The Healing at the Pool

5 Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals. ² Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate^(A) a pool, which in Aramaic^(B) is called Bethesda^[a] and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. ³ Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. ^{[4] [b] 5} One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. ⁶ When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”

⁷ “Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.”

⁸ Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.”^{(C) 9} At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.

The day on which this took place was a Sabbath,^{(D) 10} and so the Jewish leaders^(E) said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat.”^(F)

¹¹ But he replied, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’ ”

¹² So they asked him, “Who is this fellow who told you to pick it up and walk?”

¹³ The man who was healed had no idea who it was, for Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there.

¹⁴ Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning^(G) or something worse may happen to you.” ¹⁵ The man went away and told the Jewish leaders^(H) that it was Jesus who had made him well.

The Authority of the Son

¹⁶ So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began to persecute him. ¹⁷ In his defense Jesus said to them, “My Father^(I) is always at his work^(J) to this very day, and I too am working.” ¹⁸ For this reason they tried all the more to kill him;^(K) not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.^(L)

²² “Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth^(A) was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs,^(B) which God did among you through him,^(C) as you yourselves know. ²³ This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge;^(D) and you, with the help of wicked men,^[a] put him to death by nailing him to the cross.^(E)

³ And I will appoint my two witnesses,^(A) and they will prophesy for 1,260 days,^(B) clothed in sackcloth.”^{(C) 4} They are “the two olive trees”^(D) and the two lampstands, and “they stand before the Lord of the earth.”^{[a](E) 5} If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies.^(F) This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die.^{(G) 6} They have power to shut up the heavens^(H) so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying;^(I) and they have power to turn the waters into blood^(J) and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want.

⁷ Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast^(K) that comes up from the Abyss^(L) will attack them,^(M) and overpower and kill them. ⁸ Their bodies will lie in the public square of the great city^(N)—which is figuratively called Sodom^(O) and Egypt—where also their Lord was crucified.^{(P) 9} For three and a half days some from every people, tribe, language and nation^(Q) will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial.^{(R) 10} The inhabitants of the earth^(S) will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts,^(T) because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth.

¹¹ But after the three and a half days^(U) the breath^[b] of life from God entered them,^(V) and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them. ¹² Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.”^(W) And they went up to heaven in a cloud,^(X) while their enemies looked on.

¹³ At that very hour there was a severe earthquake^(Y) and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the survivors were terrified and gave glory^(Z) to the God of heaven.^(AA)

⁶ Blessed^(A) and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death^(B) has no power over them, but they will be priests^(C) of God and of Christ and will reign with him^(D) for a thousand years.

The Judgment of Satan

⁷ When the thousand years are over,^(E) Satan will be released from his prison ⁸ and will go out to deceive the nations^(F) in the four corners of the earth^(G)—Gog and Magog^(H)—and to gather them for battle.^(I) In number they are like the sand on the seashore.^{(J) 9} They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded^(K) the camp of God’s people, the city he loves.^(L) But fire came down from heaven^(M) and devoured them. ¹⁰ And the devil, who deceived them,^(N) was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur,^(O) where the beast^(P) and the false prophet^(Q) had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.^(R)

The Judgment of the Dead

¹¹ Then I saw a great white throne^(S) and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence,^(T) and there was no place for them. ¹² And I saw the dead, great and small,^(U) standing before the throne, and books were opened.^(V) Another book was opened, which is the book of life.^(W) The dead were judged^(X) according to what they had done^(Y) as recorded in the books. ¹³ The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades^(Z) gave up the dead^(AA) that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done.^{(AB) 14} Then death^(AC) and Hades^(AD) were thrown into the lake of fire.^(AE) The lake of fire is the second death.^{(AF) 15} Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life^(AG) was thrown into the lake of fire.