² “Take a ^(A)scroll of a book and ^(B)write on it all the words that I have spoken to you against Israel, against Judah, and against ^(C)all the nations, from the day I spoke to you, from the days of ^(D)Josiah even to this day.

The Responsibility of the Prophet

3 Moreover He said to me, “Son of man, eat what you find; ^(A)eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.”

The Lamb Takes the Scroll

5 And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne ^(A)a scroll written inside and on the back, ^(B)sealed with seven seals. ² Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, ^(C)“Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?” ³ And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it.

⁴ So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open ^[a]and read the scroll, or to look at it. ⁵ But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, ^(D)the Lion of the tribe of ^(E)Judah, ^(F)the Root of David, has ^(G)prevailed to open the scroll ^(H)and ^[b]to loose its seven seals.”

John Eats the Little Book

⁸ Then the voice which I heard from heaven spoke to me again and said, “Go, take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the earth.”

⁹ So I went to the angel and said to him, “Give me the little book.”

And he said to me, ^(A)“Take and eat it; and it will make your stomach bitter, but it will be as sweet as honey in your mouth.”

¹⁰ Then I took the little book out of the angel’s hand and ate it, ^(B)and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth. But when I had eaten it, ^(C)my stomach became bitter. ¹¹ And ^[a]he said to me, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings.”