Revelation 16-22

## Contents

* 1 Chapter 16
* 2 Chapter 17
* 3 Chapter 18
* 4 Chapter 19
* 5 Chapter 20
* 6 Chapter 21
* 7 Chapter 22

## Chapter 16[edit]

Verse  | King James Version  | Proposed Conservative Translation  | Analysis

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1  |  And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.  | I heard a great voice out of the Temple, saying to the seven Messengers, "Be on your way and pour out the vials of the rage of God onto the earth!"  |
2  |  And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.  | The first went out and poured out his vial onto the earth. A rash of foul-smelling, painful sores broke out on the men who had the cattle-stamp of the ravener, and on them who were worshipping his statue.  |
3  |  And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.  | The second poured out his vial onto the sea. It turned into post-mortem blood clot matter, and every living thing in the sea died.  |
4  |  And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.  | The third poured out his vial onto the rivers and freshwater springs, and they turned into blood.  |
5  |  And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus.  | I heard the Messenger in charge of the freshwater supplies say, "You are just, O Lord, Who are, and were, and will be, because you have ruled in this way!  |
6  |  For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.  | They have spilled the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink, because they deserve it!"  |
7  |  And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.  | I heard one from the altar saying, "Yes indeed, Lord God Almighty, your verdicts are true and just!"  |
8  |  And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.  | The fourth poured out his vial onto the sun. The sun was then made capable of scorching men with fire.  |
9  |  And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.  | Men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the Name of the God That has authority over these plagues. They didn't get their minds right, nor did they give Him glory.  |
10  |  And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain,  | The fifth poured out his vial on the capital city of the ravener, and his regime became darkened, and people gnawed their tongues from the pain,  |
11  |  And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.  | and blasphemed the God of heaven, blaming Him for their pains and their sores, and did not change their hearts about their deeds.  |
12  |  And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.  | The sixth poured out his vial on the great Euphrates River, and its water was dried up, in order to clear a path for the heads-of-state of the Far East.  |
13  |  And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.  | I saw three frog-like demons coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the ravener, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.  |
14  |  For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.  | These are the spirits of demons, that make miraculous signs and go out to all the heads-of-state of the earth and the entire world, to gather them to the War of the Great Day of God Almighty.  |
15  |  Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.  | "Behold! I am coming like a Thief! Blessed is the one who stays alert, and keeps his clothes on, if he doesn't want to walk naked, and let people see him in a shameful condition!"  |
16  |  And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.  | And he massed them in a place that is called in Hebrew, Armageddon.  | Literally, הרמגדון (Har-mageddon), or the Valley of Megiddo. Napoleon Bonaparte, on surveying this valley during his travels in the Middle East, is rumored to have exclaimed that this would be a wonderful place to have a battle. It is a wide-open space with room to assemble an army larger than has ever before been assembled for a single battle. In fact, many other battles, often decisive battles in Egyptian and Israelite history, have been fought on this site.

The British, in the days of Mandatory Palestine, built Ramat-David Air Force Base in this valley. Today that base is the largest and most important base of the Israeli Air Forces.

17  |  And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.  | And the seventh poured out his vial into the air. A great voice out of the temple, from the throne, said, "It is done!"  |
18  |  And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.  | Lightings, voices, and thunderclaps occurred, and a gret earthquake, such has not been felt since men walked this earth, so terrible was this earthquake.  |
19  |  And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.  | The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the Gentiles were destroyed. Babylon the Great came into the memory of God, Who lashed out at her in the full out-of-control fury of His magisterial indignation.  |
20  |  And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.  | Every island was sunk, and the mountains could not be found.  |
21  |  And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.  | And a great hail fell out of the sky onto men. Every hailstone weighed roughly as much as a backpack-load. Men blasphemed God and blamed Him for the plague of the hail, because this plague was very, very great.  | The literal Greek word is ταλεντον (talenton), the weight that a man could carry on his back. Any rock or hailstone weighing that much would deliver as much energy as would a nuclear device.

## Chapter 17[edit]

Verse  | King James Version  | Proposed Conservative Translation  | Analysis

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1  |  And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:  | One of the seven Messengers who held the seven vials came and talked with me. He told me, "Come here; I will show you the verdict in the case of the great harlot who sits on many waters,  | This is the "Whore of Babylon."
2  |  With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.  | who has had the heads-of-state of the earth as her clients, and those who live on the earth have gotten intoxicated with all her immoral activities and programs."  |
3  |  So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.  | So he carried me away in the Spirit into the desert. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet-colored ravening animal, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.  |
4  |  And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:  | The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and decorated herself with gold and precious gemtones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, full of detestable substances and the unclean products of her immoral acts.  |
5  |  And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.  | On her forehead this name was written: "Secret, Babylon the Great, Mother of Harlots and of Detestable Things from the Earth."  |
6  |  And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.  | I saw that this woman was intoxicated from the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. When I saw her, I got the shock of my life.  | The literal Greek reads "wondered with a great wonder." Greek, like Hebrew, often repeats the same concept for emphasis, which is what it does here.
7  |  And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.  | And the Messenger told me, "Why are you so shocked? I will tell you the secret of the woman, and of that seven-headed and ten-horned wild animal that's carrying her.  |
8  |  The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.  | That wild animal you saw was alive, is now dead, and is about to rise out of the Abyss, and be on his way to utter ruin. They who are living on the earth, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, will be shocked and awed when they see this ravening animal who was alive, is now dead, and yet is still alive.  |
9  |  And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.  | Here is where you need insight: The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman is sitting. They are also seven emperors.  | In the original manuscripts, the phrase "seven kings" is part of this verse, not the one following.
10  |  And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.  | Five of them have died, one is in power right now, and the other hasn't come to power yet, and when he does come to power, he'll remain in power only for a short while.  |
11  |  And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.  | The ravening animal that was alive, and is now dead, is in fact the eighth emperor. He is one of the seven, and is on his way to total ruin.  |
12  |  And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.  | The ten horns you saw are ten heads-of-state, who have not yet received a state to run. They will receive authority aas heads-of-state for one hour along with the ravener.  |
13  |  These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.  | They are unanimous, and will give their power and their authority to the ravener.  |
14  |  These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.  | They will fight a war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will beat them. He is, after all, the Lord of lords, and King of kings, and His companions are called, and chosen, and faithful."  |
15  |  And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.  | And he told me, "The waters you saw, where the harlot is sitting, are peoples, and crowds, and ethnic groups, and languages.  |
16  |  And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.  | The ten horns you saw on the ravener, will hate the harlot and render her desolate and naked. They will eat her flesh and burn her up.  |
17  |  For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.  | Because God has put it into their hearts to accomplish His purpose, to forge an alliance, and to give their sovereignty to the ravener, until everything that God said would happen, does happen.  |
18  |  And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.  | And the woman you saw is the great city that rules imperially over all the heads-of-state of the earth."  |

## Chapter 18[edit]

Verse  | King James Version  | Proposed Conservative Translation  | Analysis

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1  |  And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.  | After this, I saw another Messenger coming down from heaven, having great authority. The earth was made to shine with His glory.  | This is probably yet another manifestation of Jesus Christ.
2  |  And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.  | And He cried with a loud voice: "Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great! She has become the dwelling place of demons, the dungeon of every unclean spirit, and a cage for every unclean and despicable bird!  | The use of the aorist tense, repeated, suggests that the city will fall twice.

Some manuscripts add "and a cage for every unclean beast."

3  |  For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.  | All the ethnic groups have taken part in her wild orgies, and the heads-of-state of the earth have had sexual favors from her, and the merchants of the earth have grown rich through the addictive power of her sensual luxuries!"  |
4  |  And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.  | I heard another voice out of the sky. It said, "Come out of her, My people, so that you will not be mixed up in her sins, and that you not receive any of her plagues!  |
5  |  For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.  | Her sins have reached to the sky, and God has remembered her unjust dealings!  |
6  |  Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.  | Reward her the same way that she rewarded you, and pay her back doubled and redoubled according to her works. Fill her cup double-full!  |
7  |  How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.  | To the extent that she glorified herself, and lived luxuriously, give her just as much torment and sorrow! She says in her heart, 'I sit as a queen, I am not a widow, and I will never be sorry'!  |
8  |  Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.  | For this reason, her plagues will come in one day, death, mourning, and famine. She will be burned up in fire, because the Lord God Who convicts her is mighty!  |
9  |  And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,  | The kings of the earth, her former clients who lived in luxury with her, will weep and mourn for her, when they see the smoke of her burning.  |
10  |  Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.  | They will stand at a distance for fear of her torment, and say, 'Woe! Woe! That great city, Babylon the mighty city! In one hour your verdict has been delivered!  |
11  |  And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:  | "The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, because nobody is buying their wares anymore!  |
12  |  The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble,  | The wares of gold, silver, precious gemstones, and pearls, and fine linen, and purple and silk and scarlet, and all your wood, and all types of ivory vessels, and rare wooden vessels, and of bronze, iron, and marble,  | Some manuscripts replace "wood" with "stone."
13  |  And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.  | and cinnamon, and aromatic spices, and ointments, and myrrh, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine-ground flour, and wheat, and cattle, and sheep, and horses, and four-wheeled vehicles, and the bodies and souls of men.  |
14  |  And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all.  | The fruits that your soul lusted after have left you, and all things that were luxurious and splendid have left you, and you will never find them again!"  |
15  |  The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,  | The merchants of these things, who made themselves rich by her, will stand at a distance for the fear of her torment, weeping and mourning.  |
16  |  And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!  | They will say, "Woe, woe, that great city, that was dressed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decorated with gold, precious stones, and pearls!  |
17  |  For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,  | In one hour such great riches have been laid waste!" And every ship's captain, and all the ships' passengers and crewmen, and all who made their living trading by sea, stood at a distance.  |
18  |  And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city!  | They cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, "Was there ever any city like this city?"  |
19  |  And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.  | They threw dust on their heads, and, while weeping and wailing, they cried, "Woe! Woe! That great city, in which everyone who had ships in the sea grew rich from her expensive tastes! In one hour she is turned into a ghost city!  |
20  |  Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.  | Be glad about her, heaven, and you holy apostles and prophets, because God has awarded you a judgment against her!"  |
21  |  And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.  | And a strong Messenger picked up a stone like a large millstone, and threw it into the sea. He said, "In this way, Babylon the great city will be violently destroyed, and will never be found again!  |
22  |  And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee;  | The sound of harp-players, and musicians, and flutists, and trumpeters, will never be heard in you again! No craftsman, of whatever craft, will be found in you again, and the sound of a millstone will never be heard in you again.  |
23  |  And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.  | The light of a candle will never shine in you again, and the voice of bridegroom and bride will never be heard in you again. Your merchants were the great men of the earth, because all ethnic groups were deceived by means of your drugs of abuse!  | Again the Greek word φαρμακεια (pharmakeia), translated "sorcery" but actually meaning "drug abuse" (specifically, hallucinogen abuse), appears. But another equivalent expression might be, "Everyone drank your cyanide-laced children's drink!"
24  |  And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.  | In her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of everyone that was ever killed on earth!"  |

## Chapter 19[edit]

Verse  | King James Version  | Proposed Conservative Translation  | Analysis

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1  |  And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God:  | After these things, I heard a great voice from many people in heaven, saying, "Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power be to the Lord our God!"  | The Hebrew word הללויה (Hallelujah) literally means, "Let us praise God!"
2  |  For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.  | His verdicts are true and just. He has convicted the great harlot, and has exacted the penalty for the blood of His slaves at her hand!"  |
3  |  And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.  | And they said a second time, "Hallelujah! And her smoke rose up for ever and ever!"  |
4  |  And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.  | The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshipped God Who was sitting on the throne, saying, "Amen! Hallelujah!"  | Which, when translated, means, "So be it! Let us praise God!"
5  |  And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great.  | A voice came from the throne, saying, "Praise our God, all His slaves, and you who fear Him, both small and great!"  |
6  |  And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.  | And I heard a voice like the voice of a great crowd, and the voice of a lot of rushing water, and the voice of loud thunderclaps, saying, "Hallelujah! For the Lord God Almighty is reigning.  |
7  |  Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.  | Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to Him. The wedding of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.  |
8  |  And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.  | To her was granted that she be dressed in fine linen, clean and bright, because the fine linen is the justification of the saints."  |
9  |  And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.  | And he told me, "Write: 'Blessed are they who are invited to the Lamb's wedding reception.'" And he told me, "These are the true sayings of God."  |
10  |  And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.  | I fell at his feet to kiss his feet. And he told me, "Don't do that! I am your fellow slave, and the slave of those who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God. The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."  |
11  |  And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.  | I saw heaven opened, and saw a white horse, and Him Who sat on it, called Faithful and True. In justice he makes both judgment and war.  |
12  |  His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.  | His eyes were like a fiery flame. On his head were many diadems, and he had a name written, that no man knew except Him.  | Only Jesus has the right to wear diadems.
13  |  And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.  | He was dressed in a robe covered with blood. His Name is called the Word of God.  |
14  |  And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.  | The armies in heaven followed him on white horses. They wore fine linen, white and clean.  |
15  |  And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.  | Out of his mouth goes a sharp broadsword, so that he will strike all ethnic groups with it. He will rule them with an iron sceptre, and he is treading the winepress of the rage of the magisterial anger of Almighty God.  |
16  |  And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.  | On his robe and on his thigh was a name written: "King of kings, and Lord of lords."  |
17  |  And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;  | And I saw a Messenger standing in the sun. He cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the middle of the sky, "Come and gather yourselves to the supper of the great God,  |
18  |  That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.  | so that you may eat the flesh of heads-of-state, and the flesh of ranking army officers, and the flesh of warlords, and the flesh of horses and cavalrymen, and the flesh of all men, lawful residents and inmates, small and great!"  |
19  |  And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.  | And I saw the ravener, and the heads-of-state of the earth, and their armies, mustered together to make war against Him Who sat on the horse, and against His army.  |
20  |  And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.  | The ravener was captured, and with him the false prophet that worked signs in front of him, with which he deceived those who had taken the ravener's cattle-brand stamp, and those who worshipped his statue. Both of them were thrown alive into a lake of fire and burning sulfur.  |
21  |  And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.  | The rest were killed with the broadsword belonging to Him Who sat on the horse, the sword issuing from His mouth. All the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.  |

## Chapter 20[edit]

Verse  | King James Version  | Proposed Conservative Translation  | Analysis

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1  |  And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.  | I saw a Messenger coming down from heaven, who held the key of the Abyss and a great chain in his hand.  |
2  |  And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,  | He seized the dragon, the old serpent, that is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years,  |
3  |  And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.  | and threw him into the Abyss, and shut him up, and sealed him in, so that he would never deceive the nations again, until the thousand years had passed. After this, he must be released for a little while.  |
4  |  And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.  | And I saw thrones, and those sitting on them, who were given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony about Jesus, and the Truth of God, and who had not worshipped the ravener or his statue, and had not gotten his cattle-brand-like stamp on their foreheads or in their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.  |
5  |  But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.  | But the rest of the dead did not come back to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the First Resurrection.  |
6  |  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.  | Anyone having a part in the First Resurrection is considered blessed and holy. The second death has no authority over these people. On the contrary, they will be priests of God and of Christ, and will reign with Him for a thousand years.  |
7  |  And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,  | Now when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison.  |
8  |  And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.  | He will go out to deceive the ethnic groups in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, in order to gather them together to fight a war. The number of them will be like the sand of the sea.  |
9  |  And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.  | They went up over the breadth of the earth, and surrounded the camp of the saints, and the beloved city. Then fire came down from heaven and consumed them.  | Some manuscripts say "fire came down from God out of heaven."
10  |  And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.  | The devil that had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and burning sulfur, where the ravener and the false prophet had been thrown, and will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.  |
11  |  And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.  | Then I saw a great white throne, and Him Who sat on it. From His face the earth and heaven fled, and they had no place.  |
12  |  And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.  | I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. Another book was opened: the Book of Life. The dead were judged from the things written in those books, according to their deeds.  |
13  |  And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.  | The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and Death and Hell turned over the dead that were in them. Every man was judged according to his works.  |
14  |  And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.  | Then Death and Hell were thrown into the lake of fire. This, the lake of fire, is the second death.  |
15  |  And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.  | And any man whose name was not recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.  |

## Chapter 21[edit]

Verse  | King James Version  | Proposed Conservative Translation  | Analysis

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1  |  And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.  | And I saw a new sky and a new earth. The first sky and the first earth had gone away, and the sea no longer existed.  |
2  |  And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of the sky, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.  | I, John, saw the holy city, the New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared the way a bride is adorned for her husband.  |
3  |  And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.  | I heard a great voice out of the sky, saying, "Now God pitches His tent with men, and He will live with them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them, and will be their God.  |
4  |  And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.  | And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and neither death nor sorrow nor crying nor pain shall exist any longer, because the first things have gone away.  |
5  |  And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.  | He Who sat on the thone said, "Look: I am making everything new!" And He told me, "Write! These words are true and faithful."  |
6  |  And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.  | And He told me, "It is complete. I am A and Z, the beginning and the end. I will allow anyone who is thirsty to drink freely from the fountain of the water of life.  |
7  |  He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.  | The winner will inherit everything, and I will be his God, and he will be My son.  |
8  |  But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.  | But the cowards, the unbelievers, the detestable ones, the murderers, the clients of prostitute, the drug pushers, the idol worshippers, and all liars, will have their part in the lake of fire and burning sulfur, which is the second death."  |
9  |  And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.  | One of the Messengers who held the seven vials filled with the seven last plagues came to me, and talked with me. He said, "Come here, and I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb."  |
10  |  And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,  | He carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, holy Jerusalem, coming down out of the sky from God,  |
11  |  Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;  | having the glory of God. Its light was like a very precious stone, like a jasper stone, as clear as crystal.  |
12  |  And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:  | It had a great and high wall, and twelve gates. At the gates twelve Messengers stood guard. The gates had names written on them: the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel.  |
13  |  On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.  | Three gates were in the east wall, three in the north, three in the south, and three in the west.  |
14  |  And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.  | The city wall had twelve foundations. In those were the names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb.  |
15  |  And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.  | The one talking with me had a golden measuring rod for measuring the city, and its gates, and its wall.  |
16  |  And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.  | The city lies in a square, and is as long as it is wide. He measured the city with the rod: twelve thousand furlongs. Its length and breadth and height are all the same.  | Again, for "furlong" read σταδιον or stadion, the Greek transliteration of stadium, a Roman distance measure equal to one-eighth of a Roman mile.
17  |  And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.  | He measured its wall: 144 cubits, according to the measure of a man, which is also the measure of a Messenger of God.  | A cubit is the length of a man's arm from elbow to third fingertip.
18  |  And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.  | The wall was built of jasper, and the city was built of pure gold, like clear glass.  |
19  |  And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;  | The foundations of the city wall were embellished with all types of precious stones:

1\. Jasper

2\. Sapphire

3\. Agate

4\. Emerald

| Explanation of the stones:

1\. Probably the green jasper.

2\. Self-explanatory

3\. Agate: the modern "marble"

4\. Self-explanatory

20  |  The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.  | 5\. Sardonyx

6\. Carnelian

7\. Chrysolite

8\. Beryl

9\. Topaz

10\. Chrysoprasus

11\. Jacinth

12\. Amethyst

| 5\. A variegated agate

6\. A red stone, perhaps the modern garnet

7\. Golden-yellow topaz

8\. A green stone.

9\. Ordinary yellow topaz

10\. Green quartz

11\. A blue stone

12\. Self-explanatory

21  |  And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.  | The twelve gates were twelve pearls. Each gate was formed from a single pearl. The city street was pure gold, as transparent as glass.  |
22  |  And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.  | I saw no Temple in it. The Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.  |
23  |  And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.  | The city did not need the sun, or the moon, to shine in it. The glory of God gave it its light, and the Lamb is its light.  |
24  |  And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.  | The ethnic groups of the saved ones will walk in its light, and the heads-of-state of the earth bring their glory and honor into it.  |
25  |  And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.  | Its gates are never closed by day, and in fact night does not fall there.  |
26  |  And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.  | They will bring the glory and the honor of all ethnic groups into it.  |
27  |  And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.  | And under no circumstances will any corrupting influence enter it, nor anything at all that works detestable things, or makes a lie. Only those written in the Lamb's Book of Life may enter.  |

## Chapter 22[edit]

Verse  | King James Version  | Proposed Conservative Translation  | Analysis

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1  | And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.  | And He showed me a pure river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing out of the throne of God and the Lamb.  |
2  | In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.  | In the middle of its street, and to either side of the river, grew the Tree of Life. It bore all kinds of fruits, and produced fruit every month, and the leaves of the tree served for the healing of the ethnic groups.  | "It" is the New Jerusalem, whose description continues.
3  | And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:  | Every curse will no longer exist. The Throne of God and the Lamb will be in it, and His slaves will serve Him.  |
4  | And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.  | They will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads.  |
5  | And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.  | Night will not exist there, and they will need no candles, or sunlight. The Lord God gives them light, and they will reign for ever and ever.  |
6  | And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.  | And he told me, "These words are faithful and true. The Lord God of the holy prophets sent His Messenger to show his slaves the things that must soon happen.  |
7  | Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.  | Look: I will come quickly. Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.  |
8  | And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.  | I, John, saw these things, and heard them. When I had heard and seen everything, I fell down to worship before the feet of the Messenger that showed me these things.  |
9  | Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.  | He told me, "Don't do that! I am your fellow slave, and the slave of your brothers the prophets, and of all those who keep the words of this book. Worship God."  |
10  | And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.  | And he told me, "Do not keep the words of the prophecy of this book under wraps. The time has arrived.  |
11  | He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.  | Let the unjust man remain unjust, and the filthy man remain filthy. Let the just man stay just, and the holy man stay holy."  |
12  | And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.  | "Look: I will come quickly, and my reward is with me, to give to every man according to his deeds.  |
13  | I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.  | I am A and Z, the beginning and the end, first and last."  | Use "A and Z", or the more traditional "Alpha and Omega" here?
14  | Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.  | Blessed are they who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the Tree of Life, and may walk in through the gates into the city.  | Some manuscripts read, "who keep His commandments." The robe referred to is the Roman toga, the robe of citizenship.
15  | For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.  | Outside are homosexuals, and drug dealers, and prostitute users, and murderers, and idolaters, and whoever loves and tells lies.  | "dogs" are not sinners - the original meaning is "homosexuals", but the Greek term is mistranslated to conceal the criticism of homosexuality in nearly all English versions. See also Homosexuality and Revelation controversy.
16  | I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.  | "I, Jesus, have sent My Messenger to testify these things to you in the churches. I am the Root and Offspring of David, and the Bright and Morning Star."  |
17  | And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.  | The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" Let anyone who is listening say, "Come!" Let him who is thirsty come. And whoever is willing, let him drink freely of the water of life.  |
18 | For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:  | I warn every man who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If any man adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book.  |
19  | And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.  | And if any man subtracts from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will subtract his portion out of the Book of Life, and out of the holy city, and from the things written in this book.  |
20  | He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.  | He who bears witness to these things says, "Indeed, I am coming quickly!" Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!  |
21  | The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.  | The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.  | This verse has many variations, and in some manuscripts is left out entirely.

The Book of Revelation, and with it the Bible, ends here.