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Revelation 13-16
Contemporary English Version
Revelation 13-16
Contemporary English Version
The Two Beasts
13 (A) I looked and saw a beast coming up from the sea. This one had ten horns and seven heads, and a crown was on each of its ten horns. On each of its heads were names that were an insult to God. 2 (B) The beast I saw had the body of a leopard, the feet of a bear, and the mouth of a lion. The dragon handed over its own power and throne and great authority to this beast. 3 One of its heads seemed to have been fatally wounded, but now it was well. Everyone on earth marveled at this beast, 4 and they worshiped the dragon who had given its authority to the beast. They also worshiped the beast and said, “No one is like this beast! No one can fight against it.”
5 (C) The beast was allowed to brag and claim to be God, and for 42 months it was allowed to rule. 6 The beast cursed God, and it cursed the name of God. It even cursed the place where God lives, as well as everyone who lives in heaven with God. 7 (D) It was allowed to fight against God's people and defeat them. It was also given authority over the people of every tribe, nation, language, and race. 8 (E) The beast was worshiped by everyone whose name wasn't written before the time of creation in the book of the Lamb who was killed.[a]
9 If you have ears,
then listen!
10 (F) If you are doomed
to be captured,
you will be captured.
If you are doomed
to be killed by a sword,
you will be killed
by a sword.
This means God's people must learn to endure and be faithful!
11 I now saw another beast. This one came out of the ground. It had two horns like a lamb, but spoke like a dragon. 12 It worked for the beast whose fatal wound had been healed. And it used all its authority to force the earth and its people to worship that beast. 13 It worked mighty miracles, and while people watched, it even made fire come down from the sky.
14 This second beast fooled people on earth by working miracles for the first one. Then it talked them into making an idol in the form of the beast that did not die after being wounded by a sword. 15 It was allowed to put breath into the idol, so it could speak. Everyone who refused to worship the idol of the beast was put to death. 16 (G) All people were forced to put a mark on their right hand or forehead. Whether they were powerful or weak, rich or poor, free people or slaves, 17 they all had to have this mark, or else they could not buy or sell anything. This mark stood for the name of the beast and for the number of its name.
18 You need wisdom to understand the number of the beast! But if you are smart enough, you can figure this out. Its number is 666, and it stands for a person.
The Lamb and His 144,000 Followers
14 (H) I looked and saw the Lamb standing on Mount Zion![b] With him were 144,000, who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads. 2 (I) Then I heard a sound from heaven that was like a roaring flood or loud thunder or even like the music of harps. 3 And a new song was being sung in front of God's throne and in front of the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn that song, except the 144,000 who had been rescued from the earth. 4 All of these are pure virgins, and they follow the Lamb wherever he leads. They have been rescued to be presented to God and the Lamb as the most precious people[c] on earth. 5 (J) They never tell lies, and they are innocent.
The Messages of the Three Angels
6 I saw another angel. This one was flying across the sky and had the eternal good news to announce to the people of every race, tribe, language, and nation on earth. 7 The angel shouted, “Worship and honor God! The time has come for him to judge everyone. Kneel down before the one who created heaven and earth, the oceans, and every stream.”
8 (K) A second angel followed and said, “The great city of Babylon has fallen! This is the city that made all nations drunk and immoral. Now God is angry, and Babylon has fallen.”
9 Finally, a third angel came and shouted:
Here is what will happen if you worship the beast and the idol and have the mark of the beast on your hand or forehead. 10 (L) You will have to drink the wine that God gives to everyone who makes him angry. You will feel his mighty anger, and you will be tortured with fire and burning sulfur, while the holy angels and the Lamb look on.
11 (M) If you worship the beast and the idol and accept the mark of its name, you will be tortured day and night. The smoke from your torture will go up forever and ever, and you will never be able to rest.
12 God's people must learn to endure. They must also obey his commands and have faith in Jesus.
13 Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Put this in writing. From now on, the Lord will bless everyone who has faith in him when they die.”
The Spirit answered, “Yes, they will rest from their hard work, and they will be rewarded for what they have done.”
The Earth Is Harvested
14 (N) I looked and saw a bright cloud, and someone who seemed to be the Son of Man[d] was sitting on the cloud. He wore a gold crown on his head and held a sharp sickle[e] in his hand. 15 (O) An angel came out of the temple and shouted, “Start cutting with your sickle! Harvest season is here, and all crops on earth are ripe.” 16 The one on the cloud swung his sickle and harvested the crops.
17 Another angel with a sharp sickle then came out of the temple in heaven. 18 After this, an angel with power over fire came from the altar and shouted to the angel who had the sickle. He said, “All grapes on earth are ripe! Harvest them with your sharp sickle.” 19 The angel swung his sickle on earth and cut off its grapes. He threw them into a pit[f] where they were trampled on as a sign of God's anger. 20 (P) The pit was outside the city, and when the grapes were mashed, blood flowed out. The blood turned into a river that was about 300 kilometers long and almost deep enough to cover a horse.
The Last of the Terrible Troubles
15 After this, I looked at the sky and saw something else that was strange and important. Seven angels were bringing the seven last terrible troubles. When these are ended, God will no longer be angry.
2 Then I saw something that looked like a glass sea mixed with fire, and people were standing on it. They were the ones who had defeated the beast and the idol and the number that tells the name of the beast. God had given them harps, 3 (Q) and they were singing the song his servant Moses and the Lamb had sung. They were singing,
“Lord God All-Powerful,
you have done great
and marvelous things.
You are the ruler
of all nations,
and you do what is
right and fair.
4 (R) Lord, who doesn't honor
and praise your name?
You alone are holy,
and all nations will come
and worship you,
because you have shown
that you judge
with fairness.”
5 (S) After this, I noticed something else in heaven. The sacred tent used for a temple was open. 6 And the seven angels who were bringing the terrible troubles were coming out of it. They were dressed in robes of pure white linen and wore belts made of pure gold. 7 One of the four living creatures gave each of the seven angels a bowl made of gold. These bowls were filled with the anger of God who lives forever and ever. 8 (T) The temple quickly filled with smoke from the glory and power of God. No one could enter it until the seven angels had finished pouring out the seven last troubles.
The Bowls of God's Anger
16 From the temple I heard a voice shout to the seven angels, “Go and empty the seven bowls of God's anger on the earth.”
2 (U) The first angel emptied his bowl on the earth. At once ugly and painful sores broke out on everyone who had the mark of the beast and worshiped the idol.
3 The second angel emptied his bowl on the sea. At once the sea turned into blood like that of a dead person, and every living thing in the sea died.
4 (V) The third angel emptied his bowl into the rivers and streams. At once they turned to blood. 5 Then I heard the angel, who has power over water, say,
“You have always been,
and you always will be
the holy God.
You had the right
to judge in this way.
6 They poured out the blood[g]
of your people
and your prophets.
So you gave them blood
to drink as they deserve!”
7 After this, I heard
the altar shout,
“Yes, Lord God All-Powerful,
your judgments are honest
and fair.”
8 The fourth angel emptied his bowl on the sun, and it began to scorch people like fire. 9 Everyone was scorched by its great heat, and all of them cursed the name of God who had power over these terrible troubles. But no one turned to God and praised him.
10 (W) The fifth angel emptied his bowl on the throne of the beast. At once darkness covered its kingdom, and its people began biting their tongues in pain. 11 And because of their painful sores, they cursed the God who rules in heaven. But still they did not stop doing evil things.
12 (X) The sixth angel emptied his bowl on the great Euphrates River, and it completely dried up to make a road for the kings from the east. 13 An evil spirit that looked like a frog came out of the mouth of the dragon. One also came out of the mouth of the beast, and another out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 These evil spirits had the power to work miracles. They went to every king on earth, to bring them together for a war against God All-Powerful. But that will be the day of God's great victory.
15 (Y) Remember Christ says, “When I come, it will surprise you like a thief! But God will bless you, if you are awake and ready. Then you won't have to walk around naked and be ashamed.”
16 (Z) Those armies came together in a place that in Hebrew is called Armagedon.[h]
17 As soon as the seventh angel emptied his bowl in the air, a loud voice from the throne in the temple shouted, “It's done!” 18 (AA) There were flashes of lightning, roars of thunder, and the worst earthquake in all history. 19 (AB) The great city of Babylon split into three parts, and the cities of other nations fell. So God made Babylon drink from the wine cup filled with his anger. 20 (AC) Every island ran away, and the mountains disappeared. 21 (AD) Hailstones, weighing about 50 kilograms each, fell from the sky on people. Finally, the people cursed God, because the hail was so terrible.
Footnotes
- 13.8 wasn't written … was killed: Or “not written in the book of the Lamb who was killed before the time of creation.”
- 14.1 Mount Zion: Another name for Jerusalem.
- 14.4 the most precious people: The Greek text has “the first people.” The Law of Moses taught that the first-born of all animals and the first part of the harvest were special and belonged to the Lord.
- 14.14 Son of Man: See the note at 1.13.
- 14.14 sickle: A knife with a long curved blade, used to cut grain and other crops.
- 14.19 pit: It was the custom to put grapes in a pit (called a wine press) and trample on them to make juice that would later turn to wine.
- 16.6 They poured out the blood: A way of saying, “They murdered.”
- 16.16 Armagedon: The Hebrew form of the name would be “Har Megiddo,” meaning “Hill of Megiddo,” where many battles were fought in ancient times (see Judges 5.19; 2 Kings 23.29,30).
Revelation 13-16
New International Version
Revelation 13-16
New International Version
The Beast out of the Sea
13 The dragon[a] stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea.(A) It had ten horns and seven heads,(B) with ten crowns on its horns, and on each head a blasphemous name.(C) 2 The beast I saw resembled a leopard,(D) but had feet like those of a bear(E) and a mouth like that of a lion.(F) The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority.(G) 3 One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed.(H) The whole world was filled with wonder(I) and followed the beast. 4 People worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, “Who is like(J) the beast? Who can wage war against it?”
5 The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies(K) and to exercise its authority for forty-two months.(L) 6 It opened its mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven.(M) 7 It was given power to wage war(N) against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And it was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation.(O) 8 All inhabitants of the earth(P) will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life,(Q) the Lamb(R) who was slain from the creation of the world.[b](S)
9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.(T)
10 “If anyone is to go into captivity,
into captivity they will go.
If anyone is to be killed[c] with the sword,
with the sword they will be killed.”[d](U)
This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness(V) on the part of God’s people.(W)
The Beast out of the Earth
11 Then I saw a second beast, coming out of the earth.(X) It had two horns like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon.(Y) 12 It exercised all the authority(Z) of the first beast on its behalf,(AA) and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast,(AB) whose fatal wound had been healed.(AC) 13 And it performed great signs,(AD) even causing fire to come down from heaven(AE) to the earth in full view of the people. 14 Because of the signs(AF) it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived(AG) the inhabitants of the earth.(AH) It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived.(AI) 15 The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship(AJ) the image to be killed.(AK) 16 It also forced all people, great and small,(AL) rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads,(AM) 17 so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark,(AN) which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.(AO)
18 This calls for wisdom.(AP) Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man.[e](AQ) That number is 666.
The Lamb and the 144,000
14 Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb,(AR) standing on Mount Zion,(AS) and with him 144,000(AT) who had his name and his Father’s name(AU) written on their foreheads.(AV) 2 And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters(AW) and like a loud peal of thunder.(AX) The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps.(AY) 3 And they sang a new song(AZ) before the throne and before the four living creatures(BA) and the elders.(BB) No one could learn the song except the 144,000(BC) who had been redeemed from the earth. 4 These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they remained virgins.(BD) They follow the Lamb wherever he goes.(BE) They were purchased from among mankind(BF) and offered as firstfruits(BG) to God and the Lamb. 5 No lie was found in their mouths;(BH) they are blameless.(BI)
The Three Angels
6 Then I saw another angel flying in midair,(BJ) and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth(BK)—to every nation, tribe, language and people.(BL) 7 He said in a loud voice, “Fear God(BM) and give him glory,(BN) because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made(BO) the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.”(BP)
8 A second angel followed and said, “‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great,’[f](BQ) which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries.”(BR)
9 A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast(BS) and its image(BT) and receives its mark on their forehead(BU) or on their hand, 10 they, too, will drink the wine of God’s fury,(BV) which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath.(BW) They will be tormented with burning sulfur(BX) in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment will rise for ever and ever.(BY) There will be no rest day or night(BZ) for those who worship the beast and its image,(CA) or for anyone who receives the mark of its name.”(CB) 12 This calls for patient endurance(CC) on the part of the people of God(CD) who keep his commands(CE) and remain faithful to Jesus.
13 Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord(CF) from now on.”
“Yes,” says the Spirit,(CG) “they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.”
Harvesting the Earth and Trampling the Winepress
14 I looked, and there before me was a white cloud,(CH) and seated on the cloud was one like a son of man[g](CI) with a crown(CJ) of gold on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. 15 Then another angel came out of the temple(CK) and called in a loud voice to him who was sitting on the cloud, “Take your sickle(CL) and reap, because the time to reap has come, for the harvest(CM) of the earth is ripe.” 16 So he who was seated on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested.
17 Another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle.(CN) 18 Still another angel, who had charge of the fire, came from the altar(CO) and called in a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, “Take your sharp sickle(CP) and gather the clusters of grapes from the earth’s vine, because its grapes are ripe.” 19 The angel swung his sickle on the earth, gathered its grapes and threw them into the great winepress of God’s wrath.(CQ) 20 They were trampled in the winepress(CR) outside the city,(CS) and blood(CT) flowed out of the press, rising as high as the horses’ bridles for a distance of 1,600 stadia.[h]
Seven Angels With Seven Plagues
15 I saw in heaven another great and marvelous sign:(CU) seven angels(CV) with the seven last plagues(CW)—last, because with them God’s wrath is completed. 2 And I saw what looked like a sea of glass(CX) glowing with fire and, standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious(CY) over the beast(CZ) and its image(DA) and over the number of its name.(DB) They held harps(DC) given them by God 3 and sang the song of God’s servant(DD) Moses(DE) and of the Lamb:(DF)
“Great and marvelous are your deeds,(DG)
Lord God Almighty.(DH)
Just and true are your ways,(DI)
King of the nations.[i]
4 Who will not fear you, Lord,(DJ)
and bring glory to your name?(DK)
For you alone are holy.
All nations will come
and worship before you,(DL)
for your righteous acts(DM) have been revealed.”[j]
5 After this I looked, and I saw in heaven the temple(DN)—that is, the tabernacle of the covenant law(DO)—and it was opened.(DP) 6 Out of the temple(DQ) came the seven angels with the seven plagues.(DR) They were dressed in clean, shining linen(DS) and wore golden sashes around their chests.(DT) 7 Then one of the four living creatures(DU) gave to the seven angels(DV) seven golden bowls filled with the wrath of God, who lives for ever and ever.(DW) 8 And the temple was filled with smoke(DX) from the glory of God and from his power, and no one could enter the temple(DY) until the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.
The Seven Bowls of God’s Wrath
16 Then I heard a loud voice from the temple(DZ) saying to the seven angels,(EA) “Go, pour out the seven bowls of God’s wrath on the earth.”(EB)
2 The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the land,(EC) and ugly, festering sores(ED) broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image.(EE)
3 The second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it turned into blood like that of a dead person, and every living thing in the sea died.(EF)
4 The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water,(EG) and they became blood.(EH) 5 Then I heard the angel in charge of the waters say:
“You are just in these judgments,(EI) O Holy One,(EJ)
you who are and who were;(EK)
6 for they have shed the blood of your holy people and your prophets,(EL)
and you have given them blood to drink(EM) as they deserve.”
7 And I heard the altar(EN) respond:
8 The fourth angel(EQ) poured out his bowl on the sun,(ER) and the sun was allowed to scorch people with fire.(ES) 9 They were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the name of God,(ET) who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent(EU) and glorify him.(EV)
10 The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast,(EW) and its kingdom was plunged into darkness.(EX) People gnawed their tongues in agony 11 and cursed(EY) the God of heaven(EZ) because of their pains and their sores,(FA) but they refused to repent of what they had done.(FB)
12 The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates,(FC) and its water was dried up to prepare the way(FD) for the kings from the East.(FE) 13 Then I saw three impure spirits(FF) that looked like frogs;(FG) they came out of the mouth of the dragon,(FH) out of the mouth of the beast(FI) and out of the mouth of the false prophet.(FJ) 14 They are demonic spirits(FK) that perform signs,(FL) and they go out to the kings of the whole world,(FM) to gather them for the battle(FN) on the great day(FO) of God Almighty.
15 “Look, I come like a thief!(FP) Blessed is the one who stays awake(FQ) and remains clothed, so as not to go naked and be shamefully exposed.”(FR)
16 Then they gathered the kings together(FS) to the place that in Hebrew(FT) is called Armageddon.(FU)
17 The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air,(FV) and out of the temple(FW) came a loud voice(FX) from the throne, saying, “It is done!”(FY) 18 Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder(FZ) and a severe earthquake.(GA) No earthquake like it has ever occurred since mankind has been on earth,(GB) so tremendous was the quake. 19 The great city(GC) split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. God remembered(GD) Babylon the Great(GE) and gave her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of his wrath.(GF) 20 Every island fled away and the mountains could not be found.(GG) 21 From the sky huge hailstones,(GH) each weighing about a hundred pounds,[k] fell on people. And they cursed God(GI) on account of the plague of hail,(GJ) because the plague was so terrible.
Footnotes
- Revelation 13:1 Some manuscripts And I
- Revelation 13:8 Or written from the creation of the world in the book of life belonging to the Lamb who was slain
- Revelation 13:10 Some manuscripts anyone kills
- Revelation 13:10 Jer. 15:2
- Revelation 13:18 Or is humanity’s number
- Revelation 14:8 Isaiah 21:9
- Revelation 14:14 See Daniel 7:13.
- Revelation 14:20 That is, about 180 miles or about 300 kilometers
- Revelation 15:3 Some manuscripts ages
- Revelation 15:4 Phrases in this song are drawn from Psalm 111:2,3; Deut. 32:4; Jer. 10:7; Psalms 86:9; 98:2.
- Revelation 16:21 Or about 45 kilograms
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