The Two Witnesses

11 Then I was given a measuring reed(A) like a rod,[a] with these words: “Go[b] and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count those who worship there. But exclude the courtyard outside the temple.(B) Don’t measure it, because it is given to the nations,[c](C) and they will trample the holy city(D) for forty-two months.(E) I will grant[d] my two witnesses authority to prophesy for 1,260 days, dressed in sackcloth.”(F) These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord[e] of the earth.(G) If anyone wants to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and consumes their enemies;(H) if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this way. They have authority to close up the sky so that it does not rain during the days of their prophecy.(I) They also have power over the waters to turn them into blood(J) and to strike the earth with every plague whenever they want.(K)

The Witnesses Martyred

When they finish their testimony, the beast(L) that comes up out of the abyss(M) will make war on them, conquer them, and kill them. Their dead bodies[f](N) will lie in the main street[g] of the great city,(O) which figuratively[h] is called Sodom(P) and Egypt,(Q) where also their Lord was crucified. And some of[i] the peoples, tribes, languages, and nations(R) will view their bodies for three and a half days and not permit their bodies to be put into a tomb.(S) 10 Those who live on the earth will gloat(T) over them and celebrate and send gifts to one another because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth.

The Witnesses Resurrected

11 But after three and a half days, the breath[j] of life(U) from God entered them, and they stood on their feet. Great fear fell on those who saw them. 12 Then they heard[k] a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” They went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies watched them.(V) 13 At that moment a violent earthquake took place,(W) a tenth of the city fell, and seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake. The survivors were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.

14 The second woe(X) has passed. Take note: The third woe is coming soon!

The Seventh Trumpet

15 The seventh angel blew his trumpet,(Y) and there were loud voices in heaven saying,

The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom
of our Lord and of his Christ,
and he will reign forever and ever.(Z)

16 The twenty-four elders, who were seated before God on their thrones, fell facedown and worshiped God, 17 saying,

We give you thanks, Lord God, the Almighty,
who is and who was,[l](AA)
because you have taken your great power
and have begun to reign.(AB)
18 The nations were angry,(AC)
but your wrath has come.
The time has come
for the dead to be judged
and to give the reward
to your servants the prophets,(AD)
to the saints, and to those who fear your name,
both small and great,(AE)
and the time has come to destroy
those who destroy the earth.

19 Then the temple of God in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant[m] appeared in his temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder,(AF) an earthquake,[n] and severe hail.

Footnotes

  1. 11:1 Other mss add and the angel stood up
  2. 11:1 Lit “Arise
  3. 11:2 Or Gentiles
  4. 11:3 Or I will give to
  5. 11:4 Other mss read God
  6. 11:8 Or Their corpse
  7. 11:8 Or lie on the broad street
  8. 11:8 Or spiritually
  9. 11:9 Lit And from
  10. 11:11 Or spirit
  11. 11:12 Other mss read Then I heard
  12. 11:17 Other mss add and who is to come
  13. 11:19 Other mss read ark of the covenant of the Lord
  14. 11:19 Other mss omit an earthquake

The Two Witnesses

11 And a measuring rod similar in appearance to a staff was given to me, saying, “Get up and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship in it. And leave out the courtyard outside of the temple, and do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles, and they will trample the holy city for forty two months. And I will grant authority[a] to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for one thousand two hundred sixty days, dressed in sackcloth.” These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. And if anyone wants to harm them, fire comes out of their mouth and consumes their enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them, in this way he must be killed. These have the authority to shut the sky, so that it does not rain[b] during the days of their prophecy. And they have authority over the waters, to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with every plague as often as they wish.

And when they have completed their testimony, the beast that comes up from the abyss will make war with them and will conquer them and will kill them. And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which is called symbolically Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. And those from peoples and tribes and languages and nations will see their dead bodies three and a half days, and they will not allow their dead bodies to be placed in a tomb. 10 And those who live on the earth will rejoice over them, and will celebrate and will send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who live on the earth.

11 And after the three and a half days, the breath of life from God entered into them, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. 12 And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here,” and they went up into heaven in a cloud, and their enemies watched them. 13 And at that hour a great earthquake took place, and a tenth of the city collapsed, and seven thousand people[c] were killed by the earthquake, and the rest became terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. 14 The second woe has passed. Behold, the third woe is coming quickly!

The Blowing of the Seventh Trumpet

15 And the seventh angel blew the trumpet, and there was a loud voice in heaven saying,

“The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord
    and of his Christ,
and he will reign forever and ever[d].”

16 And the twenty-four elders who are seated on their thrones before God fell down on their faces and worshiped God, 17 saying,

“We give thanks to you, Lord God All-Powerful,
    the one who is and the one who was,
because you have taken your great power
    and have begun to reign.
18 And the nations were angry,
    and your wrath has come,
    and the time for the dead to be judged,
and to give their[e] reward to your slaves the prophets
    and to the saints and to the ones who fear your name,
    the small and the great,
and to destroy those who destroy the earth.”

19 And the temple of God in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant appeared in his temple, and there were lightnings and sounds and thunders and an earthquake and large hail.[f]

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 11:3 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  2. Revelation 11:6 Literally “it does not rain rain”; the redundancy is removed in the translation
  3. Revelation 11:13 Literally “names of men”
  4. Revelation 11:15 Literally “for the ages of the ages”
  5. Revelation 11:18 Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
  6. Revelation 11:19 Or “a great hailstorm”