beautiful pearls
expensive things called pearls An example footnote is:
A pearl is a hard, shiny sphere about 5–10 millimeters across. It is found in a kind of shellfish called the oyster. They are often very beautiful. Good ones are very valuable.
Use something that people wear in your area that is beautiful and valuable. You may then want to include a footnote that explains the original word. An example is:
Literally: “pearls.” A pearl is a hard, shiny sphere about 5–10 millimeters across. It is found in a kind of shellfish called the oyster. They are often very beautiful. Good ones are very valuable.
She held in her hand a golden cup
She held in her hand a golden cup,
She held a cup made of gold,
She held in her hand a golden cup: In some languages it is not necessary to use both the word held and the phrase in her hand. If this is true in your language, translate naturally. For example:
She had a golden cup in her hand (NCV)
She was holding a gold cup
golden: The word golden indicates that the cup was made of gold. See how you translated this word in 1:12 or 8:3.
cup: It is probably implied that the cup was a fancy, ornamental cup. For example:
goblet (NLT)
full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality.
which was filled with detestable things and the impurities of her sexual sin.
filled with obscenities and the nasty/detestable deeds of her adulteries.
filled with the filthy and nasty things she had done. (CEV)
abominations: This phrase refers to things that are detestable or very awful. The phrase refers to the woman’s sinful life and deeds. Other ways to translate this phrase are:
abominable things (NIV)
obscenities (NLT)
detestable things (NET)
the impurities of her sexual immorality: The Greek word that the BSB translates as impurities refers to impure things. These are things/deeds that God detests. The phrase refers to the results of the woman’s disgusting sexual practices. Those are again a figurative reference to the shameful things she did with the kings of the earth and its inhabitants (17:2). Other ways to translate this phrase are:
unclean things of her immorality (NASB)
the impurities of her immorality (NLT)
the foul things/practices of her sexual sins
Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy
ἡ γυνὴ ἦν περιβεβλημένη πορφυροῦν καὶ κόκκινον, καὶ κεχρυσωμένη χρυσῷ, καὶ λίθῳ τιμίῳ, καὶ μαργαρίταις
the (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Καί ἡ γυνή ἦν περιβεβλημένη πορφυροῦν καί κόκκινον καί κεχρυσωμένη χρυσίῳ καί λίθῳ τιμίῳ καί μαργαρίταις ἔχουσα ποτήριον χρυσοῦν ἐν τῇ χειρί αὐτῆς γέμον βδελυγμάτων καί τά ἀκάθαρτα τῆς πορνείας αὐτῆς)
John is referring to the clothing and jewelry that the woman was wearing by association with the materials out of which they were made. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression or express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [the woman was clothed in purple and scarlet robes and adorned with gold jewelry in which precious stones and pearls were set]
Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive
ἡ γυνὴ ἦν περιβεβλημένη πορφυροῦν καὶ κόκκινον, καὶ κεχρυσωμένη χρυσῷ, καὶ λίθῳ τιμίῳ, καὶ μαργαρίταις
the (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Καί ἡ γυνή ἦν περιβεβλημένη πορφυροῦν καί κόκκινον καί κεχρυσωμένη χρυσίῳ καί λίθῳ τιμίῳ καί μαργαρίταις ἔχουσα ποτήριον χρυσοῦν ἐν τῇ χειρί αὐτῆς γέμον βδελυγμάτων καί τά ἀκάθαρτα τῆς πορνείας αὐτῆς)
If your language does not use these passive forms, you could express the ideas in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: [the woman was wearing purple and scarlet clothing and she had adorned herself with gold jewelry in which precious stones and pearls were set]
Note 3 topic: translate-unknown
λίθῳ τιμίῳ
stone precious
The term precious stone refers to a beautiful and valuable piece of mineral or rock, such as is often used in jewelry. It may be more natural in your language to use a plural form here. Alternate translation: [gemstones]
Note 4 topic: translate-unknown
μαργαρίταις
pearls
The word pearls describes beautiful and valuable white beads that form inside the shell of a certain kind of small animal that lives in the ocean.
Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / hendiadys
βδελυγμάτων καὶ τὰ ἀκάθαρτα
˱of˲_abominations (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Καί ἡ γυνή ἦν περιβεβλημένη πορφυροῦν καί κόκκινον καί κεχρυσωμένη χρυσίῳ καί λίθῳ τιμίῳ καί μαργαρίταις ἔχουσα ποτήριον χρυσοῦν ἐν τῇ χειρί αὐτῆς γέμον βδελυγμάτων καί τά ἀκάθαρτα τῆς πορνείας αὐτῆς)
This phrase expresses a single idea by using two words connected with and. The word abominations describes the impurities of the woman’s conduct. If it would be more natural in your language, you could express this meaning with an equivalent phrase that does not use “and.” Alternate translation: [the abominable impurities]
17:3-4 John is carried in the Spirit into the wilderness, his way of describing a visionary experience (see 1:10; 4:2). He sees a depiction of Rome’s moral corruption and excessive luxury (see 18:12-13, 16) that illustrates how such wealth can become an abomination to God.
• The beast here is like the second figure in the evil trinity (see 13:1-4).
• blasphemies against God: See 13:5-6.
• purple and scarlet: Clothing in these two colors indicated royalty and carnality, respectively.
• a gold goblet: See Jer 51:7.
OET (OET-LV) And the woman was having_been_clothed in_purple and scarlet, and having_been_gilded gold, and stone precious, and pearls, holding a_cup golden in the hand of_her, being_full of_abominations and the unclean of_the sexual_immorality of_her,
OET (OET-RV) The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stone and pearls. In her hand she was holding a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality,
Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.
Acknowledgements: The SR Greek text, lemmas, morphology, and VLT gloss are all thanks to the CNTR.
Open Bible Data site copyright © 2023–2026 Freely-Given.org.
Python source code for creating these static pages is available on GitHub under an open licence.
For Bible data copyrights, see the details for each displayed Bible version.
The Open English Translation (OET) main site is at OpenEnglishTranslation.Bible or OET.Bible.