Weymouth New Testament in Modern Speech, Revelation Part 3

017:010 And they are seven kings: five of them have fallen, and the one is still reigning. The seventh has not yet come, but when he comes he must continue for a short time.

017:011 And the Wild Beast which once existed but does not now exist-- he is an eighth king and yet is one of the seven and he goes his way into perdition.

017:012 "And the ten horns which you have seen are ten kings who have not yet come to the throne, but for a single hour they are to receive authority as kings along with the Wild Beast.

017:013 They have one common policy, and they are to give their power and authority to the Wild Beast.

017:014 They will make war upon the Lamb, and the Lamb will triumph over them; for He is Lord of lords and King of kings.

And those who accompany Him--called, as they are, and chosen, and faithful--shall share in the victory."

017:015 He also said to me, "The waters which you have seen, on which the Harlot sits, are peoples and mult.i.tudes, nations and languages.

017:016 And the ten horns that you have seen--and the Wild Beast-- these will hate the Harlot, and they will cause her to be laid waste and will strip her bare. They will eat her flesh, and burn her up with fire.

017:017 For G.o.d has put it into their hearts to carry out His purpose, and to carry out a common purpose and to give their kingdom to the Wild Beast until G.o.d's words have come to pa.s.s.

017:018 And the woman whom you have seen is the great city which has kingly power over the kings of the earth."

018:001 After these things I saw another angel coming down from Heaven, armed with great power. The earth shone with his splendor, 018:002 and with a mighty voice he cried out, saying, "Great Babylon has fallen, has fallen, and has become a home for demons and a stronghold for every kind of foul spirit and for every kind of foul and hateful bird.

018:003 For all the nations have drunk the wine of the anger provoked by her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown rich through her excessive luxury."

018:004 Then I heard another voice from Heaven, which said, "Come out of her, My people, that you may not become partakers in her sins, nor receive a share of her plagues.

018:005 For her sins are piled up to the sky, and G.o.d has called to mind her unrighteous deeds.

018:006 Give back to her as she has given; repay her in accordance with her doings, twice as much; in the bowl that she has mixed, mix twice as much for her.

018:007 She has freely glorified herself and revelled in luxury; equally freely administer torment to her, and woe.

For in her heart she boasts, saying, 'I sit enthroned as Queen: no widow am I: I shall never know sorrow.'

018:008 "For this reason calamities shall come thick upon her on a single day-- death and sorrow and famine--and she shall be burned to the ground.

For strong is the Lord G.o.d who has judged her.

018:009 The kings of the earth who have committed fornication with her, and have revelled in luxury, shall weep aloud and lament over her when they see the smoke of her burning, 018:010 while they stand afar off because of their terror at her heavy punishment, and say, 'Alas, alas, thou great city, O Babylon, the mighty city! For in one short hour thy doom has come!'

018:011 And the merchants of the earth weep aloud and lament over her, because now there is no sale for their cargoes-- 018:012 cargoes of gold and silver, of jewels and pearls, of fine linen, purple and silk, and of scarlet stuff; all kinds of rare woods, and all kinds of goods in ivory and in very costly wood, in bronze, steel and marble.

018:013 Also cinnamon and amomum; odors to burn as incense or for perfume; frankincense, wine, oil; fine flour, wheat, cattle and sheep; horses and carriages and slaves; and the lives of men.

018:014 The dainties that thy soul longed for are gone from thee, and all thine elegance and splendor have perished, and never again shall they be found.

018:015 Those who traded in these things, who grew wealthy through her, will stand afar off, struck with terror at her punishment, 018:016 weeping aloud and sorrowing, and saying, 'Alas, alas, for this great city, which was brilliantly arrayed in fine linen, and purple and scarlet stuff, and beautified with gold, jewels and pearls; 018:017 because in one short hour all this great wealth has been laid waste!'

And every s.h.i.+pmaster and every pa.s.senger by sea and the crews and all who ply their trade on the sea, 018:018 stood afar off, and cried aloud when they saw the smoke of her burning. And they said, 'What city is like this great city?'

018:019 And they threw dust upon their heads, and cried out, weeping aloud and sorrowing. 'Alas, alas,' they said, 'for this great city, in which, through her vast wealth, the owners of all the s.h.i.+ps on the sea have grown rich; because in one short hour she has been laid waste!'

018:020 Rejoice over her, O Heaven, and you saints and Apostles and Prophets; for G.o.d has taken vengeance upon her because of you."

018:021 Then a single angel of great strength took a stone which resembled a huge millstone, and hurled it into the sea, saying, "So shall Babylon, that great city, be violently hurled down and never again be found.

018:022 No harp or song, no flute or trumpet, shall ever again be heard in thee; no craftsman of any kind shall ever again be found in thee; nor shall the grinding of the mill ever again be heard in thee.

018:023 Never again shall the light of a lamp s.h.i.+ne in thee, and never again shall the voice of a bridegroom or of a bride be heard in thee.

For thy merchants were the great men of the earth, and with the magic which thou didst practise all nations were led astray.

018:024 And in her was found the blood of Prophets and of G.o.d's people and of all who had been put to death on the earth."

019:001 After this I seemed to hear the far-echoing voices of a great mult.i.tude in Heaven, who said, "Hallelujah! The salvation and the glory and the power belong to our G.o.d.

019:002 True and just are His judgments, because He has judged the great Harlot who was corrupting the whole earth with her fornication, and He has taken vengeance for the blood of His bondservants which her hands have shed."

019:003 And a second time they said, "Hallelujah! For her smoke ascends until the Ages of the Ages."

019:004 And the twenty-four Elders and the four living creatures fell down and wors.h.i.+pped G.o.d who sits upon the throne.

"Even so," they said; "Hallelujah!"

019:005 And from the throne there came a voice which said, "Praise our G.o.d, all you His bondservants--you who fear Him, both the small and the great."

019:006 And I seemed to hear the voices of a great mult.i.tude and the sound of many waters and of loud peals of thunder, which said, "Hallelujah! Because the Lord our G.o.d, the Ruler of all, has become King.

019:007 Let us rejoice and triumph and give Him the glory; for the time for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His Bride has made herself ready."

019:008 And she was permitted to array herself in fine linen, s.h.i.+ning and spotless; the fine linen being the righteous actions of G.o.d's people.

019:009 And he said to me, "Write as follows: 'Blessed are those who receive an invitation to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.'"

And he added, still addressing me, "These are truly the words of G.o.d."

019:010 Then I fell at his feet to wors.h.i.+p him. But he exclaimed, "Oh, do not do that. I am a fellow bondservant of yours and a fellow bondservant of your brethren who have borne testimony to Jesus. Wors.h.i.+p G.o.d." Testimony to Jesus is the spirit which underlies Prophecy.

019:011 Then I saw a door open in Heaven, and a white horse appeared.

Its rider was named "Faithful and True"--being One who in righteousness acts as Judge, and makes war.

019:012 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many kingly crowns; and He has a name written upon Him which no one but He Himself knows.

019:013 The outer garment in which He is clad has been dipped in blood and His name is THE WORD OF G.o.d.

019:014 The armies in Heaven followed Him--mounted on white horses and clothed in fine linen, white and spotless.

019:015 From His mouth there comes a sharp sword with which He will smite the nations; and He will Himself be their Shepherd, ruling them with a scepter of iron; and it is His work to tread the winepress of the fierce anger of G.o.d, the Ruler of all.

019:016 And on His outer garment and on His thigh He has a name written, KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

019:017 And I saw a single angel standing in the full light of the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds that flew across the sky, "Come and be present at G.o.d's great supper, 019:018 that you may feast on the flesh of kings and the flesh of generals and the flesh of mighty men, on the flesh of horses and their riders, and on the flesh of all mankind, whether they are free men or slaves, great men or small."

019:019 And I saw the Wild Beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, all a.s.sembled to make war, once for all, against the Rider upon the horse and against His army.

And the Wild Beast was captured, and with him the false Prophet 019:020 who had done the miracles in his presence with which he had led astray those who had received the mark of the Wild Beast, and those who wors.h.i.+pped his statue. Both of them were thrown alive into the Lake of fire that was all ablaze with sulphur.

019:021 But the rest were killed with the sword that came from the mouth of the Rider on the horse. And the birds all fed ravenously upon their flesh.

020:001 Then I saw an angel coming down from Heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit, and upon his arm he carried a great chain.

020:002 He laid hold of the Dragon--the ancient serpent--who is the Devil and the Adversary, and bound him for a thousand years, and hurled him into the bottomless pit.

020:003 He closed the entrance and put a seal upon him in order that he might be unable to lead the nations astray any more until the thousand years were at an end.

Afterwards he is to be set at liberty for a short time.

020:004 And I saw thrones, and some who were seated on them, to whom judgment was entrusted. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded on account of the testimony that they had borne to Jesus and on account of G.o.d's Message, and also the souls of those who had not wors.h.i.+pped the Wild Beast or his statue, nor received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands; and they came to Life and were kings with Christ for a thousand years.

020:005 No one else who was dead rose to Life until the thousand years were at an end. This is the First Resurrection.

020:006 Blessed and holy are those who share in the First Resurrection.

The Second Death has no power over them, but they shall be priests to G.o.d and to Christ, and shall be kings with Christ for the thousand years.

020:007 But when the thousand years are at an end, the Adversary will be released from his imprisonment, 020:008 and will go out to lead astray the nations in all the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, and a.s.semble them for war, and they are like the sands on the seash.o.r.e in number.

020:009 And they went up over the whole breadth of the earth and surrounded the encampment of G.o.d's people and the beloved city.

But fire came down from Heaven and consumed them; 020:010 and the Devil, who had been leading them astray, was thrown into the Lake of fire and sulphur where the Wild Beast and the false Prophet were, and day and night they will suffer torture until the Ages of the Ages.

020:011 Then I saw a great white throne and One who was seated on it, from whose presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them.

020:012 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing in front of the throne. And books were opened; and so was another book--namely, the Book of Life; and the dead were judged by the things recorded in the books in accordance with what their conduct had been.

020:013 Then the sea yielded up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades yielded up the dead who were in them, and each man was judged in accordance with what his conduct had been.

020:014 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the Lake of fire; this is the Second Death--the Lake of fire.

020:015 And if any one's name was not found recorded in the Book of Life he was thrown into the Lake of fire.

021:001 And I saw a new Heaven and a new earth; for the first Heaven and the first earth were gone, and the sea no longer exists.

021:002 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of Heaven from G.o.d and made ready like a bride attired to meet her husband.

021:003 And I heard a loud voice, which came from the throne, say, "G.o.d's dwelling place is among men and He will dwell among them and they shall be His peoples. Yes, G.o.d Himself will be among them.

021:004 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death shall be no more; nor sorrow, nor wail of woe, nor pain; for the first things have pa.s.sed away."

021:005 Then He who was seated on the throne said, "I am re-creating all things." And He added, "Write down these words, for they are trustworthy and true."

021:006 He also said, "They have now been fulfilled.

I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.

To those who are thirsty I will give the privilege of drinking from the well of the Water of Life without payment.

021:007 All this shall be the heritage of him who overcomes, and I will be his G.o.d and he shall be one of My sons.

021:008 But as for cowards and the unfaithful, and the polluted, and murderers, fornicators, and those who practise magic or wors.h.i.+p idols, and all liars--the portion allotted to them shall be in the Lake which burns with fire and sulphur.

This is the Second Death."

021:009 Then there came one of the seven angels who were carrying the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues.

"Come with me," he said, "and I will show you the Bride, the Lamb's wife."

021:010 So in the Spirit he carried me to the top of a vast, lofty mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of Heaven from G.o.d, 021:011 and bringing with it the glory of G.o.d. It shone with a radiance like that of a very precious stone--such as a jasper, bright and transparent.

021:012 It has a wall, ma.s.sive and high, with twelve large gates, and in charge of the gates were twelve angels. And overhead, above the gates, names were inscribed which are those of the twelve tribes of the descendants of Israel.

021:013 There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south, and three on the west.

021:014 The wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and engraved upon them were twelve names--the names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb.

021:015 Now he who was speaking to me had a measuring-rod of gold, with which to measure the city and its gates and its wall.

021:016 The plan of the city is a square, the length being the same as the breadth; and he measured the city furlong by furlong, with his measuring rod--it is twelve hundred miles long, and the length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.

021:017 And he measured the wall of it--a wall of a hundred and forty-four cubits, according to human measure, which was also that of the angel.

021:018 The solid fabric of the wall was jasper; and the city itself was made of gold, resembling transparent gla.s.s.

021:019 As for the foundation-stones of the city wall, which were beautified with various kinds of precious stones, the first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, 021:020 the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst.

021:021 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; each of them consisting of a single pearl. And the main street of the city was made of pure gold, resembling transparent gla.s.s.

021:022 I saw no sanctuary in the city, for the Lord G.o.d, the Ruler of all, is its Sanctuary, and so is the Lamb.

021:023 Nor has the city any need of the sun or of the moon, to give it light; for the glory of G.o.d has shone upon it and its lamp is the Lamb.

021:024 The nations will live their lives by its light; and the kings of the earth are to bring their glory into it.

021:025 And in the daytime (for there will be no night there) the gates will never be closed; 021:026 and the glory and honor of the nations shall be brought into it.

021:027 And no unclean thing shall ever enter it, nor any one who is guilty of base conduct or tells lies, but only they whose names stand recorded in the Lamb's Book of Life.

022:001 Then he showed me the river of the Water of Life, bright as crystal, issuing from the throne of G.o.d and of the Lamb.