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.

⁹ Now when I looked, there was ^(A)a hand stretched out to me; and behold, ^(B)a scroll of a book was in it. ¹⁰ Then He spread it before me; and there was writing on the inside and on the outside, and written on it were lamentations and mourning and woe.

¹¹ The whole vision has become to you like the words of a ^[a]book ^(A)that is sealed, which men deliver to one who is literate, saying, “Read this, please.”

^(B)And he says, “I cannot, for it is sealed.”

⁷ Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand ^(A)of Him who sat on the throne.

² He had a little book open in his hand. ^(A)And he set his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land,

First Seal: The Conqueror

6 Now ^(A)I saw when the Lamb opened one of the ^[a]seals; and I heard ^(B)one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, “Come and see.”

⁴ “But you, Daniel, ^(A)shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall ^(B)run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”

⁵ Then I, Daniel, looked; and there stood two others, one on this riverbank and the other on that ^(C)riverbank. ⁶ And one said to the man clothed in ^(D)linen, who was above the waters of the river, ^(E)“How long shall the fulfillment of these wonders be?”

⁷ Then I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, when he ^(F)held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, and swore by Him ^(G)who lives forever, ^(H)that it shall be for a time, times, and half a time; ^(I)and when the power of ^(J)the holy people has been completely shattered, all these things shall be finished.

⁸ Although I heard, I did not understand. Then I said, “My lord, what shall be the end of these things?”

⁹ And he said, “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.

¹³ And ^(A)every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying:

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.”