The Message Bible MSG
English Standard Version ESV
1 I saw an Angel descending out of Heaven. He carried the key to the Abyss and a chain - a huge chain.
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Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain.
2 He grabbed the Dragon, that old Snake - the very Devil, Satan himself! - chained him up for a thousand years,
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And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years,
3 dumped him into the Abyss, slammed it shut and sealed it tight. No more trouble out of him, deceiving the nations - until the thousand years are up. After that he has to be let loose briefly.
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and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while.
4 I saw thrones. Those put in charge of judgment sat on the thrones. I also saw the souls of those beheaded because of their witness to Jesus and the Word of God, who refused to worship either the Beast or his image, refused to take his mark on forehead or hand - they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years!
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Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
5 The rest of the dead did not live until the thousand years were up. This is the first resurrection -
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The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection.
6 and those involved most blessed, most holy. No second death for them! They're priests of God and Christ; they'll reign with him a thousand years.
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Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.
7 When the thousand years are up, Satan will be let loose from his cell,
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And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison
8 and will launch again his old work of deceiving the nations, searching out victims in every nook and cranny of earth, even Gog and Magog! He'll talk them into going to war and will gather a huge army, millions strong.
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and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea.
9 They'll stream across the earth, surround and lay siege to the camp of God's holy people, the Beloved City. They'll no sooner get there than fire will pour out of Heaven and burn them up.
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And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them,
10 The Devil who deceived them will be hurled into Lake Fire and Brimstone, joining the Beast and False Prophet, the three in torment around the clock for ages without end.
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and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
11 I saw a Great White Throne and the One Enthroned. Nothing could stand before or against the Presence, nothing in Heaven, nothing on earth.
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Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them.
12 And then I saw all the dead, great and small, standing there - before the Throne! And books were opened. Then another book was opened: the Book of Life. The dead were judged by what was written in the books, by the way they had lived.
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And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done.
13 Sea released its dead, Death and Hell turned in their dead. Each man and woman was judged by the way he or she had lived.
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And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done.
14 Then Death and Hell were hurled into Lake Fire. This is the second death - Lake Fire.
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Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.
15 Anyone whose name was not found inscribed in the Book of Life was hurled into Lake Fire.
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And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.