Revelation 1

Prologue

1The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gavea him to show his servants what must soon take place.b He made it known by sending his angelc to his servant John,d 2who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of Gode and the testimony of Jesus Christ.f 3Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it,g because the time is near.h

Greetings and Doxology

4John,

To the seven churchesi in the province of Asia:

Grace and peace to youj from him who is, and who was, and who is to come,k and from the seven spirits1^,l before his throne, 5and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness,m the firstborn from the dead,n and the ruler of the kings of the earth.o

To him who loves usp and has freed us from our sins by his blood,q 6and has made us to be a kingdom and priestsr to serve his God and Fathers—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.t

8“I am the Alpha and the Omega,”x says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come,y the Almighty.”z

John’s Vision of Christ

9I, John,a your brother and companion in the sufferingb and kingdomc and patient enduranced that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of Gode and the testimony of Jesus.f 10On the Lord’s Dayg I was in the Spirit,h and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet,i 11which said: “Write on a scroll what you seej and send it to the seven churches:k to Ephesus,l Smyrna,m Pergamum,n Thyatira,o Sardis,p Philadelphiaq and Laodicea.”r Article: Violence in Revelation

12I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands,s 13and among the lampstandst was someone like a son of man,4^,u dressed in a robe reaching down to his feetv and with a golden sash around his chest.w 14The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire.x 15His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace,y and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters.z 16In his right hand he held seven stars,a and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword.b His face was like the sunc shining in all its brilliance.

17When I saw him, I fell at his feetd as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on mee and said: “Do not be afraid.f I am the First and the Last.g 18I am the Living One; I was dead,h and now look, I am alive for ever and ever!i And I hold the keys of death and Hades.j

19“Write, therefore, what you have seen,k what is now and what will take place later. 20The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right handl and of the seven golden lampstandsm is this: The seven stars are the angels5 of the seven churches,n and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.o

Revelation 2

To the Church in Ephesus

1“To the angel1 of the church in Ephesusa write:

To the Church in Smyrna

8“To the angel of the church in Smyrnap write:

To the Church in Pergamum

12“To the angel of the church in Pergamumb write:

To the Church in Thyatira

18“To the angel of the church in Thyatiras write:

Revelation 3

To the Church in Sardis

1“To the angel1 of the church in Sardisa write:

To the Church in Philadelphia

7“To the angel of the church in Philadelphiap write:

To the Church in Laodicea

14“To the angel of the church in Laodicean write:

Revelation 4

The Throne in Heaven

1After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing opena in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpetb said, “Come up here,c and I will show you what must take place after this.”d 2At once I was in the Spirit,e and there before me was a throne in heavenf with someone sitting on it. 3And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasperg and ruby.h A rainbowi that shone like an emeraldj encircled the throne. 4Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders.k They were dressed in whitel and had crowns of gold on their heads. 5From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder.m In front of the throne, seven lampsn were blazing. These are the seven spirits1^,o of God. 6Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass,p clear as crystal.

In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures,q and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back.r 7The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle.s 8Each of the four living creaturest had six wingsu and was covered with eyes all around,v even under its wings. Day and nightw they never stop saying:

9Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the thronez and who lives for ever and ever,a 10the twenty-four eldersb fall down before himc who sits on the throned and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:

Revelation 5

The Scroll and the Lamb

1Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the thronea a scroll with writing on both sidesb and sealedc with seven seals. 2And I saw a mighty angeld proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” 3But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. 4I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. 5Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lione of the tribe of Judah,f the Root of David,g has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”

6Then I saw a Lamb,h looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creaturesi and the elders.j The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes,k which are the seven spirits1^,l of God sent out into all the earth. 7He went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne.m 8And when he had taken it, the four living creaturesn and the twenty-four elderso fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harpp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayersq of God’s people. 9And they sang a new song, saying:r

11Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand.y They encircled the throne and the living creaturesz and the elders.a 12In a loud voice they were saying:

13Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earthe and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying:

14The four living creaturesi said, “Amen,”j and the eldersk fell down and worshiped.l

Revelation 6

The Seals

1I watched as the Lamba opened the first of the seven seals.b Then I heard one of the four living creaturesc say in a voice like thunder,d “Come!” 2I looked, and there before me was a white horse!e Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown,f and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.g

3When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creatureh say, “Come!” 4Then another horse came out, a fiery red one.i Its rider was given power to take peace from the earthj and to make people kill each other. To him was given a large sword.

5When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creaturek say, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a black horse!l Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. 6Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures,m saying, “Two pounds1 of wheat for a day’s wages,2 and six pounds3 of barley for a day’s wages,4^,n and do not damageo the oil and the wine!”

7When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creaturep say, “Come!” 8I looked, and there before me was a pale horse!q Its rider was named Death, and Hadesr was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.s

9When he opened the fifth seal, I saw undert the altaru the souls of those who had been slainv because of the word of Godw and the testimony they had maintained. 10They called out in a loud voice, “How long,x Sovereign Lord,y holy and true,z until you judge the inhabitants of the eartha and avenge our blood?”b 11Then each of them was given a white robe,c and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters,5 were killed just as they had been.d

12I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake.e The sun turned blackf like sackclothg made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, 13and the stars in the sky fell to earth,h as figs drop from a fig treei when shaken by a strong wind. 14The heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up,j and every mountain and island was removed from its place.k

15Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and everyone else, both slave and free,l hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains.m 16They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on usn and hide us6 from the face of him who sits on the throneo and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17For the great dayp of their7 wrath has come, and who can withstand it?”q

Revelation 7

144,000 Sealed

1After this I saw four angels standing at the four cornersa of the earth, holding back the four windsb of the earth to preventc any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree. 2Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seald of the living God.e He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea:f 3“Do not harmg the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheadsh of the servants of our God.” 4Then I heard the numberi of those who were sealed: 144,000j from all the tribes of Israel.

The Great Multitude in White Robes

9After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language,k standing before the thronel and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robesm and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10And they cried out in a loud voice:

11All the angels were standing around the throne and around the eldersp and the four living creatures.q They fell down on their facesr before the throne and worshiped God, 12saying:

13Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robest—who are they, and where did they come from?”

14I answered, “Sir, you know.”

And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robesu and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.v 15Therefore,

Revelation 8

The Seventh Seal and the Golden Censer

1When he opened the seventh seal,a there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.

2And I saw the seven angelsb who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them.c

3Another angel,d who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people,e on the golden altarf in front of the throne. 4The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before Godg from the angel’s hand. 5Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar,h and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder,i rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.j

The Trumpets

6Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpetsk prepared to sound them.

7The first angell sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and firem mixed with blood, and it was hurled down on the earth. A thirdn of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.o

8The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a huge mountain,p all ablaze, was thrown into the sea. A thirdq of the sea turned into blood,r 9a thirds of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.

10The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the skyt on a third of the rivers and on the springs of wateru— 11the name of the star is Wormwood.1 A thirdv of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter.w

12The fourth angel sounded his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a thirdx of them turned dark.y A third of the day was without light, and also a third of the night.z

13As I watched, I heard an eagle that was flying in midaira call out in a loud voice: “Woe! Woe! Woeb to the inhabitants of the earth,c because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels!”

Revelation 9

1The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth.a The star was given the keyb to the shaft of the Abyss.c 2When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace.d The sun and sky were darkenede by the smoke from the Abyss.f 3And out of the smoke locustsg came down on the earth and were given power like that of scorpionsh of the earth. 4They were told not to harmi the grass of the earth or any plant or tree,j but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads.k 5They were not allowed to kill them but only to torture them for five months.l And the agony they suffered was like that of the sting of a scorpionm when it strikes. 6During those days people will seek death but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them.n

7The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle.o On their heads they wore something like crowns of gold, and their faces resembled human faces.p 8Their hair was like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth.q 9They had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle.r 10They had tails with stingers, like scorpions, and in their tails they had power to torment people for five months.s 11They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss,t whose name in Hebrewu is Abaddonv and in Greek is Apollyon (that is, Destroyer).

12The first woe is past; two other woes are yet to come.w

13The sixth angel sounded his trumpet, and I heard a voice coming from the four hornsx of the golden altar that is before God.y 14It said to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angelsz who are bound at the great river Euphrates.”a 15And the four angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were releasedb to kill a thirdc of mankind.d 16The number of the mounted troops was twice ten thousand times ten thousand. I heard their number.e

17The horses and riders I saw in my vision looked like this: Their breastplates were fiery red, dark blue, and yellow as sulfur. The heads of the horses resembled the heads of lions, and out of their mouthsf came fire, smoke and sulfur.g 18A thirdh of mankind was killedi by the three plagues of fire, smoke and sulfurj that came out of their mouths. 19The power of the horses was in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails were like snakes, having heads with which they inflict injury.

20The rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repentk of the work of their hands;l they did not stop worshiping demons,m and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood—idols that cannot see or hear or walk.n 21Nor did they repento of their murders, their magic arts,p their sexual immoralityq or their thefts.

Revelation 10

The Angel and the Little Scroll

1Then I saw another mighty angela coming down from heaven.b He was robed in a cloud, with a rainbowc above his head; his face was like the sun,d and his legs were like fiery pillars.e 2He was holding a little scroll,f which lay open in his hand. He planted his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land,g 3and he gave a loud shout like the roar of a lion.h When he shouted, the voices of the seven thundersi spoke. 4And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write;j but I heard a voice from heavenk say, “Seal up what the seven thunders have said and do not write it down.”l

5Then the angel I had seen standing on the sea and on the landm raised his right hand to heaven.n 6And he sworeo by him who lives for ever and ever,p who created the heavens and all that is in them, the earth and all that is in it, and the sea and all that is in it,q and said, “There will be no more delay!r 7But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet,s the mysteryt of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.”u

8Then the voice that I had heard from heavenv spoke to me once more: “Go, take the scrollw that lies open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.”

9So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, “Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but ‘in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.’1”x 10I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth,y but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour. 11Then I was told, “You must prophesyz again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings.”a

Revelation 11

The Two Witnesses

1I was given a reed like a measuring roda and was told, “Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, with its worshipers. 2But exclude the outer court;b do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles.c They will trample on the holy cityd for 42 months.e 3And I will appoint my two witnesses,f and they will prophesy for 1,260 days,g clothed in sackcloth.”h 4They are “the two olive trees”i and the two lampstands, and “they stand before the Lord of the earth.”1^,j 5If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies.k This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die.l 6They have power to shut up the heavensm so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying;n and they have power to turn the waters into bloodo and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want. Article: The Trumpets and Bowl Judgments and the Egyptian Plagues

7Now when they have finished their testimony, the beastp that comes up from the Abyssq will attack them,r and overpower and kill them. 8Their bodies will lie in the public square of the great citys—which is figuratively called Sodomt and Egypt—where also their Lord was crucified.u 9For three and a half days some from every people, tribe, language and nationv will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial.w 10The inhabitants of the earthx will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts,y because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth.

11But after the three and a half daysz the breath2 of life from God entered them,a and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them. 12Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.”b And they went up to heaven in a cloud,c while their enemies looked on.

13At that very hour there was a severe earthquaked and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the survivors were terrified and gave glorye to the God of heaven.f

14The second woe has passed; the third woe is coming soon.g

The Seventh Trumpet

15The seventh angel sounded his trumpet,h and there were loud voicesi in heaven, which said:

16And the twenty-four elders,l who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their facesm and worshiped God, 17saying:

19Then God’s templev in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant.w And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder,x an earthquake and a severe hailstorm.y

Revelation 12

The Woman and the Dragon

1A great signa appeared in heaven:b a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve starsc on her head. 2She was pregnant and cried out in paind as she was about to give birth. 3Then another sign appeared in heaven:e an enormous red dragonf with seven headsg and ten hornsh and seven crownsi on its heads. 4Its tail swept a thirdj of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth.k The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her childl the moment he was born. 5She gave birth to a son, a male child, who “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.”1^,m And her child was snatched upn to God and to his throne. 6The woman fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.o

7Then war broke out in heaven. Michaelp and his angels fought against the dragon,q and the dragon and his angelsr fought back. 8But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. 9The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpents called the devil,t or Satan,u who leads the whole world astray.v He was hurled to the earth,w and his angels with him.

10Then I heard a loud voice in heavenx say:

13When the dragonh saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child.i 14The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle,j so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time,k out of the serpent’s reach. 15Then from his mouth the serpentl spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent. 16But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. 17Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage warm against the rest of her offspringn—those who keep God’s commandso and hold fast their testimony about Jesus.p

Revelation 13

The Beast out of the Sea

1The dragon1 stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea.a It had ten horns and seven heads,b with ten crowns on its horns, and on each head a blasphemous name.c 2The beast I saw resembled a leopard,d but had feet like those of a beare and a mouth like that of a lion.f The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority.g 3One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed.h The whole world was filled with wonderi and followed the beast. 4People worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, “Who is likej the beast? Who can wage war against it?”

5The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemiesk and to exercise its authority for forty-two months.l 6It opened its mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven.m 7It was given power to wage warn against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And it was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation.o 8All inhabitants of the earthp will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life,q the Lambr who was slain from the creation of the world.2^,s

9Whoever has ears, let them hear.t

This calls for patient endurance and faithfulnessv on the part of God’s people.w

The Beast out of the Earth

11Then I saw a second beast, coming out of the earth.x It had two horns like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon.y 12It exercised all the authorityz of the first beast on its behalf,a and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast,b whose fatal wound had been healed.c 13And it performed great signs,d even causing fire to come down from heavene to the earth in full view of the people. 14Because of the signsf it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceivedg the inhabitants of the earth.h It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived.i 15The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worshipj the image to be killed.k 16It also forced all people, great and small,l rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads,m 17so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark,n which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.o

18This calls for wisdom.p Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man.5^,q That number is 666.

Revelation 14

The Lamb and the 144,000

1Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb,a standing on Mount Zion,b and with him 144,000c who had his name and his Father’s named written on their foreheads.e 2And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing watersf and like a loud peal of thunder.g The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps.h 3And they sang a new songi before the throne and before the four living creaturesj and the elders.k No one could learn the song except the 144,000l who had been redeemed from the earth. 4These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they remained virgins.m They follow the Lamb wherever he goes.n They were purchased from among mankindo and offered as firstfruitsp to God and the Lamb. 5No lie was found in their mouths;q they are blameless.r

The Three Angels

6Then I saw another angel flying in midair,s and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the eartht—to every nation, tribe, language and people.u 7He said in a loud voice, “Fear Godv and give him glory,w because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who madex the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.”y

8A second angel followed and said, “ ‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great,’1^,z which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries.”a

9A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beastb and its imagec and receives its mark on their foreheadd or on their hand, 10they, too, will drink the wine of God’s fury,e which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath.f They will be tormented with burning sulfurg in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. 11And the smoke of their torment will rise for ever and ever.h There will be no rest day or nighti for those who worship the beast and its image,j or for anyone who receives the mark of its name.”k 12This calls for patient endurancel on the part of the people of Godm who keep his commandsn and remain faithful to Jesus.

13Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lordo from now on.”

“Yes,” says the Spirit,p “they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.”

Harvesting the Earth and Trampling the Winepress

14I looked, and there before me was a white cloud,q and seated on the cloud was one like a son of man2^,r with a crowns of gold on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. 15Then another angel came out of the templet and called in a loud voice to him who was sitting on the cloud, “Take your sickleu and reap, because the time to reap has come, for the harvestv of the earth is ripe.” 16So he who was seated on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested. Photo

17Another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle.w 18Still another angel, who had charge of the fire, came from the altarx and called in a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, “Take your sharp sickley and gather the clusters of grapes from the earth’s vine, because its grapes are ripe.” 19The angel swung his sickle on the earth, gathered its grapes and threw them into the great winepress of God’s wrath.z 20They were trampled in the winepressa outside the city,b and bloodc flowed out of the press, rising as high as the horses’ bridles for a distance of 1,600 stadia.3 Photo

Revelation 15

Seven Angels With Seven Plagues

1I saw in heaven another great and marvelous sign:a seven angelsb with the seven last plaguesc—last, because with them God’s wrath is completed. 2And I saw what looked like a sea of glassd glowing with fire and, standing beside the sea, those who had been victoriouse over the beastf and its imageg and over the number of its name.h They held harpsi given them by God 3and sang the song of God’s servantj Mosesk and of the Lamb:l

5After this I looked, and I saw in heaven the templet—that is, the tabernacle of the covenant lawu—and it was opened.v 6Out of the templew came the seven angels with the seven plagues.x They were dressed in clean, shining lineny and wore golden sashes around their chests.z 7Then one of the four living creaturesa gave to the seven angelsb seven golden bowls filled with the wrath of God, who lives for ever and ever.c 8And the temple was filled with smoked from the glory of God and from his power, and no one could enter the templee until the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.

Revelation 16

The Seven Bowls of God’s Wrath

1Then I heard a loud voice from the templea saying to the seven angels,b “Go, pour out the seven bowls of God’s wrath on the earth.”c

2The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the land,d and ugly, festering sorese broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image.f

3The second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it turned into blood like that of a dead person, and every living thing in the sea died.g

4The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water,h and they became blood.i 5Then I heard the angel in charge of the waters say:

7And I heard the altaro respond:

8The fourth angelr poured out his bowl on the sun,s and the sun was allowed to scorch people with fire.t 9They were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the name of God,u who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repentv and glorify him.w

10The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast,x and its kingdom was plunged into darkness.y People gnawed their tongues in agony 11and cursedz the God of heavena because of their pains and their sores,b but they refused to repent of what they had done.c

12The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates,d and its water was dried up to prepare the waye for the kings from the East.f 13Then I saw three impure spiritsg that looked like frogs;h they came out of the mouth of the dragon,i out of the mouth of the beastj and out of the mouth of the false prophet.k 14They are demonic spiritsl that perform signs,m and they go out to the kings of the whole world,n to gather them for the battleo on the great dayp of God Almighty.

16Then they gathered the kings togethert to the place that in Hebrewu is called Armageddon.v Photo

17The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air,w and out of the templex came a loud voicey from the throne, saying, “It is done!”z 18Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thundera and a severe earthquake.b No earthquake like it has ever occurred since mankind has been on earth,c so tremendous was the quake. 19The great cityd split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. God rememberede Babylon the Greatf and gave her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of his wrath.g 20Every island fled away and the mountains could not be found.h 21From the sky huge hailstones,i each weighing about a hundred pounds,1 fell on people. And they cursed Godj on account of the plague of hail,k because the plague was so terrible.

Revelation 17

Babylon, the Prostitute on the Beast

1One of the seven angelsa who had the seven bowlsb came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the punishmentc of the great prostitute,d who sits by many waters.e 2With her the kings of the earth committed adultery, and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries.”f

3Then the angel carried me away in the Spiritg into a wilderness.h There I saw a woman sitting on a scarleti beast that was covered with blasphemous namesj and had seven heads and ten horns.k 4The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls.l She held a golden cupm in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries.n 5The name written on her forehead was a mystery:o

6I 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. 7Then the angel said to me: “Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the mysterys of the woman and of the beast she rides, which has the seven heads and ten horns.t 8The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and yet will come up out of the Abyssu and go to its destruction.v The inhabitants of the earthw whose names have not been written in the book of lifex from the creation of the world will be astonishedy 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 headsa are seven hills on which the woman sits. 10They 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. 11The beast who once was, and now is not,b is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction.

12“The ten hornsc you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hourd will receive authority as kings along with the beast. 13They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast.e 14They will wage warf against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph overg them because he is Lord of lords and King of kingsh—and with him will be his called, choseni and faithful followers.”

15Then the angel said to me, “The watersj you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages.k 16The beast and the ten hornsl you saw will hate the prostitute.m They will bring her to ruinn and leave her naked;o they will eat her fleshp and burn her with fire.q 17For God has put it into their heartsr to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to hand over to the beast their royal authority,s until God’s words are fulfilled.t 18The woman you saw is the great cityu that rules over the kings of the earth.”

Revelation 18

Lament Over Fallen Babylon

1After this I saw another angela coming down from heaven.b He had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendor.c 2With a mighty voice he shouted:

Warning to Escape Babylon’s Judgment

4Then I heard another voice from heaven say:

Threefold Woe Over Babylon’s Fall

9“When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with herv and shared her luxuryw see the smoke of her burning,x they will weep and mourn over her.y 10Terrified at her torment, they will stand far offz and cry:

11“The merchantsc of the earth will weep and mournd over her because no one buys their cargoes anymoree— 12cargoes of gold, silver, precious stones and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet cloth; every sort of citron wood, and articles of every kind made of ivory, costly wood, bronze, iron and marble;f 13cargoes of cinnamon and spice, of incense, myrrh and frankincense, of wine and olive oil, of fine flour and wheat; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and human beings sold as slaves.g

14“They will say, ‘The fruit you longed for is gone from you. All your luxury and splendor have vanished, never to be recovered.’ 15The merchants who sold these things and gained their wealth from herh will stand far off,i terrified at her torment. They will weep and mournj 16and cry out:

“Every sea captain, and all who travel by ship, the sailors, and all who earn their living from the sea,o will stand far off.p 18When they see the smoke of her burning,q they will exclaim, ‘Was there ever a city like this great cityr?’s 19They will throw dust on their heads,t and with weeping and mourningu cry out:

The Finality of Babylon’s Doom

21Then a mighty angelz picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea,a and said:

Revelation 19

Threefold Hallelujah Over Babylon’s Fall

1After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitudea in heaven shouting:

3And again they shouted:

4The twenty-four eldersj and the four living creaturesk fell downl and worshiped God, who was seated on the throne. And they cried:

5Then a voice came from the throne, saying:

6Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude,p like the roar of rushing watersq and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:

(Fine linen stands for the righteous actsy of God’s holy people.)

9Then the angel said to me,z “Write this:a Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!”b And he added, “These are the true words of God.”c

10At this I fell at his feet to worship him.d But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers and sisters who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God!e For it is the Spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus.”f

The Heavenly Warrior Defeats the Beast

11I saw heaven standing openg and there before me was a white horse, whose riderh is called Faithful and True.i With justice he judges and wages war.j 12His eyes are like blazing fire,k and on his head are many crowns.l He has a name written on himm that no one knows but he himself.n 13He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood,o and his name is the Word of God.p 14The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen,q whiter and clean. 15Coming out of his mouth is a sharp swords with which to strike downt the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.”1^,u He treads the winepressv of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. 16On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:w

17And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birdsy flying in midair,z “Come,a gather together for the great supper of God,b 18so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and the mighty, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people,c free and slave,d great and small.”e

19Then I saw the beastf and the kings of the earthg and their armies gathered together to wage war against the rider on the horseh and his army. 20But the beast was captured, and with it the false propheti who had performed the signsj on its behalf.k With these signs he had deludedl those who had received the mark of the beastm and worshiped its image.n The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lakeo of burning sulfur.p 21The rest were killed with the swordq coming out of the mouth of the rider on the horse,r and all the birdss gorged themselves on their flesh.

Revelation 20

The Thousand Years

1And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven,a having the keyb to the Abyssc and holding in his hand a great chain. 2He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan,d and bound him for a thousand years.e 3He threw him into the Abyss,f and locked and sealedg it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nationsh anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time. Article: The Thousand Years

4I saw thronesi on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge.j And I saw the souls of those who had been beheadedk because of their testimony about Jesusl and because of the word of God.m They1 had not worshiped the beastn or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands.o They came to life and reignedp with Christ a thousand years. 5(The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection.q 6Blessedr and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second deaths has no power over them, but they will be priestst of God and of Christ and will reign with himu for a thousand years.

The Judgment of Satan

7When the thousand years are over,v Satan will be released from his prison 8and will go out to deceive the nationsw in the four corners of the earthx—Gog and Magogy—and to gather them for battle.z In number they are like the sand on the seashore.a 9They marched across the breadth of the earth and surroundedb the camp of God’s people, the city he loves.c But fire came down from heavend and devoured them. 10And the devil, who deceived them,e was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur,f where the beastg and the false propheth had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.i

The Judgment of the Dead

11Then I saw a great white thronej and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence,k and there was no place for them. 12And I saw the dead, great and small,l standing before the throne, and books were opened.m Another book was opened, which is the book of life.n The dead were judgedo according to what they had donep as recorded in the books. 13The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hadesq gave up the deadr that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done.s 14Then deatht and Hadesu were thrown into the lake of fire.v The lake of fire is the second death.w 15Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of lifex was thrown into the lake of fire.

Revelation 21

A New Heaven and a New Earth

1Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,”1^,a for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away,b and there was no longer any sea. 2I saw the Holy City,c the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,d prepared as a bridee beautifully dressed for her husband. 3And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them.f They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.g 4‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes.h There will be no more death’2^,i or mourning or crying or pain,j for the old order of things has passed away.”k

5He who was seated on the thronel said, “I am making everything new!”m Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”n

6He said to me: “It is done.o I am the Alpha and the Omega,p the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without costq from the spring of the water of life.r 7Those who are victoriouss will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children.t 8But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liarsu—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur.v This is the second death.”w

The New Jerusalem, the Bride of the Lamb

9One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plaguesx came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the bride,y the wife of the Lamb.” 10And he carried me awayz in the Spirita to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.b 11It shone with the glory of God,c and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper,d clear as crystal.e 12It had a great, high wall with twelve gates,f and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel.g 13There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west. 14The wall of the city had twelve foundations,h and on them were the names of the twelve apostlesi of the Lamb.

15The angel who talked with me had a measuring rodj of gold to measure the city, its gatesk and its walls. 16The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia3 in length, and as wide and high as it is long. 17The angel measured the wall using humanl measurement, and it was 144 cubits4 thick.5 18The wall was made of jasper,m and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass.n 19The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone.o The first foundation was jasper,p the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby,q the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.6 21The twelve gatesr were twelve pearls,s each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass.t

22I did not see a templeu in the city, because the Lord God Almightyv and the Lambw are its temple. 23The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of Godx gives it light,y and the Lambz is its lamp. 24The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it.a 25On no day will its gatesb ever be shut,c for there will be no night there.d 26The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it.e 27Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful,f but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.g

Revelation 22

Eden Restored

1Then the angel showed me the rivera of the water of life,b as clear as crystal,c flowingd from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life,e bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.f 3No longer will there be any curse.g The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him.h 4They will see his face,i and his name will be on their foreheads.j 5There will be no more night.k They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light.l And they will reign for ever and ever.m

John and the Angel

6The angel said to me,n “These words are trustworthy and true.o The Lord, the God who inspires the prophets,p sent his angelq to show his servants the things that must soon take place.”

7“Look, I am coming soon!r Blesseds is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll.”t

8I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things.u And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feetv of the angel who had been showing them to me. 9But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your fellow prophets and with all who keep the words of this scroll.w Worship God!”x

10Then he told me, “Do not seal upy the words of the prophecy of this scroll,z because the time is near.a 11Let the one who does wrong continue to do wrong; let the vile person continue to be vile; let the one who does right continue to do right; and let the holy person continue to be holy.”b

Epilogue: Invitation and Warning

12“Look, I am coming soon!c My reward is with me,d and I will give to each person according to what they have done.e 13I am the Alpha and the Omega,f the First and the Last,g the Beginning and the End.h

14“Blessed are those who wash their robes,i that they may have the right to the tree of lifej and may go through the gatesk into the city.l 15Outsidem are the dogs,n those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

16“I, Jesus,o have sent my angelp to give you1 this testimony for the churches.q I am the Rootr and the Offspring of David,s and the bright Morning Star.”t

17The Spiritu and the bridev say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.w

18I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll:x If anyone adds anything to them,y God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll.z 19And if anyone takes words awaya from this scroll of prophecy,b God will take away from that person any share in the tree of lifec and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.

20He who testifies to these thingsd says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”e

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.f

21The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people.g Amen.