Revelation 20
An angel binds Satan for a thousand years and casts him into the bottomless pit, and the saints reign with Christ for the thousand years. After the thousand years Satan is loosed, deceives the nations, and gathers them to battle, but fire comes down from God out of heaven and devours them, and the devil is cast into the lake of fire. John sees the great white throne judgment: the dead are judged according to their works, and whosoever is not found written in the book of life is cast into the lake of fire.
| v | King James Version | Modern English |
|---|---|---|
| 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 an angel come down from heaven. He held the key to the bottomless pit 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 — that ancient serpent, who 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. | He threw him into the bottomless pit, shut it, and sealed it over him so he could no longer deceive the nations. This would last until the thousand years were complete. After that, he must be released for a short time. |
| 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. | I saw thrones, and those who sat on them were given authority to judge. I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God. They had not worshipped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or 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. | The rest of the dead did not come 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. | Blessed and holy is everyone who has part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them. They will be priests of God and of Christ, and will reign with Him a thousand years. |
| 7 | And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, | When the thousand years are over, 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 nations at the four corners of the earth — Gog and Magog — and gather them for battle. Their number 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 spread out across the earth and surrounded the camp of God's people and the beloved city. But fire came down from God out of heaven and consumed them. |
| 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 who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet already were. They will be tormented day and night forever 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. | I saw a great white throne and the One who sat on it. The earth and the heaven fled from His face, and no place was found for them. |
| 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, both small and great, standing before God. The books were opened, and another book was opened — the book of life. The dead were judged according to what was written in the books, according to their works. |
| 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 its dead. Death and hell gave up the dead that were in them. Every person was judged according to their 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 is the second death. |
| 15 | And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. | Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire. |