# verses

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Then I heard a mighty voice from the Temple say to the seven angels, <t>“Go your ways and pour out on the earth the seven bowls containing God’s wrath.”</t>


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<pb/>So the first angel left the Temple and poured out his bowl on the earth, and horrible, malignant sores broke out on everyone who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his statue.


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<pb/>Then the second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it became like the blood of a corpse. And everything in the sea died.


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<pb/>And I heard the angel who had authority over all water saying, “You are just, O Holy One, who is and who always was, because you have sent these judgments.


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Since they shed the blood of your holy people and your prophets, you have given them blood to drink. It is their just reward.”</t>


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<t>And I heard a voice from the altar, saying, “Yes, O Lord God, the Almighty, your judgments are true and just.”</t>


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<pb/><t>Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, causing it to scorch everyone with its fire.</t>


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<pb/>Everyone was burned by this blast of heat, and they cursed the name of God, who had control over all these plagues. They did not repent of their sins and turn to God and give him glory.


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Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was plunged into darkness. His subjects ground their teeth in anguish,


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<pb/>and they cursed the God of heaven for their pains and sores. But they did not repent of their evil deeds and turn to God.


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Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great Euphrates River, and it dried up so that the kings from the east could march their armies toward the west without hindrance.


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<pb/>And I saw three evil spirits that looked like frogs leap from the mouths of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet.


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They are demonic spirits who work miracles and go out to all the rulers of the world to gather them for battle against the Lord on that great judgment day of God the Almighty.


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<J>“Look, I will come as unexpectedly as a thief! Blessed are all who are watching for me, who keep their clothing ready so they will not have to walk around naked and ashamed.”</t></J>


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And the demonic spirits gathered all the rulers and their armies to a place with the Hebrew name Armageddon.


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Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air. And a mighty shout came from the throne in the Temple, saying, <t>“It is finished!”</t>


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<pb/>Then the thunder crashed and rolled, and lightning flashed. And a great earthquake struck—the worst since people were placed on the earth.


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The great city of Babylon split into three sections, and the cities of many nations fell into heaps of rubble. So God remembered all of Babylon’s sins, and he made her drink the cup that was filled with the wine of his fierce wrath.


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There was a terrible hailstorm, and hailstones weighing as much as seventy-five pounds fell from the sky onto the people below. They cursed God because of the terrible plague of the hailstorm.


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<pb/>The Great Prostitute One of the seven angels who had poured out the seven bowls came over and spoke to me. “Come with me,” he said, “and I will show you the judgment that is going to come on the great prostitute, who rules over many waters.


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The kings of the world have committed adultery with her, and the people who belong to this world have been made drunk by the wine of her immorality.”</t>


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So the angel took me in the Spirit into the wilderness. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that had seven heads and ten horns, and blasphemies against God were written all over it.


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The woman wore purple and scarlet clothing and beautiful jewelry made of gold and precious gems and pearls. In her hand she held a gold goblet full of obscenities and the impurities of her immorality.


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A mysterious name was written on her forehead: <t>“Babylon the Great, Mother of All Prostitutes and Obscenities in the World.”</t>


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I could see that she was drunk—drunk with the blood of God’s holy people who were witnesses for Jesus. I stared at her in complete amazement.


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“Why are you so amazed?”</t> the angel asked. <t>“I will tell you the mystery of this woman and of the beast with seven heads and ten horns on which she sits.


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The beast you saw was once alive but isn’t now. And yet he will soon come up out of the bottomless pit and go to eternal destruction. And the people who belong to this world, whose names were not written in the Book of Life before the world was made, will be amazed at the reappearance of this beast who had died.


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“This calls for a mind with understanding: The seven heads of the beast represent the seven hills where the woman rules. They also represent seven kings.


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Five kings have already fallen, the sixth now reigns, and the seventh is yet to come, but his reign will be brief.


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“The scarlet beast that was, but is no longer, is the eighth king. He is like the other seven, and he, too, is headed for destruction.


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The ten horns of the beast are ten kings who have not yet risen to power. They will be appointed to their kingdoms for one brief moment to reign with the beast.


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Together they will go to war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will defeat them because he is Lord of all lords and King of all kings. And his called and chosen and faithful ones will be with him.”</t>


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<pb/>Then the angel said to me, “The waters where the prostitute is ruling represent masses of people of every nation and language.


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The scarlet beast and his ten horns all hate the prostitute. They will strip her naked, eat her flesh, and burn her remains with fire.


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For God has put a plan into their minds, a plan that will carry out his purposes. They will agree to give their authority to the scarlet beast, and so the words of God will be fulfilled.


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And this woman you saw in your vision represents the great city that rules over the kings of the world.”</t>


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<pb/>The Fall of Babylon After all this I saw another angel come down from heaven with great authority, and the earth grew bright with his splendor.


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He gave a mighty shout: <t>“Babylon is fallen—that great city is fallen! She has become a home for demons. She is a hideout for every foul spirit, a hideout for every foul vulture and every foul and dreadful animal.</t>


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<t>For all the nations have fallen because of the wine of her passionate immorality. The kings of the world have committed adultery with her. Because of her desires for extravagant luxury, the merchants of the world have grown rich.”</t>


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<pb/>Then I heard another voice calling from heaven, <t>“Come away from her, my people. Do not take part in her sins, or you will be punished with her.</t>


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<t>Do to her as she has done to others. Double her penalty for all her evil deeds. She brewed a cup of terror for others, so brew twice as much for her.</t>


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<t>She glorified herself and lived in luxury, so match it now with torment and sorrow. She boasted in her heart, ‘I am queen on my throne. I am no helpless widow, and I have no reason to mourn.’</t>


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<t>Therefore, these plagues will overtake her in a single day— death and mourning and famine. She will be completely consumed by fire, for the Lord God who judges her is mighty.”</t>


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<pb/>And the kings of the world who committed adultery with her and enjoyed her great luxury will mourn for her as they see the smoke rising from her charred remains.


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They will stand at a distance, terrified by her great torment. They will cry out, <t>“How terrible, how terrible for you, O Babylon, you great city! In a single moment God’s judgment came on you.”</t>


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<pb/>The merchants of the world will weep and mourn for her, for there is no one left to buy their goods.


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She bought great quantities of gold, silver, jewels, and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk, and scarlet cloth; things made of fragrant thyine wood, ivory goods, and objects made of expensive wood; and bronze, iron, and marble.


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She also bought cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, olive oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle, sheep, horses, wagons, and bodies—that is, human slaves.


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<t>“The fancy things you loved so much are gone,” they cry. “All your luxuries and splendor are gone forever, never to be yours again.”</t>


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<pb/>The merchants who became wealthy by selling her these things will stand at a distance, terrified by her great torment. They will weep and cry out,


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<t>“How terrible, how terrible for that great city! She was clothed in finest purple and scarlet linens, decked out with gold and precious stones and pearls!</t>


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<pb/><t>In a single moment all the wealth of the city is gone!”</t> And all the captains of the merchant ships and their passengers and sailors and crews will stand at a distance.


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They will cry out as they watch the smoke ascend, and they will say, <t>“Where is there another city as great as this?”</t>


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And they will weep and throw dust on their heads to show their grief. And they will cry out, <t>“How terrible, how terrible for that great city! The shipowners became wealthy by transporting her great wealth on the seas. In a single moment it is all gone.”</t>


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<t>Rejoice over her fate, O heaven and people of God and apostles and prophets! For at last God has judged her for your sakes.</t>


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<pb/>Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a huge millstone. He threw it into the ocean and shouted, <t>“Just like this, the great city Babylon will be thrown down with violence and will never be found again.</t>


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<t>The sound of harps, singers, flutes, and trumpets will never be heard in you again. No craftsmen and no trades will ever be found in you again. The sound of the mill will never be heard in you again.</t>


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<t>The light of a lamp will never shine in you again. The happy voices of brides and grooms will never be heard in you again. For your merchants were the greatest in the world, and you deceived the nations with your sorceries.</t>


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<t>In your streets flowed the blood of the prophets and of God’s holy people and the blood of people slaughtered all over the world.”</t>


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<pb/>Songs of Victory in Heaven After this, I heard what sounded like a vast crowd in heaven shouting, <t>“Praise the Lord! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God.</t>


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<t>His judgments are true and just. He has punished the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality. He has avenged the murder of his servants.”</t>


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<pb/>And again their voices rang out: <t>“Praise the Lord! The smoke from that city ascends forever and ever!”</t>


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<pb/>Then the twenty-four elders and the four living beings fell down and worshiped God, who was sitting on the throne. They cried out, <t>“Amen! Praise the Lord!”</t>


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<pb/>And from the throne came a voice that said, <t>“Praise our God, all his servants, all who fear him, from the least to the greatest.”</t>


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<pb/>Then I heard again what sounded like the shout of a vast crowd or the roar of mighty ocean waves or the crash of loud thunder: <t>“Praise the Lord! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns.</t>


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<t>Let us be glad and rejoice, and let us give honor to him. For the time has come for the wedding feast of the Lamb, and his bride has prepared herself.</t>


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<t>She has been given the finest of pure white linen to wear.” For the fine linen represents the good deeds of God’s holy people.</t>


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<pb/>And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb.” And he added, “These are true words that come from God.”


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Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said, <t>“No, don’t worship me. I am a servant of God, just like you and your brothers and sisters who testify about their faith in Jesus. Worship only God. For the essence of prophecy is to give a clear witness for Jesus.”</t>


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<pb/>The Rider on the White Horse Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war.


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His eyes were like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him that no one understood except himself.


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<pb/>From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress.


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<pb/>Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, shouting to the vultures flying high in the sky: “Come! Gather together for the great banquet God has prepared.


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Come and eat the flesh of kings, generals, and strong warriors; of horses and their riders; and of all humanity, both free and slave, small and great.”</t>


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Then I saw the beast and the kings of the world and their armies gathered together to fight against the one sitting on the horse and his army.


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And the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who did mighty miracles on behalf of the beast—miracles that deceived all who had accepted the mark of the beast and who worshiped his statue. Both the beast and his false prophet were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.


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Their entire army was killed by the sharp sword that came from the mouth of the one riding the white horse. And the vultures all gorged themselves on the dead bodies.


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<pb/>The Thousand Years Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven with the key to the bottomless pit and a heavy chain in his hand.


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He seized the dragon—that old serpent, who is the devil, Satan—and bound him in chains for a thousand years.


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The angel threw him into the bottomless pit, which he then shut and locked so Satan could not deceive the nations anymore until the thousand years were finished. Afterward he must be released for a little while.


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<pb/>Then I saw thrones, and the people sitting on them had been given the authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony about Jesus and for proclaiming the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his statue, nor accepted his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They all came to life again, and they reigned with Christ for a thousand years.


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This is the first resurrection. (The rest of the dead did not come back to life until the thousand years had ended.)


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Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. For them the second death holds no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him a thousand years.


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<pb/>The Defeat of Satan When the thousand years come to an end, Satan will be let out of his prison.


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He will go out to deceive the nations—called Gog and Magog—in every corner of the earth. He will gather them together for battle—a mighty army, as numberless as sand along the seashore.


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And I saw them as they went up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded God’s people and the beloved city. But fire from heaven came down on the attacking armies and consumed them.


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Then the devil, who had deceived them, was thrown into the fiery lake of burning sulfur, joining the beast and the false prophet. There they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.


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<pb/>The Final Judgment And I saw a great white throne and the one sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from his presence, but they found no place to hide.


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I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God’s throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books.


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The sea gave up its dead, and death and the grave gave up their dead. And all were judged according to their deeds.


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<pb/>The New Jerusalem Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone.


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And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.


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I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, <t>“Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them.


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He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”</t>


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<pb/>And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.”


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And he also said, <t>“It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life.


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All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children.


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“But cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol worshipers, and all liars—their fate is in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”</t>


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<pb/>Then one of the seven angels who held the seven bowls containing the seven last plagues came and said to me, “Come with me! I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.”


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<pb/>So he took me in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and he showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God.


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The city wall was broad and high, with twelve gates guarded by twelve angels. And the names of the twelve tribes of Israel were written on the gates.


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The wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them were written the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.


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<pb/>The angel who talked to me held in his hand a gold measuring stick to measure the city, its gates, and its wall.


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<pb/>When he measured it, he found it was a square, as wide as it was long. In fact, its length and width and height were each 1,400 miles.


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Then he measured the walls and found them to be 216 feet thick (according to the human standard used by the angel).


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The wall of the city was built on foundation stones inlaid with twelve precious stones: the first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald,


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the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst.


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The twelve gates were made of pearls—each gate from a single pearl! And the main street was pure gold, as clear as glass.


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And the city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light.


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The nations will walk in its light, and the kings of the world will enter the city in all their glory.


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Nothing evil will be allowed to enter, nor anyone who practices shameful idolatry and dishonesty—but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.


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<pb/>Then the angel showed me a river with the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb.


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<pb/>It flowed down the center of the main street. On each side of the river grew a tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, with a fresh crop each month. The leaves were used for medicine to heal the nations.


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No longer will there be a curse upon anything. For the throne of God and of the Lamb will be there, and his servants will worship him.


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And there will be no night there—no need for lamps or sun—for the Lord God will shine on them. And they will reign forever and ever.


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<pb/>Then the angel said to me, “Everything you have heard and seen is trustworthy and true. The Lord God, who inspires his prophets, has sent his angel to tell his servants what will happen soon.”


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<J>Jesus Is Coming <t>“Look, I am coming soon! Blessed are those who obey the words of prophecy written in this book.”</t></J>


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<pb/>I, John, am the one who heard and saw all these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me.


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But he said, <t>“No, don’t worship me. I am a servant of God, just like you and your brothers the prophets, as well as all who obey what is written in this book. Worship only God!”</t>


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Let the one who is doing harm continue to do harm; let the one who is vile continue to be vile; let the one who is righteous continue to live righteously; let the one who is holy continue to be holy.”</t>


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<pb/><J>“Look, I am coming soon, bringing my reward with me to repay all people according to their deeds.</J>


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<pb/><J>Blessed are those who wash their robes. They will be permitted to enter through the gates of the city and eat the fruit from the tree of life.</J>


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<J>Outside the city are the dogs—the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idol worshipers, and all who love to live a lie.</J>


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<pb/><J>“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this message for the churches. I am both the source of David and the heir to his throne. I am the bright morning star.”</J>


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The Spirit and the bride say, <t>“Come.”</t> Let anyone who hears this say, <t>“Come.”</t> Let anyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who desires drink freely from the water of life.


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<pb/>And I solemnly declare to everyone who hears the words of prophecy written in this book: If anyone adds anything to what is written here, God will add to that person the plagues described in this book.


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And if anyone removes any of the words from this book of prophecy, God will remove that person’s share in the tree of life and in the holy city that are described in this book.


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<pb/>He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, <J>“Yes, I am coming soon!”</J> Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!


