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

“Yes,” says the Spirit,^(B) “they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.”

⁹ if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials^(A) and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment.^(B)

¹⁰ They called out in a loud voice, “How long,^(A) Sovereign Lord,^(B) holy and true,^(C) until you judge the inhabitants of the earth^(D) and avenge our blood?”^{(E) 11} Then each of them was given a white robe,^(F) and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters,^[a] were killed just as they had been.^(G)

³ Above all, you must understand that in the last days^(A) scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires.^{(B) 4} They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised?^(C) Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.”^{(D) 5} But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word^(E) the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water.^{(F) 6} By these waters also the world of that time^(G) was deluged and destroyed.^{(H) 7} By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire,^(I) being kept for the day of judgment^(J) and destruction of the ungodly.