[It is also] from Jesus Christ, who is the Faithful Witness [to the truth], the Firstborn from the dead [i.e., the first One raised never to die again], the Ruler of the kings of the world. May there be honor and power forever and ever to Christ, who loved us and released us from our sins by His blood [Note: Some manuscripts say "washed us" since the two words are spelled almost alike].

Do not be afraid of the things you are about to suffer. [For] look, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, so that you may be tested, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. [But], you should be faithful [to God] even to the point of dying [for Him], and I will give you the crown of [never ending] life.

I will make the person who has victory [in the Christian life] a pillar in the Temple of my God [i.e., probably a reference to heaven], and he will never leave it. And I will write on him the name of my God, the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem which is coming down from heaven from my God [See 21:2, 10] and my own new name.

And each of the four living beings had six wings [and] were covered with eyes all around them and [even] within them. And day and night they never stop saying, [Note: Some translations have "singing" here and at other places below], "Holy, holy, holy [is] the Lord God Almighty, who was [in the past] and who is [in the present] and who will come [in the future]."

Cause her as much torment and sorrow as she gave herself honor and luxurious living. For she is saying to herself, 'I sit as a queen; I am not a widow and I will never suffer grief.'

"The [late summer] fruit that you [i.e., the people of Babylon] longed for is gone from you, and all of your luxurious and glamorous things have vanished from you, never to be found again.

Then a mighty angel picked up a rock the size of a huge millstone and threw it into the ocean, saying, "This is how the great city of Babylon will be violently thrown down and will never be found again.

And the sound of harp-players and musicians and flute-players and trumpet-players will never be heard in you again. And no workers of any trade will be found in you again, and the sound of a [flour] mill [grinding] will never be heard in you again.

And the light of a lamp will never shine in you again. And the voices of the groom and bride will never be heard in you again. For your [retail] merchants were the great men of the earth, and all the nations were deceived by your sorceries.

And I saw dead people, the most important and the least significant ones, standing in front of the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life [Note: This refers to a record of those to whom God has granted never ending life]. And these dead people [i.e., who have now been resurrected] were judged according to their deeds, based on what was recorded in the books.

And the gates of the city will never be closed during the daytime (for there will never be nighttime there).

And there will never be anything [morally] unclean allowed to enter it, nor any person who practices disgusting behavior [i.e., probably such sins as sexual perversion], or [any person] who is a liar. But the only ones [allowed there] are those [whose names are] recorded in the Lamb's book of life.

And it will never be nighttime there anymore; they will not need the light of a lamp or of the sun, for the Lord will give them light. And they [i.e., God's servants] will rule [with Christ, See 20:4] forever and ever.