BWE - Revelation of John

Chapter 1

1:1  God showed these things to Jesus Christ to show to his servants. These are things that must happen soon. Then God sent his angel and showed them to John, his servant.

1:2  John wrote down what God said and what Jesus showed to him. These words tell all that He saw.

1:3  God will bless the person who reads the words of this book. God will bless those who hear the words of this book and obey the things written in it.

1:4  Here is what John wrote to the people of the seven churches which are in the country of Asia Minor: May God’s loving kindness bless you and give you peace. He lives now, he always has lived, and he will come again. May the seven Spirits bless you and give you peace. They stand in front of God’s throne.

1:5  May Jesus Christ bless you and give you peace. What he says is true. He was the first to rise from death. And he is ruler of the kings of the earth. He loves us. By his own blood he has made us free from the wrong things we have done.

1:6  He has made us into kings and priests to his God and Father. Praise him! He is great and has power for ever! Yes, it is so!

1:7  Watch! He will come in the clouds. Every one will see him. Those who stuck a spear in him will also see him. All the tribes on earth will cry when they see him. That is the way it will be. Yes it will!

1:8  The Lord God says, ‘I am the First and the Last. I am the beginning and the ending. I live now. I always have lived, and I will come again. I have all power.’

1:9  I am John, your brother. I belong to Jesus and I am having big trouble just as you are. I also belong to his kingdom and I wait patiently for it. I was on an island called Patmos because I told the word of God and talked about Jesus Christ.

1:10  I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day. Behind me I heard a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet or horn.

1:11  The voice said, ‘Write what you see in a book. Send it to the seven churches in the cities of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.’

1:12  I turned to see who was talking to me. I saw seven gold lamps.

1:13  In the centre of the seven lamps I saw someone like the Son of Man. He was wearing a long gown with a wide, gold belt around his chest.

1:14  The hair on his head was white like sheep’s hair, white as snow. His eyes shone like a flame of fire.

1:15  His feet shone like fine brass that has been made pure by fire. His voice was like the sound of much water flowing.

1:16  In his right hand he had seven stars. Out of his mouth came a long knife or sword, sharp on both sides. His face shone like the sun when it is shining very brightly.

1:17  When I saw him, I fell down in front of him as if I had died. He put his right hand on me and said, ‘Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last.

1:18  I am he who lives. I died. But look, I am alive for ever. I have the keys to death and to the world of the dead.

1:19  So write what you have seen. Write the things that are now and the things that will happen after them.

1:20  You saw seven stars in my right hand. I will tell you the secret meaning of them and of the seven gold lamps. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches. The seven lamps are the seven churches.

Chapter 2

2:1  Write this to the angel of the church people in Ephesus: Here are the words of the one who holds the seven stars in his hand, the one who walks among the seven gold lamps.

2:2  ‘He says, “I know the things you do. I know that you work hard and are patient. I know that you have nothing to do with bad men. You tested those who say they are messengers from God but are not. You proved that they are not true apostles.

2:3  I know that you are patient and are strong for my name’s sake. And you have not given up.

2:4  But here is what I say against you. You do not love as you loved at first.

2:5  So remember what you were like at first. Stop! Live the way you did at first. If you do not, I will come and move your lamp from its place. I will do it if you do not stop.

2:6  But this is good: you hate the things which the people called Nicolaitans do. I hate the things they do also.”

2:7  He who can hear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. He says, “I will let the person who wins eat fruit from the tree of life. It grows in God’s garden.”’

2:8  ‘Write this to the angel of the church people in Smyrna: Here are the words of the one who is the First and the Last. He is the one who died but lived again.

2:9  ‘He says, “I know the things you do and the trouble you have. I know you are poor. But you are rich in some ways. I know some people do not respect God. They call themselves Jews. But they are not real Jews. They belong to Satan’s people.

2:10  Do not be afraid of the troubles you will have. Yes, the devil will put some of you into prison where you will be tested. You will have trouble for ten days. But keep on believing, even if you have to die for it. I will give you life for ever.”

2:11  ‘He who can hear should listen to the message of the Spirit to the churches. He says, “The person who wins will not be hurt by the second death.”’

2:12  ‘Write this to the angel of the church people in Pergamum: Here are the words of the one who has the long knife which is sharp on both sides.

2:13  ‘He says, “I know where you live. You live where Satan rules. But you keep my name and you have never said that you do not believe in me. You kept on believing in me even in the time of Antipas. He said he believed in me and was true to me. He was killed among you where Satan lives.

2:14  But I have a few things to say against you. You have some people there who believe the teaching of Balaam. He showed Balak how to trick the people of Israel and make them do wrong. They ate food that was given to idols, and they used sex wrongly.

2:15  Also, you have people among you who believe the teaching of the Nicolaitans. I hate the things they do.

2:16  Stop! If you do not, I will come soon and I will fight against them with the long knife that comes from my mouth.”

2:17  ‘He who can hear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. He says, “I will give some of the secret food to the person who wins. And I will give him a white stone. A new name will be written on the stone. No one will know the name but the one who gets the stone.”’

2:18  ‘Write this to the angel of the church people in Thyatira: Here are the words of the Son of God. He is the one whose eyes shine like a flame of fire, and his feet shine like fine brass.

2:19  ‘He says, “I know the things you do. I know that you love me, believe in me, work for me, and are patient. I know that you do these things more now than you did at first.

2:20  But I have this to say against you. You let that woman named Jezebel keep on teaching. She calls herself a prophet of God but teaches my servants wrong things. She fools them to use sex wrongly and eat food that has been given to idols.

2:21  I gave her time to stop, but she will not stop her wrong sexual ways and turn back to God.

2:22  Look, I will make her very sick, and also those who love her. I will do it if they do not stop what they are doing with her.

2:23  I will kill her children. Then all the churches will know that I find out what is in a person’s mind and heart. I will pay each one of you for the good or wrong things you have done.

2:24  But some of you in Thyatira do not listen to that woman’s teaching. You have not learned what some people call the deep things of Satan. To you I say, I will put no other load on you.

2:25  The only thing I say to you is to keep on believing until I come.

2:26  If a person wins and does what I want him to do until the end, I will make him rule with me over all peoples.

2:27  The holy writings said this long ago: ‘He will rule them with an iron stick. He will break them to pieces like pots made of clay.’ This is the same power as I received from my Father.

2:28  And I will give him the morning star.”

2:29  ‘He who can hear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.’

Chapter 3

3:1  Write this to the angel of the church people in Sardis: Here are the words of the one who has the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars. ‘He says, “I know what you do. People say that you are alive, but you are dead.

3:2  Wake up! You still have a little life left in you. Make it stronger before it dies altogether. I have not seen you do anything that looked right to God.

3:3  So remember the things you were told and the things you have heard. Obey them. Stop the things you have been doing. If you do not wake up, I will come to you like a thief. You will not know when I will come to you.

3:4  But you have a few people in Sardis who have not made their clothes dirty. They will walk with me in white clothes, because they are good enough.

3:5  He who wins will wear white clothes. I will not take his name out of the book of life. I will tell his name to my Father and to his angels.”

3:6  ‘He who can hear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.’

3:7  ‘Write this to the angel of the church people in Philadelphia: Here are the words of the one who is holy and true. He has David’s key. No one will shut what he opens. And no one will open what he shuts.

3:8  ‘He says, “I know what you do. Look, I have opened a door in front of you. No one can shut it. I know that you do not have much power. But you have obeyed my word and you have never said you did not believe in me.

3:9  Look! I will bring some people who belong to Satan’s group. They call themselves Jews, but they are not real Jews. They lie. Look, I will make them come and kneel down in front of you. They will know that I have loved you.

3:10  You have obeyed my word and been patient. So I will keep you safe in the time of trouble which will come all over the world. It will test the people who live on earth.

3:11  I am coming again soon! Hold on to the faith which you have, so that no one will stop you receiving your reward in heaven.

3:12  I will make the person who wins become a strong post in the temple of my God. I will keep him strong. He will never leave it again. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of my God’s city. This city is the new Jerusalem. It comes down out of heaven from my God. And I will write my new name on him.”

3:13  ‘He who can hear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.’

3:14  ‘Write this to the angel of the church people in Laodicea: Here are the words of the one whose name is Truth. What he says can be trusted. He is the one who began all that God made.

3:15  ‘He says, “I know what you do. I know that you are neither cold nor hot. And I wish that you were cold or hot.

3:16  So I will spit you out of my mouth, because you are only warm and not hot or cold.

3:17  You say, ‘I am rich and have many things. I need nothing.’ You do not know that you are in trouble and need help. You are poor. You are blind. And you have no clothes to wear.

3:18  I tell you what you should do. You should buy from me gold that has been made clean by fire. Then you will be rich. And you should buy from me white clothes to wear. Then people will not see that you have no clothes, and you will not be ashamed. You should buy from me healing oil to put on your eyes. Then you will be able to see.

3:19  I tell off and punish the people I love. So get busy and stop doing wrong.

3:20  Listen, I stand at the door and knock. If any one hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him. I will eat with him, and he will eat with me.

3:21  He who wins will sit with me on my throne in heaven. I won too, and I sat down with my Father on his throne.”

3:22  ‘He who can hear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.’

Chapter 4

4:1  After this, I looked and saw a door open in heaven. I heard the same voice that I had heard before. It was like the sound of a horn or trumpet. It said, ‘Come up here. I will show you the things that must happen after this.’

4:2  Right away, I was in the Spirit. I saw a throne or chief chair in heaven.

4:3  The one who sat on the throne looked very fine and bright. He looked like fine stones called jasper and carnelian. All around his chair was a rainbow that looked like a fine stone called emerald.

4:4  Around his throne I saw twenty-four other thrones. On them sat twenty-four leaders. They wore white clothes and had gold crowns on their heads.

4:5  From the throne came lightning, loud noises, and thunder. In front of the throne, seven bright lamps were burning. These lamps are the seven Spirits of God.

4:6  In front of the throne, it was like a sea of glass. It looked like a stone called crystal. Around the throne on the four sides of it were four living beings. They had many eyes in their faces and in their back.

4:7  The first living thing was like a lion. The second one was like a young cow. The third one had the face of a man. The fourth one was like a flying eagle.

4:8  Each of the four living beings had six wings. They had many eyes all over their bodies and under their wings. They say all the time, day and night: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God. He has all power. He always has lived. He lives now. And he always will live.’

4:9  The living beings give praise and honour and thanks to the one who sits on the throne and lives for ever and ever.

4:10  Every time they do this, the twenty-four leaders kneel down in front of the one who sits on the throne. And they worship the one who lives for ever and ever. They take the crowns off their heads and lay them down in front of his throne.

4:11  They say: ‘Our Lord and God, it is right for you to have praise and honour and power. You made all things. They were made and have life because you wanted them.’

Chapter 5

5:1  I saw a book in the right hand of the one who sat on the chief chair. It had writing on the front and the back. It was locked with seven locks.

5:2  I saw a strong angel calling with a loud voice. He said, ‘Who can open the book and break its locks?’

5:3  And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the book or look in it.

5:4  I cried very much because no one could open the book or look in it.

5:5  Then one of the leaders said to me, ‘Do not cry. See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah has won! The One who was born into David’s family has won! He can open the book and break its seven locks.’

5:6  I saw a Lamb standing in front of the throne and the four living beings, and in front of the leaders. It looked as if it had been killed. It had seven horns and seven eyes. They are the seven Spirits of God who are sent out all over the earth.

5:7  He went and took the book from the right hand of the One who sat on the throne.

5:8  And when he took the book, the four living beings and the twenty-four leaders kneeled down in front of the Lamb. Every one of them had a harp and a gold bowl. The bowls were full of incense that smelled very sweet when it was burned. These bowls are the words of God’s people when they talk to him.

5:9  And the four living beings and the leaders sang a new song. The new song was: ‘You are able to take the book and to open its locks, because you were killed. You have set the people free and bought them for God with the cost of your blood. They are from every tribe, language, nation, and country.

5:10  You have made them into kings and priests for our God. They will rule on the earth.’

5:11  Then I saw and heard many angels. They were around the chair, and the living beings, and the leaders. There were many, many thousands.

5:12  They said with a loud voice, ‘The Lamb of God who was killed is the only one good enough to be given power, riches, wisdom, strength, honour, praise, and blessing!’

5:13  Then I heard everything in heaven, on earth, under the earth, and on the sea, and everything in them say, ‘Blessing, honour, praise, and power belong for ever and ever to the One who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’

5:14  Then the four living beings said, ‘Amen! May it be so!’ And the leaders kneeled down and worshipped the One who lives for ever and ever.

Chapter 6

6:1  I saw the Lamb open one of the seven locks. I heard the voice of one of the four living beings call, ‘Come!’ It sounded like thunder.

6:2  And I looked and saw a white horse. The man who rode on it had a bow to shoot arrows. A gold crown for his head was given to him. And he went out fighting to win the victory over his enemies.

6:3  When the Lamb opened the second lock, I heard the second living being call, ‘Come!’

6:4  And another horse came out. It was red. The man who rode on it was allowed to take peace away from the earth, so that men would kill each other. The man who rode on it was given a long knife or sword.

6:5  When the Lamb opened the third lock, I heard the third living being call, ‘Come!’ I looked and saw a black horse. The man who rode on it had scales in his hand to weigh things.

6:6  I heard a voice among the four living beings. It said, ‘Four cups of wheat for bread will sell for a day’s wages. Twelve cups of barley will sell for a day’s wages. But do not destroy the oil and the wine.’

6:7  When the Lamb opened the fourth lock, I heard the fourth living being call, ‘Come!’

6:8  I saw a horse the colour of ashes. The name of the man who rode it was Death. And the one who controls the world of the dead followed him. They were given power over a fourth part of the world. They could kill people with a sword, or by making them go without food to eat, or by making them sick, or with wild animals.

6:9  When the Lamb opened the fifth lock, I saw the souls of people who had been killed. They were under the holy table where incense is burned. They had been killed because they believed God’s word and said they believed it.

6:10  They called in a loud voice, ‘Lord, you are holy and true. How long will you wait before you judge and punish the people on earth because they killed us?’

6:11  Then each one of them was given a white gown to wear. They were told to wait a little longer for the other Christian brothers. Those who worked with them for the Lord would be killed as they had been.

6:12  I saw the Lamb opening the sixth lock. The earth shook very much. The sun became very dark, like the black cloth people wear to show they are sad. The full moon became red like blood.

6:13  The stars in the sky fell to the earth. They fell like figs that are not ripe when the fig tree is shaken by a strong wind.

6:14  The sky was taken away like paper being rolled up. Every big hill and island was shaken out of its place.

6:15  The kings of the world, the great men, the army captains, the rich people, the strong people, every slave, and every freeman hid themselves in holes and the rocks on the big hills.

6:16  They called to the hills and to the rocks and said, ‘Fall on us! Hide us so the One on the throne will not see us. Hide us from the Lamb who is angry with us.

6:17  The great day has come, and he is very angry with us. Who can stand before him?’

Chapter 7

7:1  After this, I saw four angels standing at four different places on the earth. They were holding back the winds coming from every way. They did this so that no wind would blow on the earth, or on the sea, or on any tree.

7:2  Then I saw another angel coming up from the place where the sun rises. He had something to put the mark of the living God on people. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels. They had been given power to hurt the earth and the sea.

7:3  The angel said, ‘Do not hurt the earth, the sea, or the trees until we have put a mark on the foreheads of God’s servants.’

7:4  And I heard that one hundred and forty-four thousand people were marked. They were from every tribe of Israel.

7:5  Twelve thousand people were marked from each of these tribes: Judah, Reuben, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Manasseh, Simeon, Levi, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, Benjamin.

7:6  Twelve thousand people were marked from each of these tribes: Judah, Reuben, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Manasseh, Simeon, Levi, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, Benjamin.

7:7  Twelve thousand people were marked from each of these tribes: Judah, Reuben, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Manasseh, Simeon, Levi, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, Benjamin.

7:8  Twelve thousand people were marked from each of these tribes: Judah, Reuben, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Manasseh, Simeon, Levi, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, Benjamin.

7:9  After this, I looked and saw many people. There were so many that no person could count them all. They were from every country, tribe, nation, and language. I saw them standing in front of the throne and the Lamb. They wore white clothes and they had palm branches in their hands.

7:10  They called in a loud voice and said, ‘Our God who sits on the throne, and the Lamb: they are the Ones who save people. Salvation belongs to them!’

7:11  All the angels were standing around the throne and around the leaders and the four living beings. They bowed down their faces in front of the throne and worshipped God.

7:12  They said, ‘May it be so! Blessing, praise, glory and wisdom, thanks, honour, power, and strength belong to our God for ever and ever! Amen!’

7:13  Then one of the leaders talked to me. He said, ‘Who are these people wearing white clothes? Where did they come from?’

7:14  Then I said to him, ‘Sir, I do not know.’ And he said to me, ‘These are the people who have had much trouble. They have washed their clothes in the blood of the Lamb and made them white.

7:15  That is why they are in front of God’s throne. They worship him day and night in his temple. The one who sits on the throne will keep them safe because he is with them.

7:16  They will not be hungry or thirsty again. The sun or any other heat will not burn them.

7:17  The Lamb who is in front of the throne will take care of them. He will guide them to the places where there is water that gives life. And God will wipe every tear from their eyes.’

Chapter 8

8:1  When the Lamb opened the seventh lock, all was quiet in heaven for about a half hour.

8:2  Then I saw the seven angels stand in front of God. Seven horns or trumpets were given to them.

8:3  Another angel came and stood at the altar. He had a gold bowl. Plenty of incense was given to him. He was to put it with all the words of all God’s people when they talk to him. He was to put it on the gold altar in front of God’s throne.

8:4  The sweet smelling smoke of the burning incense went up at the same time as the prayer words of God’s people. They went up from the hand of the angel that was standing in front of God.

8:5  Then the angel took the bowl and filled it with fire from the altar. He threw it on the earth. There was thunder, loud noises, and lightning. And the earth shook.

8:6  The seven angels who had the seven horns or trumpets got ready to blow them.

8:7  The first angel blew his trumpet. Rain like stones, and fire mixed with blood, fell on the earth. A third part of the earth was burned. A third of the trees was burned. And one third of all the green grass was burned.

8:8  The second angel blew his trumpet. Then something like a big hill, burning with fire, was thrown into the sea.

8:9  Then a third of the sea became blood. A third of all things that lived in the sea died. A third of all the boats was broken.

8:10  The third angel blew his trumpet. A big star fell from the sky. It burned and gave a bright light. It fell on a third of the rivers and places where there is water.

8:11  The name of the star is Bitter. A third part of the water became bitter. Many men died because the water was made bad to drink.

8:12  The fourth angel blew his trumpet. A third of the sun was made dark. And a third of the moon and a third of the stars were made dark. A third part of them became dark. A third part of the day had no light, and also a third part of the night.

8:13  Then I looked and heard an angel who was flying across the sky. He called in a loud voice and said, ‘Trouble! Trouble! Trouble to the people who live on earth! Big trouble will come when the sound of the other trumpets is heard. The three angels are now ready to blow their trumpets!’

Chapter 9

9:1  Then the fifth angel blew his trumpet. I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth. The key to the big hole that has no bottom was given to the angel.

9:2  He opened the big hole and smoke came out. It was like the smoke of a very big fire. The sun and the air were made dark by the smoke from the big hole.

9:3  Then out of the smoke came locusts on the earth like big grasshoppers. They were given the power to hurt people the way that scorpions do.

9:4  They were told not to spoil any of the grass, nor any green plant, nor any tree on earth. They were told to hurt only the people who did not have God’s mark on their foreheads.

9:5  They were told not to kill them, but to trouble them for five months. The pain they give is like the pain a scorpion gives when it strikes a person.

9:6  In those days people will look for death, but they will not be able to find it. They will want to die, but death will fly away from them.

9:7  The locusts looked like horses ready to go to war. On their heads were gold crowns. And they had faces like people.

9:8  Their hair was like women’s hair and their teeth like lions’ teeth.

9:9  Their bodies were covered by something like pieces of iron. The noise of their wings sounded like many wagons and horses running to war.

9:10  The locusts had tails like scorpions that could strike people and hurt them for five months.

9:11  The king of the locusts is the angel of the big hole that has no bottom. His name is Abaddon in the Jew’s language and Apollyon in the Greek language. (This means, the one who destroys.)

9:12  The first trouble is gone. Two more troubles are coming after it.

9:13  The sixth angel blew his trumpet. I heard a voice from the four horns of the gold altar in front of God.

9:14  The voice said to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, ‘Untie the four angels who are tied at the big river Euphrates.’

9:15  So the four angels were let free. They were ready for the hour, the day, the month, and the year when they would kill a third of the people.

9:16  In their army were many, many thousands of men on horses. I heard the number of them.

9:17  I saw what the horses and the men that sat on them looked like. The bodies of the men were covered by pieces of iron that looked red like fire and blue, and yellow. The heads of the horses were like lions’ heads. Fire, smoke and dust came out of their mouths. The dust was sulphur which choked and killed people when it burned in the fire.

9:18  By these three big troubles a third part of the people were killed. They were killed by the fire, smoke, and choking sulphur dust that came out of the mouths of the horses.

9:19  The power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails. Their tails have heads and are like snakes. They hurt people with them.

9:20  The other people were not killed by these big troubles. But they did not stop worshipping what they had made with their hands. They did not stop worshipping bad spirits and idols made of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood. These idols cannot see or hear or walk.

9:21  And they did not stop their killing, or their witchcraft, or their wrong ways of using sex, or their stealing.

Chapter 10

10:1  Then I saw another strong angel coming down from the sky. A cloud was around him and a rainbow was over his head. His face was like the sun and his legs were like posts of fire.

10:2  In his hand he had a small book that was open. He put his right foot on the sea, and his left foot on the land.

10:3  He called in a very loud voice like a lion roaring. When he called, it was like the voices of seven thunders.

10:4  When the seven thunders had spoken, I was going to write down what they said. But I heard a voice from the sky that said, ‘Do not tell what the seven thunders said. Do not write it down.’

10:5  The angel that I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand toward the sky.

10:6  He made a promise in the name of the one who lives for ever and ever. He made it in the name of the one who made the sky and everything in it, who made the earth and everything in it, and the sea and everything in it. He said, ‘There is no more time.

10:7  But when the seventh angel calls by blowing his trumpet, then the secret plan of God will be finished. It will happen just as God told his servants, the prophets.’

10:8  The voice I heard in the sky talked to me again. It said, ‘Go to the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land. Take the open book from his hand.’

10:9  So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little book. He said to me, ‘Take it and eat it. It will be bitter inside you, but it will be sweet like honey in your mouth.’

10:10  So I took the little book from the angel’s hand and ate it. It was sweet like honey in my mouth. But when I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.

10:11  Then he said to me, ‘You must tell again what God is saying to many nations, countries, languages, and kings.’

Chapter 11

11:1  Then I was given a long stick. And he said, ‘Go and measure God’s temple and the altar, and count the people who worship there.

11:2  Do not measure the part outside the temple. Leave it out, because it has been given to the people who do not believe in God. They will walk in the holy city for forty-two months.

11:3  I will give power to the two men who speak for me. They will speak words from God. They will continue to speak for forty-two months. They will wear clothes like people wear to show they are sad.’

11:4  These two men are the two olive trees and the two lamps which stand in front of the Lord of the earth.

11:5  If any one wants to hurt them, fire comes out of their mouths and burns up their enemies. If anyone wants to hurt them, he must be killed in this way.

11:6  These two men can stop the sky from raining all the days that they speak words from God. And they can turn the water into blood. They can bring all kinds of trouble to the earth as often as they want.

11:7  There is a beast which is a wild animal in the big hole that has no bottom. When the two men have finished talking, the beast will come up out of the hole. It will fight with the men. It will win over them and kill them.

11:8  Their dead bodies will lie in the street of the big city. This city is called, ‘Sodom’ and ‘Egypt,’ because it is like them. Also it is where our Lord was nailed to a cross.

11:9  People from many nations, tribes, languages, and countries will look at their dead bodies for three and a half days. They will not let anyone bury them.

11:10  The people on earth will be very glad to see them dead. They will have a happy time. They will give gifts to each other because these two men from God had troubled the people on the earth.

11:11  But after the three and a half days, life came into them. They stood on their feet. And all those who saw them were very much afraid.

11:12  Then they heard a loud voice from the sky saying to them, ‘Come up here!’ They went up into the sky in a cloud. And the men who hated them saw them go up.

11:13  At that time, the earth shook very much. A tenth part of the city fell down. Seven thousand people were killed by the shaking of the earth. The other people were very much afraid and they give glory to God in heaven.

11:14  The second trouble is gone. The third trouble is coming soon.

11:15  Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet. Loud voices were heard in the sky. They said, ‘The kingdom of the world now belongs to our Lord and to his Christ. He will rule for ever and ever.’

11:16  Then the twenty-four leaders who sat on their thrones in front of God kneeled down and worshipped God.

11:17  They said, ‘We thank you, Lord God, who has all power. You live now and you always have lived. We thank you because you have now used your power and started to rule.

11:18  ‘The people who did not believe you became angry. But now you are angry. It is time for dead people to be judged. And it is time to reward your servants, the prophets of God, and your holy people and all who respect your name–those who are great and those who are not so great. It is time to destroy those who destroy the earth.’

11:19  Then the temple of God in heaven was opened. The box where his agreement was kept was seen inside the temple. And there was lightning, loud noises, and thunder. The earth shook and much rain, like stones, fell.

Chapter 12

12:1  I saw a wonderful thing in the sky. A woman was wearing the sun like a dress. She stood on the moon. On her head she had twelve stars in a big ring like a crown. She was going to have a baby.

12:2  She cried out in pain because it was time for the baby to be born.

12:3  And another wonderful thing was seen in the sky. It was a big red dragon. He had seven heads and ten horns. He had seven big rings on his heads.

12:4  His tail struck a third part of the stars from the sky to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who would soon have a baby. He wanted to eat her baby when it was born.

12:5  Then her baby boy was born. He will rule all the countries with an iron stick. Her child was taken up to God, to God’s throne.

12:6  The woman ran away into the wilderness. There God had made a place ready for her. There she will have food for forty-two months.

12:7  Then there was fighting in heaven. Michael and his angels fought with the dragon. The dragon and his angels fought back.

12:8  But they did not win the fight and no longer were they allowed to stay in heaven.

12:9  The dragon was thrown down. He was that old snake who is called the devil and Satan. He fools all the people in the world. He was thrown down to earth and his angels were thrown down with him.

12:10  I heard a loud voice in the sky. It said, ‘Now the time has come for God to save people. He will use his strength. His kingdom will come and his Christ will use his power. The one who says bad things about our brothers to God day and night has been thrown down.

12:11  They have won the fight against him by the blood of the Lamb’s death, and by what they said. They did not try to save their lives, but were willing to die.

12:12  Heaven, and those who live in heaven, be glad because of it! Big trouble will come to the earth and sea! The devil has come down to you. He is very angry. He knows that he has only a short time!’

12:13  And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to earth, he troubled the woman to whom a baby boy had been born.

12:14  But the woman was given two wings like a big eagle’s wings. With them she could fly away from the dragon into the wilderness to her place where she would have food for three and a half periods of time.

12:15  The dragon poured water like a river out of his mouth after her. He wanted the water to carry her away.

12:16  But the earth helped the woman. It opened a big hole. And the river which the dragon had poured out of his mouth went down the hole.

12:17  Then the dragon was very angry with the woman. He went away to fight against the other children of the woman. They are the ones who keep the laws of God and tell the truth about Jesus.

Chapter 13

13:1  Then I stood on the sand by the sea. I saw a wild animal come up out of the sea. The beast had seven heads and ten horns. On its horns were ten big crowns. On its heads it had names that did not respect God.

13:2  The beast I saw was like a leopard. It had feet like a bear and a mouth like a lion. The dragon gave it his own strength, his own throne, and great power.

13:3  One of its heads had a cut, bad enough to kill it. But the bad cut was healed. All the people on earth were much surprised and followed the beast.

13:4  They worshipped the dragon because he had given this power to the beast. And they worshipped the beast too. They said, ‘Who is like this beast? Who can fight against it?’

13:5  The beast was given a mouth that spoke proud words against God. It was given power to rule for forty-two months.

13:6  It opened its mouth to speak against God, to speak against his name and the place where he lives, and to speak against those who live in heaven.

13:7  It was also given power to fight against God’s people and to win the fight against them. It was given power to rule over every tribe, nation, language, and country.

13:8  Everyone on earth will worship the beast, if they do not have their names in the book of life. The book of life belongs to the Lamb who was killed. That was God’s plan since the world was made.

13:9  He who can hear should listen:

13:10  Anyone who puts people in prison will go to prison. Any one who kills others with a long knife or sword will be killed by a long knife or sword. This is why God’s people are patient and keep on believing.

13:11  Then I saw another beast come up out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb but talked like a dragon.

13:12  It uses all the power of the first beast and stands with it. It makes all the earth and those who live on it worship the first beast. That was the beast whose bad cut was healed.

13:13  The second beast does wonderful things. It even makes fire fall from the sky to the earth for everyone to see.

13:14  It fools the people who live on earth by the wonderful things which it has been given power to do, while the first beast looks on. It tells the people on earth to make an idol like the first beast that was cut by the big knife but lived.

13:15  It was given power to make the idol of the beast live. The idol of the beast could speak and command all those who would not worship the idol to be killed.

13:16  It makes all the people take a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads. That means all people, those who are great and those who are not great, the poor, free men, and slaves.

13:17  No one could buy or sell anything if he did not have this mark. This mark is the name of the beast or the number of its name.

13:18  Here wisdom is needed. If a person understands, he should count the number of the beast. It is the number of a man’s name. Its number is six hundred and sixty-six.

Chapter 14

14:1  Then I looked and saw the Lamb standing on a hill called Zion. With him were one hundred and forty-four thousand people. They had his name and the name of his Father written on their foreheads.

14:2  I heard a sound from the sky like the sound of much water flowing, and like the sound of much thunder. The sound I heard was like people playing music on their harps.

14:3  They were singing a new song in front of God’s chief chair, in front of the four living beings and the leaders. No one could learn that song but the one hundred and forty-four thousand people. They have been bought from the earth.

14:4  They are the people who have not had sex with women. They are clean. They are the people who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They lived among people on earth. They have been bought from the earth. They are the first among men to have been bought for God and the Lamb.

14:5  They never told lies. They are found to be without any wrong ways as they stand before the throne of God.

14:6  Then I saw another angel flying across the sky. He had good news that will last for ever to tell the people who live on the earth. The good news is for every country, tribe, language, and nation.

14:7  He said in a loud voice, ‘Respect and honour God and give him glory! The time has come for him to judge people, to tell them how good or bad they are. Worship him. He made heaven and earth, the sea, and the rivers.’

14:8  A second angel followed him. He said, ‘The great city of Babylon has fallen down. It has fallen down because it filled all the countries with its wrong ways. It has made people to suffer God’s anger.’

14:9  A third angel followed the other two. He said in a loud voice, ‘Any person who worships the beast or its idol, and takes its mark on his forehead or on his hand, will also feel God’s anger. He is very angry. That person will be burned with fire and dust that chokes people when it burns. He will be burned in front of the holy angels and the Lamb.

14:10  A third angel followed the other two. He said in a loud voice, ‘Any person who worships the beast or its idol, and takes its mark on his forehead or on his hand, will also feel God’s anger. He is very angry. That person will be burned with fire and dust that chokes people when it burns. He will be burned in front of the holy angels and the Lamb.

14:11  The smoke of that fire goes up for ever and ever. Those who worship the animal and its idol, and anyone who takes the mark of its name, will get no rest day or night.’

14:12  This is why God’s people must be patient. They are the ones who keep the laws of God and believe in Jesus.

14:13  I heard a voice from the sky. It said, ‘Write this: From now on, happy are those who die believing in the Lord.’ ‘Yes,’ says the Spirit. ‘They will have rest from their troubles. The good things they have done will go with them.’

14:14  I looked and saw a white cloud. I saw someone like the Son of Man sitting on the cloud. He had a big gold crown on his head and a sharp harvest knife in his hand.

14:15  Another angel came out of God’s temple. He called in a loud voice to the one who was sitting on the cloud. He said, ‘Take your knife and cut the harvest. The time has come to take in the harvest because the earth is ready.’

14:16  So the one who sat on the cloud used his knife on earth. And the harvest on earth was cut.

14:17  Then another angel came out of the temple in heaven. He also had a sharp knife.

14:18  And another angel came from the altar. He had power over fire. He called in a loud voice to the angel who had the sharp knife. He said, ‘Take your sharp knife and gather the fruit that grows on the vine on the earth. Its fruit is ripe.’

14:19  So the angel used his knife on earth. He gathered the fruit of the vine on the earth. He put it in the big place where the water of the fruit is pressed out. This place is God’s anger.

14:20  It was outside the city that they pressed the fruit. Blood ran out of the place. It came up as high as the horses’ heads for about two hundred miles.

Chapter 15

15:1  I saw another big and wonderful thing in the sky. I saw seven angels who carried the seven big troubles. They are the last troubles. When these troubles have come, God’s anger is ended.

15:2  I saw something that looked like a sea of glass mixed with fire. And I saw those people who had won the fight against the beast, and its idol, and its mark, and the number of its name. They were standing on the sea of glass and they had the harps of God in their hands.

15:3  They sing the song of Moses who is the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb. They say, ‘Lord God who has all power, the things you do are great and wonderful! King for ever, your ways are right and true!

15:4  Who will not respect and honour you and praise your name, Lord? You are the only one who is holy. People from all countries will come and worship you because they have seen that you are right and fair.’

15:5  After this I looked. The temple in heaven was open. It was the place where God’s agreement was kept.

15:6  The seven angels who carried the seven troubles came out of the temple. They were wearing linen clothes, clean and shining. Around their chests they wore gold belts.

15:7  One of the four living beings gave the angels seven gold bowls. The bowls were full of the anger of God who lives for ever and ever.

15:8  The temple was full of smoke because God is so great and has so much power. No one could go into the temple until the seven troubles, which the seven angels had, were ended.

Chapter 16

16:1  I heard a loud voice coming from the temple. It said to the seven angels, ‘Go and pour the seven bowls of God’s anger on the earth.’

16:2  So the first angel went and poured his bowl on the earth. Then a bad, dirty sore came on the people who had the mark of the animal on them, and who worshipped its idol.

16:3  The second angel poured his bowl on the sea. It turned into blood like that of a person who has been killed. Everything in the sea that had life died.

16:4  The third angel poured his bowl on the rivers and the places where there was water. They turned into blood.

16:5  And I heard the angel of the water say, ‘Holy One, you who live now and who always have lived, and will live for ever; you are right because you have punished them this way.

16:6  They killed God’s people and the prophets. Now you have given them blood to drink. This is what they should get!’

16:7  I heard the people under the altar say, ‘Yes, Lord God, you have all power! The way you punish is true and right!’

16:8  The fourth angel poured his bowl on the sun. Then the sun was given the power to burn people with fire.

16:9  People were burned because the sun was so hot. And they spoke wrongly about the name of God, cursing him because he had the power to send these troubles. But they would not stop the wrong things they were doing. They would not respect and honour God.

16:10  The fifth angel poured his bowl on the throne of the beast. The place where he ruled became dark. People bit their tongues because of the pain they had.

16:11  They cursed God in heaven because of their pain and sores. But they did not stop the wrong things they were doing. They would not turn back to God.

16:12  The sixth angel poured his bowl on the big river Euphrates. Its water dried up so that a road was made ready for the kings to come from the east.

16:13  I saw three bad spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the prophet who is not true.

16:14  They are the spirits of gods who are not true, and they do wonderful things. They go to the kings of the whole world and gather them to fight on the great day of God who has all power.

16:15  ‘Look! I will come like a thief. The person who stays awake and dressed will be glad he did! He will not be without clothes and he will not be ashamed.’

16:16  They gathered at the place called Armageddon in the Hebrew language.

16:17  Then the seventh angel poured his bowl into the air. A loud voice came from the temple and the chair. It said, ‘It is finished!’

16:18  There were lightning’s, loud noises, and thunder. The earth shook very much. It shook more than it had ever shaken since people have been on earth.

16:19  The big city was broken into three parts. And the cities of the nations fell down. God remembered Babylon, the big city. He made it feel all of his great anger.

16:20  The islands all went away, and the mountains could not be seen.

16:21  Rain like big stones fell from the sky on men. Each stone weighed about a hundred pounds. Men cursed God because the big rain of stones fell on them. The trouble was very bad.

Chapter 17

17:1  One of the seven angels who had carried the seven bowls came and talked to me. He said, ‘Come, and I will show you the woman who has given herself over to wrong ways of using sex. She is sitting over many waters. I will show you how she will be punished.

17:2  The kings on earth have been with her and copied her. And the people on earth gladly copy her wrong ways.’

17:3  Then the angel took me away in the Spirit to a wilderness. There I saw a woman sitting on a red beast that had names against God written all over it. It had seven heads and ten horns.

17:4  The woman was wearing blue and red clothes. She was shining with gold, fine stones, and pearls. In her hand she held a gold cup. It was full of the wrong things she did and of her dirty ways of using sex.

17:5  A name was written on her forehead. It has a secret meaning. The name is Great Babylon, the mother of all people who give their bodies for wrong ways of using sex. The mother of all things done on earth too bad to talk about.

17:6  And I saw the woman was drunk because of the blood she drank. It was the blood of God’s people, and the blood of people who had been killed because they belonged to Jesus. When I saw her, I was very much surprised.

17:7  The angel asked me, ‘Why are you surprised? I will tell you the secret meaning of the woman and the beast with seven heads and horns that carries her.

17:8  ‘The beast that you saw was alive at one time, then it was dead. It will come up from the big hole that has no bottom and it will be killed. The people on earth will be surprised when they see the beast, because it was alive and then it was dead, and it comes alive again. These are the people who do not have their names written in the book of life from the time the world was made.

17:9  ‘To understand this, one must be wise. The seven heads are the seven hills on which the woman is sitting.

17:10  They are also seven kings. Five have already lost their power. One is ruling now, and the other one has not yet come. When he comes he will rule for a short time.

17:11  The beast that was alive at the one time, and then was dead, is the eighth king. He is really one of the seven. He will be killed.

17:12  The ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet ruled. They will have power for one hour to rule with the animal.

17:13  These ten all think the same way, and they give to the beast their power and right to rule.

17:14  They will fight against the Lamb, but the Lamb will win the fight against them. He will win because he is Lord of lords and King of kings. ‘Those who are with the Lamb will also win. God has called them and chosen them, and they believe in him.’

17:15  And the angel said to me, ‘You saw the water on which the bad woman is sitting. The water is the many nations, many people, many countries, and many languages.

17:16  You saw the ten horns and the animal. They will hate the bad woman. They will take away everything she has and her fine clothes. They will eat her body and burn her up in a fire.

17:17  God has put it into their hearts to do what he wants done to her. They will all agree. They will give to the beast their power to rule until what God has said comes true.

17:18  ‘The woman whom you saw is the big city that rules over the kings on earth.’

Chapter 18

18:1  After that I saw another angel coming down from the sky. He had much power. The bright light that shone from him lit up the earth.

18:2  He called in a loud voice and said, ‘The big city of Babylon has fallen down! It has fallen down! Bad spirits live in it. All bad spirits hide there. And all kinds of dirty birds that people hate hide there.

18:3  All the nations are broken down because they are full of its wrong ways. The kings of the earth have joined with it. The traders of the earth have become rich because of its wrong ways.’

18:4  Then I heard another voice from the sky that said, ‘Come out of it, my people, so that you will have no part in the wrong things it does. Come out of it so that you will not have the big troubles it will have.

18:5  Its wrong ways are piled as high as the sky and God has remembered the wrong things it has done.

18:6  Do to it what it did to you. Yes, do two times as much to it as it did to you! From the cup it gave you to drink, give it two times as much to drink as it gave to you.

18:7  It is proud of itself and has done wrong things. Give it that much trouble and crying. It says in its heart, “I am like a queen. I am not like a woman who has lost her husband. I will never know sorrow.”

18:8  So then, its big troubles will come in one day. Those troubles are death, crying, hunger, and being burned in a fire. The Lord who has punished it is strong.’

18:9  ‘And the kings of the earth were joined with it in its wrong ways. They will cry and be sad about it when they see the smoke while it burns.

18:10  They will stand far away from it because they are afraid of the trouble it is having. They will say, “Trouble! Trouble! You big, strong city Babylon! In one hour your punishment has come!”

18:11  ‘And the traders of the earth will cry and be sad about it, because no one buys the things they bring to sell.

18:12  They have many things to sell: gold, silver, fine stones, and pearls. They have linen clothes and blue cloth, silk cloth and red cloth. They have all kinds of sweet smelling wood. They have all kinds of things made of ivory. They have all kinds of things made of wood that costs much money, of brass, of iron, and of a stone called marble.

18:13  They have spices and perfume. They have incense and a sweet-smelling oil. They have frankincense and wine and oil. They have fine flour and wheat. They have cows, sheep, horses, and wagons. They have slaves and people to sell.

18:14  The things that your heart wanted are gone from you. All your fine food and clothes are gone from you. You will never find them again.

18:15  The traders will sell these things and got much money from the city. They will stand far away from it because they are afraid of the trouble it is having. They will cry and be sad about it.

18:16  They will say “How terrible for you, you big strong city! You were wearing linen clothes and purple and red clothes. You were shining with gold, fine stones, and pearls.

18:17  In one hour all your great riches are lost.” ‘And all the captains of the boats and all the seamen, the sailors, and all that do business on the sea stood away from it.

18:18  They called out loud when they saw the smoke while it burned. They said, “What city is like that big city?”

18:19  They threw dust on their heads and they called out loud. They cried and were sad. They said, “How terrible for that big city! All the men who had boats on the sea became rich because it was rich. In one hour it is all lost.”

18:20  ‘Be glad for what has happened to it, all you who are in heaven, God’s people, apostles and prophets. God has punished it for what it did to you!’

18:21  Then a strong angel took up a very heavy stone and threw it into the sea. He said, ‘So hard will Babylon the big city be thrown down. It will not be seen again.

18:22  People will not hear music in you again. No harps, no singing, no pipes or horns will ever be heard in you again. No one will make things in you again. The noise of people grinding grain will not be heard in you again.

18:23  No lamp will shine in you again. No one will hear the voice of people being married. Your traders were the big people of the world. All the countries were fooled by your witch doctors.

18:24  The blood of prophets and of God’s people and of all who have been killed on earth was found in that city.’

Chapter 19

19:1  After this I heard a loud sound in heaven. It sounded like many people calling. They said, ‘Praise our God! He saves people. He is great and power belongs to him.

19:2  The way God punishes is true and right. He has punished the bad woman who spoiled the earth with her wrong ways. He has made her pay for the killing of his servants.’

19:3  They said again, ‘Praise God! The smoke where she burns goes up for ever and ever!’

19:4  Then the twenty-four leaders and the four living beings kneeled down. They worshipped God who was sitting on his throne, and they said, ‘Amen! Yes, it is so! Praise God!’

19:5  A voice from the throne said, ‘Praise our God, all his servants, all who respect and honour him: you who are great and you who are not great, praise him!’

19:6  Then I heard a sound in heaven. It sounded like many people and much water flowing and like loud thunder. They said, ‘Praise God! The Lord our God, who has all power, rules!

19:7  We will be glad and very happy! We will praise him. The time has come for the Lamb to marry. The woman who will marry him is ready.

19:8  She was given the right to wear fine linen, shining and clean.’ The fine linen means the good things God’s people have done.

19:9  The angel said to me, ‘Write this: God blesses those who are called to come to the wedding feast of the Lamb.’ And he said to me, ‘These are the true words of God.’

19:10  Then I kneeled down in front of him to worship him. But he said to me, ‘You must not do that! I am only a servant like you and like your brothers who tell about Jesus. Worship God! Those who tell about Jesus have the spirit of a prophet.’

19:11  Then I saw heaven open, and I saw a white horse! The One who rode him is called ‘One who can be Trusted’ and ‘The True One’. He punishes and makes war in the right way.

19:12  His eyes were like a flame of fire. On his head were many crowns. He had a name written on him, but no man knew what it was but he himself.

19:13  He wore clothes that had been dipped in blood. His name is ‘The Word of God’.

19:14  The armies of heaven followed him on white horses and they were dressed in fine linen, shining and clean.

19:15  A long knife or sword comes from his mouth. With it he will punish and control the people of the nations. He will rule them with an iron stick. He is like the winepress that presses the water out of the fruit. It is the place where God, who has all power, shows his great anger.

19:16  A name is written on his clothes and on his leg: it is King of kings, and Lord of lords.

19:17  I saw an angel standing in the sun. He called in a loud voice to all the birds that fly across the sky. He said, ‘Come, gather for God’s big feast.

19:18  Come to eat the bodies of kings, the bodies of captains, the bodies of strong men, the bodies of horses and those who ride them, the bodies of all free men and of slaves, those who are great and those who are not great.’

19:19  I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies. They were gathered to fight against the One riding the horse and his army.

19:20  Then the beast was caught and the prophet who is not true was caught. The prophet had done big works for the beast to see. By the things which he did, he had fooled the people who had the mark of the beast and who worshipped its idol. The beast and the prophet were thrown alive into the big fire which burns with dust that chokes people.

19:21  Their armies were killed by the man riding the horse. He killed them with the sword that came out of his mouth. All the birds ate all they wanted of their dead bodies.

Chapter 20

20:1  Then I saw an angel coming down from the sky. In his hand he had the key to the big hole that has no bottom, and a big chain.

20:2  He caught the dragon, that old snake who is called the devil and Satan. The angel tied him for a thousand years.

20:3  Then the angel threw him into the big hole that has no bottom. He shut it and locked him in. He did this so that the devil would not fool the nations again until the end of the thousand years. After that, the devil will be let free for a short time.

20:4  Then I saw thrones. Those who sat on them were given the right to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had their heads cut off because they told about Jesus and God’s word. They had not worshipped the beast or its idol. And they had not taken its mark on their foreheads or on their hands. They became alive again and ruled with Christ for a thousand years.

20:5  The other dead people did not live again until the end of the thousand years. This is the first rising from death.

20:6  God has blessed those who rise this first time, and they are holy. They will not die the second kind of death. But they will be priests of God and of Christ. They will rule with him for the thousand years.

20:7  When the end of the thousand years comes, Satan will be set free from his prison.

20:8  He will go out to fool the nations all over the world. He will fool Gog and Magog. He will gather them to fight. They are many, as many as the sand on the seashore.

20:9  They marched far over the earth. They went all around the camp of God’s people and the city his people loved. Then fire came down from the sky and burned them.

20:10  The devil who fooled them was thrown into the big fire which burns with dust that chokes people. The animal, and the prophet who is not true, were already in the fire. They will have a very hard time day and night, for ever and ever.

20:11  Then I saw a big white throne and the person sitting on it. The earth and sky went away from him. They were not there any more.

20:12  I saw the dead people, those who were great and those not great. They were standing in front of God’s throne. Some books were opened. And another book was opened which is the book of life. The dead people were judged by the things they had done, which were written in the books.

20:13  The dead people in the sea came out. People came out of death and the world of the dead. One by one, each one was judged by the things he had done.

20:14  Then death and the world of the dead were thrown into the big fire. This fire is the second death.

20:15  Every person whose name was not written in the book of life was thrown into this big fire.

Chapter 21

21:1  Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The first heaven and the first earth had gone away. There was no sea any more.

21:2  I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. It was all ready and waiting, like a woman dressed for her wedding and ready to meet her husband.

21:3  I heard a loud voice in heaven. It said, ‘Look! God’s house is now set up among the people. God will live with them. They will be his people and God himself will be with them.

21:4  He will wipe every tear from their eyes. No one will die. No one will ever cry or be sad for any reason. No one will ever have trouble. The old things are gone.’

21:5  The One who sat on the throne said, ‘Look, I make all things new.’ And he said, ‘Write this, because these words can be trusted. They are true.’

21:6  He said to me, ‘It is finished! I am the First and the Last! I am the Beginning and the End. I will give the river of water that gives life to those who are thirsty. It will cost no money.

21:7  The one who wins will have these things. I will be his God and he will be my son.

21:8  Some people will be thrown into the big fire which burns with sulphur dust that chokes people. These are the people: those who give in to fear, those who do not believe, those who are bad, those who kill, those with wrong ways of using sex, the witch-doctors, those who worship idols, and all those who love lies. That fire is the second death.’

21:9  Then one of the seven angels who carried the seven bowls full of the last troubles came and talked to me. He said, ‘Come, I will show you the young woman who is the wife of the Lamb.’

21:10  The angel took me away in the Spirit to a very big hill. He showed me Jerusalem, the holy city, coming down out of heaven from God.

21:11  The light of God was shining from it. It was bright like a very fine stone called jasper. It was as clear as glass.

21:12  The city had a wall that was big and high. It had twelve doors. At the doors were twelve angels. Names were written on the doors. They are the names of the twelve tribes of the people of Israel.

21:13  There were three doors on the east side. There were three doors on the north side. There were three doors on the south side and three doors on the west side.

21:14  The wall of the city had twelve foundation stones. On them were written the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

21:15  The angel who talked to me had a gold stick to measure the city, its doors, and its walls.

21:16  The city is square. It is as long as it is wide. The angel measured the city with his stick and it was about fifteen hundred miles. It is as long as it is wide and as high as it is long.

21:17  Then he measured its wall. It was two hundred and sixteen feet by the way a man measures. That is the way the angel measured.

21:18  The wall of the city was made of a very fine stone called jasper. The city was all made of pure gold. It was clear like glass.

21:19  The bottom of the city wall was covered with all kinds of fine stones. The first stone was red jasper. The second stone was blue sapphire. The third stone was of many colours called agate. The fourth stone was green emerald.

21:20  The fifth stone was onyx. The sixth stone was red carnelian. The seventh stone was green crysolite. The eighth stone was green beryl. The ninth stone was yellow topaz. The tenth stone was green chrysoprase. The eleventh stone was red jacinth. And the twelfth stone was a blue amethyst.

21:21  The twelve doors were twelve pearls. Each door was made from one big pearl. The street of the city was all pure gold. It was as clear as glass.

21:22  I did not see any temple in the city. The Lord God, who has all power, and the Lamb, are its temple.

21:23  The city does not need the sun or the moon to give light in it. The glory of God gives light, and the Lamb is its lamp.

21:24  Those who are saved will walk in its light. The kings of the earth will bring their glory into it.

21:25  The doors of the city will never be shut in the day time, and there will be no night.

21:26  The glory and the honour of all nations will be brought into the city.

21:27  Nothing that is not holy will ever go in. People who do wrong things and tell lies will never go in. Only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life will go in.

Chapter 22

22:1  Then the angel showed me a river of the water which gives life. It was as clear as glass. It flows from the throne of God and the Lamb.

22:2  It flows through the middle of the street of the city. On each side of the river is the tree which gives life. It has twelve kinds of fruit, and it bears its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree could heal the people of all nations.

22:3  Nothing that God hates will be in the city any more. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be there. And his servants will serve him.

22:4  They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.

22:5  There will be no night there. They do not need the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun. The Lord God will give them light. They will rule for ever and ever.

22:6  Then the angel said to me, ‘These words can be trusted. They are true. The Lord God who gave his Spirit to the prophets has sent his angel to show his servants what must happen soon.’

22:7  ‘Look! I will come soon!’ God will bless the person who obeys the words in this book.

22:8  I, John, heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them I kneeled down to worship in front of the angel who showed them to me.

22:9  But He said to me, ‘You must not do that. I am only a servant like you and your brothers, the prophets, and those who obey the words of this book. Worship God.’

22:10  The angel said to me, ‘Do not keep secret the words of God’s message in this book. The time is near.

22:11  Let the bad man keep on doing wrong things. Let the person who does dirty things, keep on being dirty. Let the good person keep on doing what is good. Let the holy person keep on being holy.’

22:12  ‘Look, I will come soon! When I come, I will pay every man for what he has done.

22:13  I am the First and the Last. I am the Beginning and the End.’

22:14  God will bless the people who do what he says and keep themselves pure and clean. They can eat fruit from the tree that gives life. And they can go through the doors into the city.

22:15  Outside the city are the dirty people, and the witch-doctors, and those with wrong ways of using sex, those who kill people, those who worship idols, and all those who like lies and tell them.

22:16  ‘I, Jesus, have sent my angel to tell these things to you in the churches. I am the root and the branch of David. I am the bright star in the morning.’

22:17  The Spirit and the Lamb’s wife say, ‘Come.’ He who hears should say, ‘Come.’ He who is thirsty should come. Anyone who wishes should drink the water that gives life. It costs no money.

22:18  I am talking to everyone who hears the words of God’s message in this book. If any one adds anything to this book, God will add to him the troubles that are written in this book.

22:19  If any one takes away any of the words of God’s message, God will take away from him his share of the tree which gives life and the holy city. This book tells about them.

22:20  He who shows these things says, ‘Yes, I will come soon.’ Amen, Lord Jesus, come!

22:21  May the love and mercy of the Lord Jesus bless you all. Amen.