The Message Bible MSG
New American Standard Bible NAS
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 the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand.
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 laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, 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 he threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time.
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 they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and 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 completed. 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 has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and 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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When the thousand years are completed, 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 which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore.
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 came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured 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 deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; 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 sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven 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, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds.
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 which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds.
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.
New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, California. All rights reserved.