8. Their bodies will lie in the street of the great city where their Lord was nailed to the cross. The city is sometimes pictured as Sodom, or as Egypt.
9. For three and a half days, people from every tribe, language and nation will stare at their bodies. They will refuse to bury them.
10. Those who live on the earth will be happy about this and will celebrate. They will send each other gifts, because these two prophets had made them suffer.
11. But after the three and a half days, a breath of life from God entered the two witnesses. They stood up. Terror struck those who saw them.
12. Then the two witnesses heard a loud voice from heaven. It said to them, "Come up here." They went up to heaven in a cloud. Their enemies watched it happen.
13. At that very hour there was a powerful earthquake. A tenth of the city crumbled and fell. In the earthquake, 7,000 people were killed. Those who lived through it were terrified. They gave glory to the God of heaven.
14. The second terrible judgment has passed. The third is coming soon.
15. The seventh angel blew his trumpet. There were loud voices in heaven. They said, "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ. He will rule for ever and ever."
16. The 24 elders were sitting on their thrones in front of God. They fell on their faces and worshiped God.
17. They said, "Lord God who rules over all, we give thanks to you. You are the One who is and who was. We give you thanks because you have taken your great power and have begun to rule.
18. The nations were angry, and the time for your anger has come. The time has come to judge the dead. It is time to reward your servants the prophets and your own people and those who honor you. There is a reward for all your people, both great and small. It is time to destroy those who destroy the earth."