Walk According to His Commandments

^1 (A)The elder to the ^(B)chosen ^(C)lady and her children, whom I ^(D)love in truth; and not only I, but also all who ^(E)know the truth, ^2 (F)because of the truth which remains ^(G)in us and will be ^(H)with us forever: ^3 (I)Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.

^4 (J)I was overjoyed to find some of your children walking in truth, just as we have received a commandment to do from the Father. ⁵ Now I ask you, lady, ^(K)not as though I were writing to you a new commandment, but the one which we have had ^(L)from the beginning, that we ^(M)love one another. ⁶ And ^(N)this is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, ^(O)just as you have heard ^(P)from the beginning, that you are to walk in it.

⁷ For ^(Q)many deceivers have ^(R)gone out into the world, those who ^(S)do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is ^(T)the deceiver and the ^(U)antichrist. ^8 (V)Watch yourselves, ^(W)that you do not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward. ^9 [a]Anyone who ^[b]goes too far and ^(X)does not remain in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who remains in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. ¹⁰ If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, ^(Y)do not receive him into your house, and do not ^[c]give him a greeting; ¹¹ for the one who ^[d]gives him a greeting ^[e](Z)participates in his evil deeds.

^12 (AA)Though I have many things to write to you, I do not want to do so with paper and ink; but I hope to come to you and speak ^[f]face to face, so that ^[g]your ^(AB)joy may be made complete.

¹³ The children of your ^(AC)chosen sister greet you.

A Good Report

^1 (A)The elder to the beloved ^(B)Gaius, whom I ^(C)love in truth.

² Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers. ³ For I ^(D)was overjoyed when ^(E)brothers came and testified to your truth, that is, how you ^(F)are walking in truth. ⁴ I have no greater joy than ^[a]this, to hear of ^(G)my children ^(H)walking in the truth.

⁵ Beloved, you are acting faithfully in whatever you accomplish for the ^(I)brothers and sisters, and ^[b]especially when they are ^(J)strangers; ⁶ and they have testified to your love before the church. You will do well to ^[c](K)send them on their way in a manner ^(L)worthy of God. ⁷ For they went out for the sake of ^(M)the Name, ^(N)accepting nothing from the Gentiles. ⁸ Therefore we ought to ^[d]support such people, so that we may ^[e]prove to be fellow workers ^[f]with the truth.

⁹ I wrote something to the church; but Diotrephes, who loves to ^(O)be first among them, does not accept ^[g]what we say. ¹⁰ For this reason, ^(P)if I come, I will call attention to his deeds which he does, unjustly accusing us with malicious words; and not satisfied with this, he himself does not ^(Q)receive the ^(R)brothers either, and he forbids those who want to do so and ^(S)puts them out of the church.

¹¹ Beloved, ^(T)do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. ^(U)The one who does what is good is of God; ^(V)the one who does what is evil has not seen God. ¹² Demetrius ^(W)has received a good testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself; and we testify too, and ^(X)you know that our testimony is true.

^13 (Y)I had many things to write to you, but I do not want to write to you with pen and ink; ¹⁴ but I hope to see you shortly, and we will speak ^[h]face to face.

^15 (Z)Peace be to you. The friends greet you. Greet the friends ^(AA)by name.

The Warnings of History to the Ungodly

^1 [a](A)Jude, a ^(B)bond-servant of Jesus Christ and brother of ^[b]James,

To ^(C)those who are the called, beloved in God the Father, and ^(D)kept for Jesus Christ: ^2 (E)May mercy, peace, and love ^(F)be multiplied to you.

^3 (G)Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our ^(H)common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you ^(I)contend earnestly for ^(J)the faith that was once for all time ^(K)handed down to ^(L)the ^[c]saints. ⁴ For certain people have ^(M)crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand ^[d](N)marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn ^(O)the grace of our God into ^(P)indecent behavior and ^(Q)deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

⁵ Now I want to ^(R)remind you, though ^(S)you know everything once and for all, that ^[e]the Lord, ^(T)after saving a people out of the land of Egypt, ^[f]subsequently destroyed those who did not believe. ⁶ And ^(U)angels who did not keep their own domain but abandoned their proper dwelling place, these He has ^(V)kept in eternal restraints under darkness for the judgment of the great day, ⁷ just as ^(W)Sodom and Gomorrah and the ^(X)cities around them, since they in the same way as these angels indulged in sexual perversion and ^(Y)went after ^[g]strange flesh, are exhibited as an ^[h](Z)example in undergoing the ^(AA)punishment of eternal fire.

⁸ Yet in the same way these people also, dreaming, ^(AB)defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak abusively of angelic ^[i]majesties. ⁹ But ^(AC)Michael ^(AD)the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued about ^(AE)the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him an abusive judgment, but said, “^(AF)The Lord rebuke you!” ¹⁰ But ^(AG)these people disparage all the things that they do not understand; and ^(AH)all the things that they know by instinct, ^(AI)like unreasoning animals, by these things they are destroyed. ¹¹ Woe to them! For they have gone ^(AJ)the way of Cain, and for pay ^[j]they have given themselves up to ^(AK)the error of Balaam, and ^(AL)perished in the rebellion of Korah. ¹² These are the ones who are ^[k]hidden reefs ^(AM)in your love feasts when they feast with you ^(AN)without fear, like shepherds caring only for themselves; ^(AO)clouds without water, ^(AP)carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, ^[l]doubly dead, ^(AQ)uprooted; ^13 (AR)wild waves of the sea, churning up ^(AS)their own shameful deeds like dirty foam; wandering stars, ^(AT)for whom the ^[m]gloom of darkness has been reserved forever.

¹⁴ It was also about these people that ^(AU)Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, “^(AV)Behold, the Lord has come with ^[n]many thousands of His holy ones, ^15 (AW)to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ^(AX)ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.” ¹⁶ These are ^(AY)grumblers, finding fault, ^(AZ)following after their own lusts; ^[o]they speak ^(BA)arrogantly, flattering people ^(BB)for the sake of gaining an advantage.

Keep Yourselves in the Love of God

¹⁷ But you, ^(BC)beloved, ^(BD)ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by ^(BE)the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁸ that they were saying to you, “^(BF)In the last time there will be mockers, ^(BG)following after their own ungodly lusts.” ¹⁹ These are the ones who cause divisions, ^[p](BH)worldly-minded, ^[q]devoid of the Spirit. ²⁰ But you, ^(BI)beloved, ^(BJ)building yourselves up on your most holy ^(BK)faith, ^(BL)praying in the Holy Spirit, ²¹ keep yourselves in the love of God, ^(BM)looking forward to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. ²² And have mercy on some, who are doubting; ²³ save others, ^(BN)snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, ^(BO)hating even the garment polluted by the flesh.

^24 (BP)Now to Him who is able to protect you from stumbling, and to ^(BQ)make you stand in the presence of His glory, blameless with ^(BR)great joy, ²⁵ to the ^(BS)only ^(BT)God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, ^(BU)be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority ^(BV)before all time and now and ^[r]forever. Amen.

The Revelation of Jesus Christ

1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which ^(A)God gave Him to ^(B)show to His bond-servants, ^(C)the things which must soon take place; and He sent and ^[a]communicated it ^(D)by His angel to His bond-servant ^(E)John, ² who testified to ^(F)the word of God and to ^(G)the testimony of Jesus Christ, everything that he saw. ^3 (H)Blessed is the one who reads, and those who hear the words of the prophecy and ^[b]keep the things which are written in it; ^(I)for the time is near.

Message to the Seven Churches

^4 (J)John to ^(K)the seven churches that are in ^(L)Asia: ^(M)Grace to you and peace from ^(N)Him who is, and who was, and who ^[c]is to come, and from ^(O)the ^[d]seven spirits who are before His throne, ⁵ and from Jesus Christ, ^(P)the faithful witness, the ^(Q)firstborn of the dead, and the ^(R)ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who ^(S)loves us and released us from our sins by His blood— ⁶ and He made us into a ^(T)kingdom, ^(U)priests to ^[e](V)His God and Father—^(W)to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. ^7 (X)Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and ^(Y)every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will ^(Z)mourn over Him. ^[f]So it is to be. Amen.

⁸ “I am ^(AA)the Alpha and the Omega,” says the ^(AB)Lord God, “^(AC)who is and who was and who ^[g]is to come, the Almighty.”

The Patmos Vision

^9 (AD)I, John, your ^(AE)brother and ^(AF)fellow participant in the tribulation and ^(AG)kingdom and ^[h](AH)perseverance in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos ^(AI)because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. ¹⁰ I was ^(AJ)in the ^[i]Spirit on ^(AK)the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice ^(AL)like the sound of a trumpet, ¹¹ saying, “^(AM)Write ^[j]on a scroll what you see, and send it to the ^(AN)seven churches: to ^(AO)Ephesus, ^(AP)Smyrna, ^(AQ)Pergamum, ^(AR)Thyatira, ^(AS)Sardis, ^(AT)Philadelphia, and ^(AU)Laodicea.”

¹² Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And after turning I saw ^(AV)seven golden lampstands; ¹³ and ^(AW)in the middle of the lampstands I saw one ^(AX)like ^[k]a son of man, ^(AY)clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and ^(AZ)wrapped around the chest with a golden sash. ¹⁴ His head and His ^(BA)hair were white like white wool, like snow; and ^(BB)His eyes were like a flame of fire. ¹⁵ His ^(BC)feet were like ^[l]burnished bronze when it has been heated to a glow in a furnace, and His ^(BD)voice was like the sound of many waters. ¹⁶ In His right hand He held ^(BE)seven stars, and out of His mouth came a ^(BF)sharp two-edged sword; and His ^(BG)face was like ^(BH)the sun ^[m]shining in its strength.

¹⁷ When I saw Him, I ^(BI)fell at His feet like a dead man. And He ^(BJ)placed His right hand on me, saying, “^(BK)Do not be afraid; ^(BL)I am the first and the last, ¹⁸ and the ^(BM)living One; and I ^[n](BN)was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have ^(BO)the keys of death and of Hades. ¹⁹ Therefore ^(BP)write ^(BQ)the things which you have seen, ^[o]and the things which are, and the things which will take place ^(BR)after these things. ²⁰ As for the ^(BS)mystery of the ^(BT)seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the ^(BU)seven golden lampstands: the ^(BV)seven stars are the angels of ^(BW)the seven churches, and the seven ^(BX)lampstands are the seven churches.

Message to Ephesus

2 “To the angel of the church in ^(BY)Ephesus write:

The One who holds ^(BZ)the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks ^[p](CA)among the seven golden lampstands, says this:

² ‘^(CB)I know your deeds and your labor and ^[q]perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil people, and you have ^(CC)put those who call themselves ^(CD)apostles to the test, and they are not, and you found them to be false; ³ and you have ^[r]perseverance and have endured ^(CE)on account of My name, and have not become weary. ⁴ But I have this against you, that you have ^(CF)left your first love. ⁵ Therefore, remember from where you have fallen, and ^(CG)repent, and ^(CH)do the ^[s]deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and I will remove your ^(CI)lampstand from its place—unless you repent. ⁶ But you have this, that you hate the deeds of the ^(CJ)Nicolaitans, which I also hate. ^7 (CK)The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. ^(CL)To the one who overcomes, I will grant to eat from ^(CM)the tree of life, which is in the ^(CN)Paradise of God.’

Message to Smyrna

⁸ “And to the angel of the church in ^(CO)Smyrna write:

^(CP)The first and the last, who ^[t](CQ)was dead, and has come to life, says this:

⁹ ‘I know your ^(CR)tribulation and your ^(CS)poverty (but you are ^(CT)rich), and the ^[u]slander by those who ^(CU)say they are Jews, and are not, but are a synagogue of ^(CV)Satan. ¹⁰ Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, so that you will be ^(CW)tested, and you will have tribulation ^(CX)for ten days. ^[v]Be ^(CY)faithful until death, and I will give you ^(CZ)the crown of life. ^11 (DA)The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. ^(DB)The one who overcomes will not be hurt by the ^(DC)second death.’

Message to Pergamum

¹² “And to the angel of the church in ^(DD)Pergamum write:

The One who has ^(DE)the sharp two-edged sword says this:

¹³ ‘I know where you dwell, where ^(DF)Satan’s throne is; and you hold firmly to My name, and did not deny ^(DG)My faith even in the days of Antipas, My ^(DH)witness, My ^(DI)faithful one, who was killed among you, ^(DJ)where Satan dwells. ¹⁴ But ^(DK)I have a few things against you, because you have some there who hold the ^(DL)teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a ^[w]stumbling block before the sons of Israel, ^(DM)to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit sexual immorality. ¹⁵ So you too, have some who in the same way hold to the teaching of the ^(DN)Nicolaitans. ¹⁶ Therefore ^(DO)repent; or else ^(DP)I am coming to you quickly, and I will wage war against them with ^(DQ)the sword of My mouth. ^17 (DR)The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. ^(DS)To the one who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden ^(DT)manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a ^(DU)new name written on the stone ^(DV)which no one knows except the one who receives it.’

Message to Thyatira

¹⁸ “And to the angel of the church in ^(DW)Thyatira write:

^(DX)The Son of God, ^(DY)who has ^[x]eyes like a flame of fire, and ^[y]feet like burnished bronze, says this:

¹⁹ ‘^(DZ)I know your deeds, and your love and faith, and service and ^[z]perseverance, and that your ^[aa]deeds of late are greater than ^[ab]at first. ²⁰ But ^(EA)I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman ^(EB)Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they ^(EC)commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. ^21 (ED)I gave her time to repent, and she ^(EE)does not want to repent of her sexual immorality. ²² Behold, I will throw her on a bed of sickness, and those who ^(EF)commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of ^[ac]her deeds. ²³ And I will kill her children with ^[ad]plague, and all the churches will know that I am He who ^(EG)searches the ^[ae]minds and hearts; and ^(EH)I will give to each one of you according to your deeds. ²⁴ But I say to you, the rest who are in ^(EI)Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not known the ^(EJ)deep things of Satan, as they call them—I ^(EK)place no other burden on you. ²⁵ Nevertheless ^(EL)what you have, hold firmly ^(EM)until I come. ^26 (EN)The one who overcomes, and the one who keeps My deeds ^(EO)until the end, ^(EP)I will give him authority over the ^[af]nations; ²⁷ and he shall ^[ag](EQ)rule them with a rod of iron, ^(ER)as the vessels of the potter are shattered, as I also have received authority from My Father; ²⁸ and I will give him ^(ES)the morning star. ^29 (ET)The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

Message to Sardis

3 “To the angel of the church in ^(EU)Sardis write:

He who has ^[ah](EV)the seven spirits of God and ^(EW)the seven stars, says this: ‘^(EX)I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, and yet you are ^(EY)dead. ² Be constantly alert, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God. ³ So ^(EZ)remember ^[ai]what you have received and heard; and ^[aj]keep it, and ^(FA)repent. Then if you are not alert, ^(FB)I will come ^(FC)like a thief, and you will not know at ^(FD)what hour I will come to you. ⁴ But you have a few ^[ak](FE)people in ^(FF)Sardis who have not ^(FG)soiled their garments; and they will walk with Me ^(FH)in white, for they are worthy. ^5 (FI)The one who overcomes will be clothed the same way, in ^(FJ)white garments; and I will not ^(FK)erase his name from the book of life, and ^(FL)I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. ^6 (FM)The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

Message to Philadelphia

⁷ “And to the angel of the church in ^(FN)Philadelphia write:

^(FO)He who is holy, ^(FP)who is true, who has ^(FQ)the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says this:

⁸ ‘^(FR)I know your ^[al]deeds. Behold, I have put before you ^(FS)an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have followed My word, and ^(FT)have not denied My name. ⁹ Behold, I ^[am]will make those of ^(FU)the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—I will make them ^(FV)come and bow down before your feet, and make them know that ^(FW)I have loved you. ¹⁰ Because you have ^(FX)kept ^(FY)My ^[an]word of perseverance, ^(FZ)I also will keep you from the hour of the ^[ao](GA)testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole ^[ap](GB)world, to ^[aq]test ^(GC)those who live on the earth. ^11 (GD)I am coming quickly; ^(GE)hold firmly to what you have, so that no one will take your ^(GF)crown. ^12 (GG)The one who overcomes, I will make him a ^(GH)pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the ^(GI)name of My God, and ^(GJ)the name of the city of My God, ^(GK)the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My ^(GL)new name. ^13 (GM)The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

Message to Laodicea

¹⁴ “To the angel of the church in ^(GN)Laodicea write:

^(GO)The Amen, ^(GP)the faithful and true Witness, ^(GQ)the ^[ar]Origin of the creation of God, says this:

¹⁵ ‘^(GR)I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; ^(GS)I wish that you were cold or hot. ¹⁶ So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of My mouth. ¹⁷ Because you say, “^(GT)I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have no need of anything,” and you do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked, ¹⁸ I advise you to ^(GU)buy from Me ^(GV)gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and ^(GW)white garments so that you may clothe yourself and ^(GX)the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to apply to your eyes so that you may see. ^19 (GY)Those whom I love, I rebuke and discipline; therefore be zealous and ^(GZ)repent. ²⁰ Behold, I stand ^(HA)at the door and ^(HB)knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, ^(HC)I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. ^21 (HD)The one who overcomes, I will grant to him ^(HE)to sit with Me on My throne, as ^(HF)I also overcame and sat with My Father on His throne. ^22 (HG)The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”

Scene in Heaven

4 After ^(HH)these things I looked, and behold, ^(HI)a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, ^(HJ)like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, “^(HK)Come up here, and I will ^(HL)show you what must take place after these things.” ² Immediately I was ^(HM)in the ^[as]Spirit; and behold, ^(HN)a throne was standing in heaven, and ^(HO)someone was sitting on the throne. ³ And He who was sitting was like a ^(HP)jasper stone and a ^(HQ)sardius in appearance; and there was a ^[at](HR)rainbow around the throne, like an ^(HS)emerald in appearance. ^4 (HT)Around the throne were ^(HU)twenty-four thrones; and upon the thrones I saw ^(HV)twenty-four elders ^(HW)sitting, clothed in ^(HX)white garments, and ^(HY)golden crowns on their heads.

The Throne and Worship of the Creator

⁵ Out from the throne *came ^(HZ)flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder. And there were ^(IA)seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are ^[au](IB)the seven spirits of God; ⁶ and before the throne there was something like a ^(IC)sea of glass, like crystal; and in the ^[av]center and ^(ID)around the throne, ^(IE)four living creatures ^(IF)full of eyes in front and behind. ^7 (IG)The first living creature was like a lion, the second creature like a calf, the third creature had a face like that of a man, and the fourth creature was like a flying eagle. ⁸ And the ^(IH)four living creatures, each one of them having ^(II)six wings, are ^(IJ)full of eyes around and within; and ^(IK)day and night ^[aw]they do not cease to say,

⁹ And when the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to Him who ^(IO)sits on the throne, to ^(IP)Him who lives forever and ever, ¹⁰ the ^(IQ)twenty-four elders will ^(IR)fall down before Him who ^(IS)sits on the throne, and they will worship ^(IT)Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their ^(IU)crowns before the throne, saying,

The Scroll with Seven Seals

5 I saw ^[az]in the right hand of Him who ^(IX)sat on the throne a ^[ba](IY)scroll written inside and on the back, ^(IZ)sealed up with seven seals. ² And I saw a ^(JA)strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to break its seals?” ³ And no one ^(JB)in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it. ⁴ Then I began to weep greatly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. ⁵ And one of the elders *said to me, “Stop weeping; behold, the ^(JC)Lion that is ^(JD)from the tribe of Judah, the ^(JE)Root of David, has overcome so as to be able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”

⁶ And I saw ^[bb]between the throne (with the four living creatures) and ^(JF)the elders a ^(JG)Lamb standing, as if ^(JH)slaughtered, having seven ^(JI)horns and ^(JJ)seven eyes, which are ^[bc](JK)the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. ⁷ And He came and took ^(JL)the scroll out of the right hand of Him who ^(JM)sat on the throne. ⁸ When He had taken the scroll, the ^(JN)four living creatures and the ^(JO)twenty-four elders ^(JP)fell down before the ^(JQ)Lamb, each one holding a ^(JR)harp and ^(JS)golden bowls full of incense, which are the ^(JT)prayers of the ^[bd]saints. ⁹ And they *sang a ^(JU)new song, saying,

Angels Exalt the Lamb

¹¹ Then I looked, and I heard the voices of many angels ^(KC)around the throne and the ^(KD)living creatures and the ^(KE)elders; and the number of them was ^[be](KF)myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, ¹² saying with a loud voice,

¹³ And I heard ^(KJ)every created thing which is in heaven, or on the earth, or under the earth, or on the sea, and all the things in them, saying,

¹⁴ And the ^(KN)four living creatures were saying, “^(KO)Amen.” And the ^(KP)elders ^(KQ)fell down and worshiped.

The First Seal: Conqueror on a White Horse

6 Then I saw when the ^(KR)Lamb broke one of the ^(KS)seven seals, and I heard one of the ^(KT)four living creatures saying as with a ^(KU)voice of thunder, “Come^[bf]!” ² I looked, and behold, a ^(KV)white horse, and the one who sat on it had a bow; and ^(KW)a crown was given to him, and he went out ^(KX)conquering and to conquer.

The Second Seal: War

³ When He broke the second seal, I heard the ^(KY)second living creature saying, “Come^[bg]!” ⁴ And another, ^(KZ)a red horse, went out; and to him who sat on it, it was granted to ^(LA)take peace from the earth, and that people would kill one another; and a large sword was given to him.

The Third Seal: Famine

⁵ When He broke the third seal, I heard the ^(LB)third living creature saying, “Come^[bh]!” I looked, and behold, a ^(LC)black horse, and the one who sat on it had a ^(LD)pair of scales in his hand. ⁶ And I heard something like a voice in the center of the ^(LE)four living creatures saying, “A ^[bi]quart of wheat for a ^[bj]denarius, and three ^[bk]quarts of barley for a ^[bl]denarius; and ^(LF)do not damage the oil and the wine.”

The Fourth Seal: Death

⁷ When the Lamb broke the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the ^(LG)fourth living creature saying, “Come^[bm]!” ⁸ I looked, and behold, ^[bn]an ^(LH)ashen horse; and the one who sat on it had the name ^(LI)Death, and ^(LJ)Hades was following with him. Authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, ^(LK)to kill with sword, and famine, and ^[bo]plague, and by the wild animals of the earth.

The Fifth Seal: Martyrs

⁹ When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw ^(LL)underneath the ^(LM)altar the ^(LN)souls of those who had been killed ^(LO)because of the word of God, and because of the ^(LP)testimony which they had maintained; ¹⁰ and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, “^(LQ)How long, O ^[bp](LR)Lord, ^(LS)holy and true, ^[bq]will You refrain from ^(LT)judging and avenging our blood on ^(LU)those who live on the earth?” ¹¹ And a ^(LV)white robe was given to each of them; and they were told that they were to ^(LW)rest for a little while longer, ^(LX)until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers and sisters who were to be killed even as they had been, was ^(LY)completed also.

The Sixth Seal: Terror

¹² And I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a great ^(LZ)earthquake; and the ^(MA)sun became as black as ^(MB)sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood; ¹³ and ^(MC)the stars of the sky fell to the earth, ^(MD)as a fig tree drops its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind. ^14 (ME)The sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up, and ^(MF)every mountain and island was removed from its place. ¹⁵ Then ^(MG)the kings of the earth and the eminent people, and the commanders and the wealthy and the strong, and every slave and free person hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains; ¹⁶ and they *^(MH)said to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the ^[br]sight of Him ^(MI)who sits on the throne, and from the ^(MJ)wrath of the Lamb; ¹⁷ for ^(MK)the great day of Their wrath has come, and ^(ML)who is able to stand?”

An Interlude

7 After this I saw ^(MM)four angels standing at the ^(MN)four corners of the earth, holding back ^(MO)the four winds of the earth ^(MP)so that no wind would blow on the earth, or on the sea, or on any tree. ² And I saw another angel ascending ^(MQ)from the rising of the sun, holding the ^(MR)seal of ^(MS)the living God; and he called out with a loud voice to the ^(MT)four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, ³ saying, “^(MU)Do not harm the earth, or the sea, or the trees until we have ^(MV)sealed the bond-servants of our God on their ^(MW)foreheads.”

The 144,000

⁴ And I heard the ^(MX)number of those who were sealed: ^(MY)144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:

A Multitude from the Tribulation

⁹ After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from ^(MZ)every nation and all the tribes, peoples, and languages, standing ^(NA)before the throne and ^(NB)before the Lamb, clothed in ^(NC)white robes, and ^(ND)palm branches were in their hands; ¹⁰ and they *cried out with a loud voice, saying,

¹¹ And all the angels were standing ^(NG)around the throne and around ^(NH)the elders and the ^(NI)four living creatures; and they ^(NJ)fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, ¹² saying,

¹³ Then one of the elders ^(NN)responded, saying to me, “These who are clothed in the ^(NO)white robes, who are they, and where have they come from?” ¹⁴ I ^[bs]said to him, “My lord, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the ^(NP)great tribulation, and they have ^(NQ)washed their robes and made them ^(NR)white in the ^(NS)blood of the Lamb. ¹⁵ For this reason they are ^(NT)before the throne of God, and they ^(NU)serve Him day and night in His ^[bt](NV)temple; and ^(NW)He who sits on the throne will spread His ^(NX)tabernacle over them. ^16 (NY)They will no longer hunger nor thirst, nor will the sun ^[bu]beat down on them, nor any scorching heat; ¹⁷ for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their ^(NZ)shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the ^[bv](OA)water of life; and ^(OB)God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”

The Seventh Seal: Trumpets

8 When the Lamb broke the ^(OC)seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. ² And I saw ^(OD)the seven angels who stand before God, and seven ^(OE)trumpets were given to them.

^3 (OF)Another angel came and stood at the ^(OG)altar, holding a ^(OH)golden censer; and much ^(OI)incense was given to him, so that he might ^[bw]add it to the ^(OJ)prayers of all the ^[bx]saints on the ^(OK)golden altar which was before the throne. ⁴ And ^(OL)the smoke of the incense ascended from the angel’s hand with the prayers of the ^[by]saints before God. ⁵ Then the angel ^[bz]took the ^[ca]censer and ^(OM)filled it with the fire of the altar, and ^(ON)hurled it to the earth; and there were ^(OO)peals of thunder and sounds, and flashes of lightning and an ^(OP)earthquake.

^6 (OQ)And the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound them.

⁷ The first sounded, and there was ^(OR)hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled to the earth; and ^(OS)a third of the earth was burned up, and ^(OT)a third of the ^(OU)trees were burned up, and all the green ^(OV)grass was burned up.

⁸ The second angel sounded, and something like a great ^(OW)mountain burning with fire was hurled into the sea; and ^(OX)a third of the ^(OY)sea became blood, ⁹ and ^(OZ)a third of the creatures which were in the sea ^[cb]and had life, died; and a third of the ^(PA)ships were destroyed.

¹⁰ The third angel sounded, and a great star ^(PB)fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a ^(PC)third of the rivers and on the ^(PD)springs of waters. ¹¹ The star is named Wormwood; and a ^(PE)third of the waters became ^(PF)wormwood, and many people died from the waters because they were made bitter.

¹² The fourth angel sounded, and a ^(PG)third of the ^(PH)sun, a third of the ^(PI)moon, and a ^(PJ)third of the ^(PK)stars were struck, so that a ^(PL)third of them would be darkened and the day would not shine for a ^(PM)third of it, and the night in the same way.

¹³ Then I looked, and I heard ^[cc]an eagle flying in ^(PN)midheaven, saying with a loud voice, “^(PO)Woe, woe, woe to ^(PP)those who live on the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the ^(PQ)three angels who are about to sound!”

The Fifth Trumpet: Shaft of the Abyss

9 Then the ^(PR)fifth angel sounded, and I saw a ^(PS)star from heaven which had fallen to the earth; and the ^(PT)key to the ^(PU)shaft of the abyss was given to him. ² He opened the shaft of the abyss, and ^(PV)smoke ascended out of the shaft like the smoke of a great furnace; and ^(PW)the sun and the air were darkened from the smoke of the shaft. ³ Then out of the smoke came ^(PX)locusts ^[cd]upon the earth, and power was given them, as the ^(PY)scorpions of the earth have power. ⁴ They were told not to ^(PZ)hurt the ^(QA)grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but only the people who do not have the ^(QB)seal of God on their foreheads. ⁵ And ^[ce]they were not permitted to kill ^[cf]anyone, but to torment for ^(QC)five months; and their torment was like the torment of a ^(QD)scorpion when it ^[cg]stings a person. ⁶ And in those days ^(QE)people will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, and death ^[ch]will flee from them!

⁷ The ^[ci](QF)appearance of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle; and on their heads appeared to be crowns like gold, and their faces were like human faces. ⁸ They had hair like the hair of women, and their ^(QG)teeth were like the teeth of lions. ⁹ They had breastplates like breastplates of iron; and the ^(QH)sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots, of many horses rushing to battle. ¹⁰ They have tails like ^(QI)scorpions, and stings; and in their ^(QJ)tails is their power to hurt people for ^(QK)five months. ¹¹ They have as king over them, the angel of the ^(QL)abyss; his name in ^(QM)Hebrew is ^[cj](QN)Abaddon, and in the Greek he has the name ^[ck]Apollyon.

^12 (QO)The first woe has passed; behold, two woes are still coming after these things.

The Sixth Trumpet: Army from the East

¹³ Then the sixth angel sounded, and I heard ^[cl]a voice from the ^[cm]four ^(QP)horns of the ^(QQ)golden altar which is before God, ¹⁴ saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the ^(QR)four angels who are bound at the ^(QS)great river Euphrates.” ¹⁵ And the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were ^(QT)released, so that they would kill a ^(QU)third of mankind. ¹⁶ The number of the armies of the horsemen was ^(QV)two hundred million; ^(QW)I heard the number of them. ¹⁷ And this is how I saw ^(QX)in my vision the horses and those who sat on them: the riders had breastplates the color of fire, of hyacinth, and of ^[cn](QY)brimstone; and the heads of the horses are like the heads of lions; and ^(QZ)out of their mouths *came fire and smoke and ^[co](RA)brimstone. ¹⁸ A ^(RB)third of mankind was killed by these three plagues, by the ^(RC)fire, the smoke, and the ^[cp]brimstone which came out of their mouths. ¹⁹ For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails are like serpents and have heads, and with them they do harm.

²⁰ The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, ^(RD)did not repent of ^(RE)the works of their hands so as not to ^(RF)worship demons and ^(RG)the idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk; ²¹ and they ^(RH)did not repent of their murders, nor of their ^(RI)witchcraft, nor of their ^(RJ)sexual immorality, nor of their thefts.

The Angel and the Little Scroll

10 I saw another ^(RK)strong angel ^(RL)coming down from heaven, clothed with a cloud; and the ^(RM)rainbow was on his head, and ^(RN)his face was like the sun, and his ^(RO)feet like pillars of fire; ² and he had in his hand a ^(RP)little scroll, which was open. He placed ^(RQ)his right foot on the sea and his left on the land; ³ and he cried out with a loud voice, ^(RR)as when a lion roars; and when he had cried out, the ^(RS)seven peals of thunder ^[cq]uttered their voices. ⁴ When the seven peals of thunder had spoken, ^(RT)I was about to write; and I ^(RU)heard a voice from heaven, saying, “^(RV)Seal up the things which the seven peals of thunder have spoken, and do not write them.” ⁵ Then the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land ^(RW)raised his right hand to heaven, ^6 (RX)and swore by ^(RY)Him who lives forever and ever, ^(RZ)who created heaven and the things in it, and the earth and the things in it, and the sea and the things in it, that ^(SA)there will no longer be a delay, ⁷ but in the days of the voice of the ^(SB)seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then ^(SC)the mystery of God is finished, as He announced to His servants the prophets.

⁸ Then ^(SD)the voice which I heard from heaven, I heard again speaking with me, and saying, “Go, take ^(SE)the scroll which is open in the hand of the angel who ^(SF)stands on the sea and on the land.” ⁹ And I went to the angel, telling him to give me the little scroll. And he *said to me, “^(SG)Take it and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey.” ¹⁰ I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it, and in my mouth it was sweet as honey; and when I had eaten it, my stomach was made bitter. ¹¹ And ^(SH)they *said to me, “You must ^(SI)prophesy again concerning ^(SJ)many peoples, nations, languages, and ^(SK)kings.”