< Revelation 19 >
1 After these things I heard [what sounded] like a huge crowd in heaven. They were shouting things like, “(Hallelujah!/Praise our God!)” “He has saved us!” “He is glorious and mighty!”
After this I heard what sounded like a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Hallelujah! Salvation, power, and glory belong to our God,
2 “Praise him because he judges truly and justly!” “He has punished the very evil cities that are like a prostitute, because their people persuaded the other people of earth [MTY] to act immorally and idolatrously like they do.” “Praise him because he has punished them for murdering his servants [MTY]!”
for true and just are his judgments; he has judged the great prostitute, who corrupted the earth with her fornication. He has avenged the blood of his servants shed by her hand.”
3 [The crowd] shouted a second time saying: (Hallelujah!/Praise God!) The smoke of the fire that is burning the cities will rise forever! (aiōn )
A second time the voice said, “Hallelujah! Her smoke goes up forever and ever.” (aiōn )
4 The 24 elders and the four living [creatures] (prostrated themselves/knelt down) and worshipped God, who sits on the throne. Then they said, “[It] is true! (Hallelujah!/Praise God!)”
Then the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God, who sits on the throne, saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!”
5 Someone spoke from the throne and said, “All you who are our God’s servants, praise him! All you who reverence him, [whether you are socially] significant or insignificant, praise him! [Everyone]!”
And a voice came out from the throne, saying, “Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, both small and great.”
6 I heard something like the noise of a huge crowd [of people], like the sound of a huge waterfall (OR, a great/wide river of rushing water), and like the sound of loud thunder. They were shouting: (Hallelujah!/Praise God!) Because the Lord God, the Almighty One, reigns!
Then I heard what sounded like the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns.
7 We should rejoice, we should be extremely glad, and we should honor him, because it is now time for Jesus, the one who is like a lamb, to be united permanently with his people, which will be like a man [MET] marrying his bride, and because those who belong to him have prepared themselves to be united with him.
Let us rejoice and be glad and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.
8 God has permitted them to be completely pure, like a bride who [MET] dresses in fine linen that is bright and clean. Fine [bright and clean] linen represents the righteous acts of God’s people.
To her it has been granted to be clothed with fine linen, bright and pure.” For the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
9 Then the angel said to me, “Write [this: God will abundantly] bless the people who are {whom [he] has} invited to the feast [that celebrates Jesus, the one who is like a] lamb, [permanently uniting with his people, like someone] [MET] [marrying a wife].” He also said [to me]: “These words that God [declares] are true!”
Then the angel said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’” He also said to me, “These are the true words of God.”
10 I [immediately] (prostrated myself/knelt down) at his feet in order to worship him. But he said to me, “Do not [worship me]! I am [just] your [(sg)] fellow servant and the fellow servant of your [(sg)] fellow believers who tell people about Jesus. God is the one whom you should worship, because it is the Spirit of God who gives people the power to tell others about Jesus (OR, [those who tell others about] Jesus are [truly] declaring [the words that the Spirit of God has given them])!”
Then I fell at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “Do not do that! I am a fellow servant of yoʋrs, and of yoʋr brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God.” For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
11 [In the vision] I saw heaven opened {open}, and I was surprised to see a white horse. [Jesus], the one who was riding on the horse, is called ‘Trustworthy and Genuine/True’. He judges [all people according to] what is right, and fights righteously [against his enemies].
Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! Its rider is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and wages war.
12 His eyes [shone like] [MET] a flame of fire. There were many royal crowns on his head. A name had been written [on him]. Only he knows [the meaning of that name].
His eyes are a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems. Names were written on him, including a name that no one knows but he himself.
13 The robe he was wearing was drenched with blood. His name is [also] “(The one who expresses what God is like/The Word of God).”
He is clothed with a garment dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God.
14 The armies of heaven were following him. [They were also] riding on white horses. They were wearing clothes [made of] clean white linen.
The armies of heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses.
15 [The words] that Jesus speaks [are like] [MTY] a sharp sword with which he will strike [the rebellious people of] the nations. He himself will rule them [powerfully, as though he had] [MET] an iron rod. He will crush [his enemies just like] [MET] [a person crushes grapes in a] winepress. [He will do this for] God Almighty, who is extremely angry [with them because of their sins].
Out of his mouth comes a sharp two-edged sword with which he can strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God, the Almighty.
16 On his cloak close to his thigh a name had been written {[he] had written a name}, which is “King who [rules over all other] kings and Lord who [rules over all other] lords.”
On his garment and on his thigh is written the name: “King of kings and Lord of lords.”
17 I saw an angel who was standing in [the light of] [MTY] the sun. He called loudly to all the [flesh-eating] birds flying high in the sky, “Come and gather for the wonderful feast that God [is providing for you]!
Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that were flying directly overhead, “Come, gather together for the great supper of God,
18 [Come] and eat the flesh of all [God’s enemies who are dead—] the flesh of kings, army commanders, [people who fought] powerfully, horses and the [soldiers] who rode them, [and the flesh of all other kinds of people], whether [they were] free or slaves, [socially] insignificant or significant. [All kinds]!”
so that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of commanders, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great.”
19 Then I saw the beast and the kings of earth with their armies gathered together to fight against the Rider on the horse, and against his army.
Then I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies gathered together to wage war against the rider on the horse and against his army.
20 The beast and the false prophet were captured {[He] captured the beast and the false prophet}. The false prophet is the one who had performed miracles in the beast’s presence. By doing that he had deceived the people who had accepted the beast’s mark [on their foreheads] and who worshipped its image. The beast and the false prophet were thrown {[He] threw the beast and the one who falsely said that he spoke messages that came directly from God} alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. (Limnē Pyr )
But the beast was captured, and so was the false prophet who was with him, who in his sight performed the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and who worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. (Limnē Pyr )
21 The rider on the horse killed the rest [of their armies] just by [speaking words], [which were like] [MTY] a sword that extended from his mouth. All those birds gorged themselves on the flesh of [the people whom he had killed].
The rest were killed by the sword that came out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.