The Flying Scroll

5 I looked again, and there before me was a flying scroll.^(A)

² He asked me, “What do you see?”^(B)

I answered, “I see a flying scroll, twenty cubits long and ten cubits wide.^[a]”

³ And he said to me, “This is the curse^(C) that is going out over the whole land; for according to what it says on one side, every thief^(D) will be banished, and according to what it says on the other, everyone who swears falsely^(E) will be banished. ⁴ The Lord Almighty declares, ‘I will send it out, and it will enter the house of the thief and the house of anyone who swears falsely^(F) by my name. It will remain in that house and destroy it completely, both its timbers and its stones.^(G)’”

The Woman in a Basket

⁵ Then the angel who was speaking to me came forward and said to me, “Look up and see what is appearing.”

⁶ I asked, “What is it?”

He replied, “It is a basket.^(H)” And he added, “This is the iniquity^[b] of the people throughout the land.”

⁷ Then the cover of lead was raised, and there in the basket sat a woman! ⁸ He said, “This is wickedness,” and he pushed her back into the basket and pushed its lead cover down on it.^(I)

⁹ Then I looked up—and there before me were two women, with the wind in their wings! They had wings like those of a stork,^(J) and they lifted up the basket between heaven and earth.

¹⁰ “Where are they taking the basket?” I asked the angel who was speaking to me.

¹¹ He replied, “To the country of Babylonia^[c](K) to build a house^(L) for it. When the house is ready, the basket will be set there in its place.”^(M)

Four Chariots

6 I looked up again, and there before me were four chariots^(N) coming out from between two mountains—mountains of bronze. ² The first chariot had red horses, the second black,^{(O) 3} the third white,^(P) and the fourth dappled—all of them powerful. ⁴ I asked the angel who was speaking to me, “What are these, my lord?”

⁵ The angel answered me, “These are the four spirits^[d](Q) of heaven, going out from standing in the presence of the Lord of the whole world.^{(R) 6} The one with the black horses is going toward the north country, the one with the white horses toward the west,^[e] and the one with the dappled horses toward the south.”

⁷ When the powerful horses went out, they were straining to go throughout the earth.^(S) And he said, “Go throughout the earth!” So they went throughout the earth.

⁸ Then he called to me, “Look, those going toward the north country have given my Spirit^[f] rest^(T) in the land of the north.”^(U)

A Crown for Joshua

⁹ The word of the Lord came to me: ¹⁰ “Take silver and gold from the exiles Heldai, Tobijah and Jedaiah, who have arrived from Babylon.^(V) Go the same day to the house of Josiah son of Zephaniah. ¹¹ Take the silver and gold and make a crown,^(W) and set it on the head of the high priest, Joshua^(X) son of Jozadak.^{[g](Y) 12} Tell him this is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Here is the man whose name is the Branch,^(Z) and he will branch out from his place and build the temple of the Lord.^{(AA) 13} It is he who will build the temple of the Lord, and he will be clothed with majesty and will sit and rule on his throne. And he^[h] will be a priest^(AB) on his throne. And there will be harmony between the two.’ ¹⁴ The crown will be given to Heldai,^[i] Tobijah, Jedaiah and Hen^[j] son of Zephaniah as a memorial^(AC) in the temple of the Lord. ¹⁵ Those who are far away will come and help to build the temple of the Lord,^(AD) and you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you.^(AE) This will happen if you diligently obey^(AF) the Lord your God.”

Seven Angels With Seven Plagues

15 I saw in heaven another great and marvelous sign:^(A) seven angels^(B) with the seven last plagues^(C)—last, because with them God’s wrath is completed. ² And I saw what looked like a sea of glass^(D) glowing with fire and, standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious^(E) over the beast^(F) and its image^(G) and over the number of its name.^(H) They held harps^(I) given them by God ³ and sang the song of God’s servant^(J) Moses^(K) and of the Lamb:^(L)

⁵ After this I looked, and I saw in heaven the temple^(T)—that is, the tabernacle of the covenant law^(U)—and it was opened.^{(V) 6} Out of the temple^(W) came the seven angels with the seven plagues.^(X) They were dressed in clean, shining linen^(Y) and wore golden sashes around their chests.^{(Z) 7} Then one of the four living creatures^(AA) gave to the seven angels^(AB) seven golden bowls filled with the wrath of God, who lives for ever and ever.^{(AC) 8} And the temple was filled with smoke^(AD) from the glory of God and from his power, and no one could enter the temple^(AE) until the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.

The Seven Bowls of God’s Wrath

16 Then I heard a loud voice from the temple^(AF) saying to the seven angels,^(AG) “Go, pour out the seven bowls of God’s wrath on the earth.”^(AH)

² The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the land,^(AI) and ugly, festering sores^(AJ) broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image.^(AK)

³ The second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it turned into blood like that of a dead person, and every living thing in the sea died.^(AL)

⁴ The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water,^(AM) and they became blood.^{(AN) 5} Then I heard the angel in charge of the waters say:

⁷ And I heard the altar^(AT) respond:

⁸ The fourth angel^(AW) poured out his bowl on the sun,^(AX) and the sun was allowed to scorch people with fire.^{(AY) 9} They were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the name of God,^(AZ) who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent^(BA) and glorify him.^(BB)

¹⁰ The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast,^(BC) and its kingdom was plunged into darkness.^(BD) People gnawed their tongues in agony ¹¹ and cursed^(BE) the God of heaven^(BF) because of their pains and their sores,^(BG) but they refused to repent of what they had done.^(BH)

¹² The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates,^(BI) and its water was dried up to prepare the way^(BJ) for the kings from the East.^{(BK) 13} Then I saw three impure spirits^(BL) that looked like frogs;^(BM) they came out of the mouth of the dragon,^(BN) out of the mouth of the beast^(BO) and out of the mouth of the false prophet.^{(BP) 14} They are demonic spirits^(BQ) that perform signs,^(BR) and they go out to the kings of the whole world,^(BS) to gather them for the battle^(BT) on the great day^(BU) of God Almighty.

¹⁶ Then they gathered the kings together^(BY) to the place that in Hebrew^(BZ) is called Armageddon.^(CA)

¹⁷ The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air,^(CB) and out of the temple^(CC) came a loud voice^(CD) from the throne, saying, “It is done!”^{(CE) 18} Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder^(CF) and a severe earthquake.^(CG) No earthquake like it has ever occurred since mankind has been on earth,^(CH) so tremendous was the quake. ¹⁹ The great city^(CI) split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. God remembered^(CJ) Babylon the Great^(CK) and gave her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of his wrath.^{(CL) 20} Every island fled away and the mountains could not be found.^{(CM) 21} From the sky huge hailstones,^(CN) each weighing about a hundred pounds,^[c] fell on people. And they cursed God^(CO) on account of the plague of hail,^(CP) because the plague was so terrible.

Psalm 147