Passage Resources Hebrew/Greek Your Content
Previous Next
Add parallel Print Page Options
Close CJB

Revelation 6-14
Complete Jewish Bible

6 Next I watched as the Lamb broke the first of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living beings say in a thundering voice, “Go!” 2 I looked, and there in front of me was a white horse; its rider had a bow and was given a crown; and he rode off as a conqueror to conquer.

3 When he broke the second seal, I heard the second living being say, “Go!” 4 Another horse went out, a red one; and its rider was given the power to take peace away from the earth and make people slaughter each other. He was given a great sword.

5 When he broke the third seal, I heard the third living being say, “Go!” I looked, and there in front of me was a black horse, and its rider held in his hand a pair of scales. 6 Then I heard what sounded like a voice from among the four living beings say, “Two pounds of wheat for a day’s wages! Six pounds of barley for the same price! But don’t damage the oil or the wine!”

7 When he broke the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living being say, “Go!” 8 I looked, and there in front of me was a pallid, sickly-looking horse. Its rider’s name was Death, and Sh’ol followed behind him. They were given authority to kill one-quarter of the world by war, by famine, by plagues and with the wild animals of the earth.

9 When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been put to death for proclaiming the Word of God, that is, for bearing witness. 10 They cried out in a loud voice, “Sovereign Ruler, HaKadosh, the True One, how long will it be before you judge the people living on earth and avenge our blood?” 11 Each of them was given a white robe; and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow-servants should be reached, of their brothers who would be killed, just as they had been.

12 Then I watched as he broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake, the sun turned black as sackcloth worn in mourning, and the full moon became blood-red. 13 The stars fell from heaven to earth just as a fig tree drops its figs when shaken by a strong wind. 14 The sky receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved from its place. 15 Then the earth’s kings, the rulers, the generals, the rich and the mighty — indeed, everyone, slave and free — hid himself in caves and among the rocks in the mountains, 16 and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us, and hide us[a] from the face of the One sitting on the throne and from the fury of the Lamb! 17 For the Great Day of their fury has come, and who can stand?”

7 After this, I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, so that no wind would blow on the land, on the sea or on any tree. 2 I saw another angel coming up from the east with a seal from the living God, and he shouted to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea, 3 “Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads!” 4 I heard how many were sealed — 144,000 from every tribe of the people of Isra’el:

5 From the tribe of Y’hudah12,000 were sealed
from the tribe of Re’uven12,000
from the tribe of Gad,12,000
6 from the tribe of Asher12,000
from the tribe of Naftali12,000
from the tribe of M’nasheh12,000
7 from the tribe of Shim‘on12,000
from the tribe of Levi12,000
from the tribe of Yissakhar12,000
8 from the tribe of Z’vulun12,000
from the tribe of Yosef12,000
from the tribe of Binyamin12,000

9 After this, I looked; and there before me was a huge crowd, too large for anyone to count, from every nation, tribe, people and language. They were standing in front of the throne and in front of the Lamb, dressed in white robes and holding palm branches in their hands; 10 and they shouted,

“Victory to our God,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb!”

11 All the angels stood around the throne, the elders and the four living beings; they fell face down before the throne and worshipped God, saying,

12 “Amen!

“Praise and glory, wisdom and thanks,
honor and power and strength
belong to our God forever and ever!

“Amen!”

13 One of the elders asked me, “These people dressed in white robes — who are they, and where are they from?” 14 “Sir,” I answered, “you know.” Then he told me, “These are the people who have come out of the Great Persecution. They have washed their robes and made them white with the blood of the Lamb. 15 That is why they are before God’s throne.

“Day and night they serve him in his Temple;
and the One who sits on the throne
will put his Sh’khinah upon them.

16 “They will never again be hungry,
they will never again be thirsty,
the sun will not beat down on them,
nor will any burning heat.[b]

17 “For the Lamb at the center of the throne
will shepherd them, will lead them
to springs of living water,[c]
and God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”[d]

8 When the Lamb broke the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for what seemed like half an hour. 2 Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and they were given seven shofars. 3 Another angel came and stood at the altar with a gold incense-bowl, and he was given a large quantity of incense to add to the prayers of all God’s people 4 on the gold altar in front of the throne. The smoke of the incense went up with the prayers of God’s people from the hand of the angel before God. 5 Then the angel took the incense-bowl, filled it with fire from the altar and threw it down onto the earth; and there followed peals of thunder, voices, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.

6 Now the seven angels with the seven shofars prepared to sound them.

7 The first one sounded his shofar; and there came hail and fire mingled with blood, and it was thrown down upon the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.

8 The second angel sounded his shofar, and what looked like an enormous blazing mountain was hurled into the sea. A third of the sea turned to blood, 9 a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.

10 The third angel sounded his shofar; and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky onto a third of the rivers and onto the springs of water. 11 The name of the star was “Bitterness,” and a third of the water became bitter, and many people died from the water that had been turned bitter.

12 The fourth angel sounded his shofar; and a third of the sun was struck, also a third of the moon and a third of the stars; so that a third of them were darkened, the day had a third less light, and the night likewise.

13 Then I looked, and I heard a lone eagle give a loud cry, as it flew in mid-heaven, “Woe! Woe! Woe to the people living on earth, because of the remaining blasts from the three angels who have yet to sound their shofars!”

9 The fifth angel sounded his shofar; and I saw a star that had fallen out of heaven onto the earth, and he was given the key to the shaft leading down to the Abyss. 2 He opened the shaft of the Abyss, and there went up smoke from the shaft like the smoke of a huge furnace; the sun was darkened, and the sky too, by the smoke from the shaft. 3 Then out of the smoke onto the earth came locusts, and they were given power like the power scorpions have on earth. 4 They were instructed not to harm the grass on the earth, any green plant or any tree, but only the people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. 5 The locusts were not allowed to kill them, only to inflict pain on them for five months; and the pain they caused was like the pain of a scorpion sting. 6 In those days people will seek death but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them.

7 Now these locusts looked like horses outfitted for battle. On their heads were what looked like crowns of gold, and their faces were like human faces. 8 They had hair like women’s hair, and their teeth were like those of lions. 9 Their chests were like iron breastplates, and the sound their wings made was like the roar of many horses and chariots rushing into battle. 10 They had tails like those of scorpions, with stings; and in their tails was their power to hurt people for five months. 11 They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is “Abaddon” and in our language, “Destroyer.”

12 The first woe has passed, but there are still two woes to come.

13 The sixth angel sounded his shofar, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the gold altar before God, 14 saying to the sixth angel, the one with the shofar, “Release the four angels that are bound at the great river Euphrates!” 15 And they were released. These four angels had been kept ready for this moment, for this day and month and year, to kill a third of mankind; 16 and the number of cavalry soldiers was two hundred million! — I heard the number.

17 Here is how the horses looked in the vision: the riders had breastplates that were fire-red, iris-blue and sulfur-yellow; the horses’ heads were like lions’ heads; and from their mouths issued fire, smoke and sulfur. 18 It was these three plagues that killed a third of mankind — the fire, smoke and sulfur issuing from the horses’ mouths. 19 For the power of the horses was in their mouths — and also in their tails, for their tails were like snakes with heads, and with them they could cause injury.

20 The rest of mankind, those who were not killed by these plagues, even then did not turn from what they had made with their own hands — they did not stop worshipping demons and idols made of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk.[e] 21 Nor did they turn from their murdering, their involvement with the occult and with drugs, their sexual immorality or their stealing.

10 Next I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven. He was dressed in a cloud, with a rainbow over his head; his face was like the sun, his legs like columns of fire; 2 and he had a little scroll lying open in his hand. He planted his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, 3 and shouted in a voice as loud as the roar of a lion; and when he shouted, seven thunderclaps sounded with voices that spoke. 4 When the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven say,

“Seal up the things the seven thunders said,
do not write them down!”

5 Then the angel I saw standing on the sea and on the land lifted his right hand toward heaven 6 and swore by the One who lives forever and ever,[f] who created heaven and what is in it, earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it:[g] “There will be no more delay; 7 on the contrary, in the days of the sound from the seventh angel when he sounds his shofar, the hidden plan of God will be brought to completion, the Good News as he proclaimed it to his servants the prophets.”

8 Next the voice which I had heard from heaven spoke to me again and said, “Go, take the scroll lying open in the hand of the angel standing on the sea and on the land!” 9 So I went over to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll; and he said to me, “Take it and eat it. It will turn 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; but after I had swallowed it, my stomach turned bitter. 11 Then I was told, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings.”

11 I was given a measuring rod like a stick and told, “Get up, and measure the Temple of God and the altar, and count how many people are worshipping there! 2 But the court outside the Temple, leave that out; don’t measure it; because it has been given to the Goyim, and they will trample over the holy city for forty-two months.

3 “Also I will give power to my two witnesses; and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, dressed in sackcloth.” 4 These are the two olive trees and the two menorahs standing before the Lord of the earth. 5 If anyone tries to do them harm, fire comes out of their mouth and consumes their enemies — yes, if anyone tries to harm them, that is how he must die. 6 They have the authority to shut up the sky, so that no rain falls during the period of their prophesying; also they have the authority to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want.

7 When they finish their witnessing, the beast coming up out of the Abyss will fight against them, overcome them and kill them; 8 and their dead bodies will lie in the main street of the great city whose name, to reflect its spiritual condition, is “S’dom” and “Egypt” — the city where their Lord was executed on a stake. 9 Some from the nations, tribes, languages and peoples see their bodies for three-and-a-half days and do not permit the corpses to be placed in a tomb. 10 The people living in the Land rejoice over them, they celebrate and send each other gifts, because these two prophets tormented them so.

11 But after the three-and-a-half days a breath of life from God entered them, they stood up on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. 12 Then the two heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here!” And they went up into heaven in a cloud, while their enemies watched them. 13 In that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were awestruck and gave glory to the God of heaven.

14 The second woe has passed; see, the third woe is coming quickly

15 The seventh angel sounded his shofar; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying,

“The kingdom of the world
has become the Kingdom
of our Lord and his Messiah,
and he will rule forever and ever!”

16 The twenty-four elders sitting on their thrones in God’s presence fell on their faces and worshipped God, 17 saying,

“We thank you, Adonai,
God of heaven’s armies,[h]
the One who is and was,
that you have taken your power
and have begun to rule.

18 “The Goyim raged.[i]
But now your rage has come,
the time for the dead to be judged,
the time for rewarding your servants the prophets
and your holy people,
those who stand in awe of your name,
both small and great.
It is also the time for destroying
those who destroy the earth.”

19 Then the Temple of God in heaven was opened, and the Ark of the Covenant was seen in his Temple; and there were flashes of lightning, voices, peals of thunder, an earthquake and violent hail.

12 Now a great sign was seen in heaven — a woman clothed with the sun, under her feet the moon, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. 2 She was pregnant and about to give birth, and she screamed in the agony of labor.

3 Another sign was seen in heaven there was a great red dragon with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven royal crowns. 4 Its tail swept a third of the stars out of heaven and threw them down to the earth. It stood in front of the woman about to give birth, so that it might devour the child the moment it was born.

5 She gave birth to a son, a male child, the one who will rule all the nations with a staff of iron.[j] But her child was snatched up to God and his throne; 6 and she fled into the desert, where she has a place prepared by God so that she can be taken care of for 1,260 days.

7 Next there was a battle in heaven — Mikha’el and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 8 But it was not strong enough to win, so that there was no longer any place for them in heaven. 9 The great dragon was thrown out, that ancient serpent, also known as the Devil and Satan [the Adversary], the deceiver of the whole world. He was hurled down to the earth, and his angels were hurled down with him.

10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven saying,

“Now have come God’s victory, power and kingship,
and the authority of his Messiah;
because the Accuser of our brothers,
who accuses them day and night before God,
has been thrown out!

11 “They defeated him because of the Lamb’s blood
and because of the message of their witness.
Even when facing death
they did not cling to life.

12 “Therefore, rejoice, heaven and you who live there!
But woe to you, land and sea,
for the Adversary has come down to you,
and he is very angry, because he knows that his time is short!”

13 When the dragon saw that he had been hurled down to the earth, he went in pursuit of the woman who had given birth to the male child. 14 But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle, so that she could fly to her place in the desert, where she is taken care of for a season and two seasons and half a season,[k] away from the serpent’s presence. 15 The serpent spewed water like a river out of its mouth after the woman, in order to sweep her away in the flood; 16 but the land came to her rescue — it opened its mouth and swallowed up the river which the dragon had spewed out of its mouth. 17 The dragon was infuriated over the woman and went off to fight the rest of her children, those who obey God’s commands and bear witness to Yeshua.

18 Then the dragon stood on the seashore;

13 and I saw a beast come up out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads. On its horns were ten royal crowns and on its heads blasphemous names. 2 The beast which I saw was like a leopard, but with feet like those of a bear and a mouth like the mouth of a lion. To it the dragon gave its power, its throne and great authority. 3 One of the heads of the beast appeared to have received a fatal wound, but its fatal wound was healed, and the whole earth followed after the beast in amazement. 4 They worshipped the dragon, because he had given his authority to the beast; and they worshipped the beast, saying,

“Who is like the beast?
Who can fight against it?”

5 It was given a mouth speaking arrogant blasphemies; and it was given authority to act for forty-two months. 6 So it opened its mouth in blasphemies against God to insult his name and his Sh’khinah, and those living in heaven; 7 it was allowed to make war on God’s holy people and to defeat them; and it was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. 8 Everyone living on earth will worship it except those whose names are written in the Book of Life belonging to the Lamb slaughtered before the world was founded. 9 Those who have ears, let them hear!

10 “If anyone is meant for captivity,
into captivity he goes!
If anyone is to be killed with the sword,
with the sword he is to be killed!”[l]

This is when God’s holy people must persevere and trust!

11 Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth. It had two horns like those of a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon. 12 It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence; and it makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, the one whose fatal wound had been healed. 13 It performs great miracles, even causing fire to come down from heaven onto the earth as people watch. 14 It deceives the people living on earth by the miracles it is allowed to perform in the presence of the beast, and it tells them to make an image honoring the beast that was struck by the sword but came alive again. 15 It was allowed to put breath into the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast could even speak; and it was allowed to cause anyone who would not worship the image of the beast to be put to death. 16 Also it forces everyone — great and small, rich and poor, free and slave — to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead 17 preventing anyone from buying or selling unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. 18 This is where wisdom is needed; those who understand should count the number of the beast, for it is the number of a person, and its number is 666.

14 Then I looked, and there was the Lamb standing on Mount Tziyon; and with him were 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. 2 I heard a sound from heaven like the sound of rushing waters and like the sound of pealing thunder; the sound I heard was also like that of harpists playing on their harps. 3 They were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living beings and the elders, and no one could learn the song except the 144,000 who have been ransomed from the world. 4 These are the ones who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins; they follow the Lamb wherever he goes; they have been ransomed from among humanity as firstfruits for God and the Lamb; 5 on their lips no lie was found — they are without defect.

6 Next I saw another angel flying in mid-heaven with everlasting Good News to proclaim to those living on the earth — to every nation, tribe, language and people. 7 In a loud voice he said,

“Fear God, give him glory,
for the hour has come when he will pass judgment!
Worship the One who made heaven and earth,
the sea and the springs of water!”

8 Another angel, a second one, followed, saying,

“She has fallen! She has fallen!
Bavel the Great![m]
She made all the nations drink the wine
of God’s fury caused by her whoring!”

9 Another angel, a third one, followed them and said in a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives the mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he will indeed drink the wine of God’s fury poured undiluted into the cup of his rage. He will be tormented by fire and sulfur before the holy angels and before the Lamb, 11 and the smoke from their tormenting goes up forever and ever. They have no rest, day or night, those who worship the beast and its image and those who receive the mark of its name.” 12 This is when perseverance is needed on the part of God’s people, those who observe his commands and exercise Yeshua’s faithfulness.

13 Next I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write: ‘How blessed are the dead who die united with the Lord, from now on!’ ‘Yes,’ says the Spirit, ‘now they may rest from their efforts, for the things they have accomplished follow along with them.’”

14 Then I looked, and there before me was a white cloud. Sitting on the cloud was someone like a Son of Man[n] with a gold crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. 15 Another angel came out of the Temple and shouted to the one sitting on the cloud, “Start using your sickle to reap, because the time to reap has come — the earth’s harvest is ripe!” 16 The one sitting on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested.

17 Another angel came out of the Temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. 18 Then out from the altar went yet another angel, who was in charge of the fire; and he called in a loud voice to the one with the sharp sickle, “Use your sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of grapes from the earth’s vine, because they are ripe!” 19 The angel swung his sickle down onto the earth, gathered the earth’s grapes and threw them into the great winepress of God’s fury. 20 The winepress was trodden outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress as high as the horses’ bridles for two hundred miles!

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 6:16 Hosea 10:8
  2. Revelation 7:16 Isaiah 49:10
  3. Revelation 7:17 Isaiah 49:10; Jeremiah 2:13; Ezekiel 34:23; Psalm 23:1–2
  4. Revelation 7:17 Isaiah 25:8
  5. Revelation 9:20 Psalms 115:4–7; 135:15–17; Daniel 5:23
  6. Revelation 10:6 Deuteronomy 32:40; Daniel 12:7
  7. Revelation 10:6 Nehemiah 9:6; see also Exodus 20:11; Psalm 146:6
  8. Revelation 11:17 Amos 3:13; 4:13
  9. Revelation 11:18 Psalm 2:1
  10. Revelation 12:5 Psalm 2:9
  11. Revelation 12:14 Daniel 7:25; 12:7
  12. Revelation 13:10 Jeremiah 15:2, 43:11
  13. Revelation 14:8 Isaiah 21:9
  14. Revelation 14:14 Daniel 7:13
Listen to Revelation 6-14
Close NIV

Revelation 6-14
New International Version

The Seals

6 I watched as the Lamb(A) opened the first of the seven seals.(B) Then I heard one of the four living creatures(C) say in a voice like thunder,(D) “Come!” 2 I looked, and there before me was a white horse!(E) Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown,(F) and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.(G)

3 When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature(H) say, “Come!” 4 Then another horse came out, a fiery red one.(I) Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth(J) and to make people kill each other. To him was given a large sword.

5 When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature(K) say, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a black horse!(L) Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. 6 Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures,(M) saying, “Two pounds[a] of wheat for a day’s wages,[b] and six pounds[c] of barley for a day’s wages,[d](N) and do not damage(O) the oil and the wine!”

7 When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature(P) say, “Come!” 8 I looked, and there before me was a pale horse!(Q) Its rider was named Death, and Hades(R) was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.(S)

9 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under(T) the altar(U) the souls of those who had been slain(V) because of the word of God(W) and the testimony they had maintained. 10 They called out in a loud voice, “How long,(X) Sovereign Lord,(Y) holy and true,(Z) until you judge the inhabitants of the earth(AA) and avenge our blood?”(AB) 11 Then each of them was given a white robe,(AC) and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters,[e] were killed just as they had been.(AD)

12 I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake.(AE) The sun turned black(AF) like sackcloth(AG) made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, 13 and the stars in the sky fell to earth,(AH) as figs drop from a fig tree(AI) when shaken by a strong wind. 14 The heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up,(AJ) and every mountain and island was removed from its place.(AK)

15 Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and everyone else, both slave and free,(AL) hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains.(AM) 16 They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us(AN) and hide us[f] from the face of him who sits on the throne(AO) and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day(AP) of their[g] wrath has come, and who can withstand it?”(AQ)

144,000 Sealed

7 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners(AR) of the earth, holding back the four winds(AS) of the earth to prevent(AT) any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree. 2 Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal(AU) of the living God.(AV) He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea:(AW) 3 “Do not harm(AX) the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads(AY) of the servants of our God.” 4 Then I heard the number(AZ) of those who were sealed: 144,000(BA) from all the tribes of Israel.

5 From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed,

from the tribe of Reuben 12,000,

from the tribe of Gad 12,000,

6 from the tribe of Asher 12,000,

from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000,

from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000,

7 from the tribe of Simeon 12,000,

from the tribe of Levi 12,000,

from the tribe of Issachar 12,000,

8 from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000,

from the tribe of Joseph 12,000,

from the tribe of Benjamin 12,000.

The Great Multitude in White Robes

9 After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language,(BB) standing before the throne(BC) and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes(BD) and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice:

“Salvation belongs to our God,(BE)
who sits on the throne,(BF)
and to the Lamb.”

11 All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders(BG) and the four living creatures.(BH) They fell down on their faces(BI) before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying:

“Amen!
Praise and glory
and wisdom and thanks and honor
and power and strength
be to our God for ever and ever.
Amen!”(BJ)

13 Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes(BK)—who are they, and where did they come from?”

14 I answered, “Sir, you know.”

And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes(BL) and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.(BM) 15 Therefore,

“they are before the throne of God(BN)
    and serve him(BO) day and night in his temple;(BP)
and he who sits on the throne(BQ)
    will shelter them with his presence.(BR)
16 ‘Never again will they hunger;
    never again will they thirst.(BS)
The sun will not beat down on them,’[h]
    nor any scorching heat.(BT)
17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne
    will be their shepherd;(BU)
‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’[i](BV)
    ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’[j]”(BW)

The Seventh Seal and the Golden Censer

8 When he opened the seventh seal,(BX) there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.

2 And I saw the seven angels(BY) who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them.(BZ)

3 Another angel,(CA) who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people,(CB) on the golden altar(CC) in front of the throne. 4 The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God(CD) from the angel’s hand. 5 Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar,(CE) and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder,(CF) rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.(CG)

The Trumpets

6 Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets(CH) prepared to sound them.

7 The first angel(CI) sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire(CJ) mixed with blood, and it was hurled down on the earth. A third(CK) of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.(CL)

8 The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a huge mountain,(CM) all ablaze, was thrown into the sea. A third(CN) of the sea turned into blood,(CO) 9 a third(CP) of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.

10 The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky(CQ) on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water(CR)— 11 the name of the star is Wormwood.[k] A third(CS) of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter.(CT)

12 The fourth angel sounded his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third(CU) of them turned dark.(CV) A third of the day was without light, and also a third of the night.(CW)

13 As I watched, I heard an eagle that was flying in midair(CX) call out in a loud voice: “Woe! Woe! Woe(CY) to the inhabitants of the earth,(CZ) because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels!”

9 The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth.(DA) The star was given the key(DB) to the shaft of the Abyss.(DC) 2 When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace.(DD) The sun and sky were darkened(DE) by the smoke from the Abyss.(DF) 3 And out of the smoke locusts(DG) came down on the earth and were given power like that of scorpions(DH) of the earth. 4 They were told not to harm(DI) the grass of the earth or any plant or tree,(DJ) but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads.(DK) 5 They were not allowed to kill them but only to torture them for five months.(DL) And the agony they suffered was like that of the sting of a scorpion(DM) when it strikes. 6 During those days people will seek death but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them.(DN)

7 The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle.(DO) On their heads they wore something like crowns of gold, and their faces resembled human faces.(DP) 8 Their hair was like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth.(DQ) 9 They had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle.(DR) 10 They had tails with stingers, like scorpions, and in their tails they had power to torment people for five months.(DS) 11 They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss,(DT) whose name in Hebrew(DU) is Abaddon(DV) and in Greek is Apollyon (that is, Destroyer).

12 The first woe is past; two other woes are yet to come.(DW)

13 The sixth angel sounded his trumpet, and I heard a voice coming from the four horns(DX) of the golden altar that is before God.(DY) 14 It said to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels(DZ) who are bound at the great river Euphrates.”(EA) 15 And the four angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released(EB) to kill a third(EC) of mankind.(ED) 16 The number of the mounted troops was twice ten thousand times ten thousand. I heard their number.(EE)

17 The horses and riders I saw in my vision looked like this: Their breastplates were fiery red, dark blue, and yellow as sulfur. The heads of the horses resembled the heads of lions, and out of their mouths(EF) came fire, smoke and sulfur.(EG) 18 A third(EH) of mankind was killed(EI) by the three plagues of fire, smoke and sulfur(EJ) that came out of their mouths. 19 The power of the horses was in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails were like snakes, having heads with which they inflict injury.

20 The rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent(EK) of the work of their hands;(EL) they did not stop worshiping demons,(EM) and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood—idols that cannot see or hear or walk.(EN) 21 Nor did they repent(EO) of their murders, their magic arts,(EP) their sexual immorality(EQ) or their thefts.

The Angel and the Little Scroll

10 Then I saw another mighty angel(ER) coming down from heaven.(ES) He was robed in a cloud, with a rainbow(ET) above his head; his face was like the sun,(EU) and his legs were like fiery pillars.(EV) 2 He was holding a little scroll,(EW) which lay open in his hand. He planted his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land,(EX) 3 and he gave a loud shout like the roar of a lion.(EY) When he shouted, the voices of the seven thunders(EZ) spoke. 4 And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write;(FA) but I heard a voice from heaven(FB) say, “Seal up what the seven thunders have said and do not write it down.”(FC)

5 Then the angel I had seen standing on the sea and on the land(FD) raised his right hand to heaven.(FE) 6 And he swore(FF) by him who lives for ever and ever,(FG) who created the heavens and all that is in them, the earth and all that is in it, and the sea and all that is in it,(FH) and said, “There will be no more delay!(FI) 7 But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet,(FJ) the mystery(FK) of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.”(FL)

8 Then the voice that I had heard from heaven(FM) spoke to me once more: “Go, take the scroll(FN) that lies open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.”

9 So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, “Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but ‘in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.’[l]”(FO) 10 I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth,(FP) but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour. 11 Then I was told, “You must prophesy(FQ) again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings.”(FR)

The Two Witnesses

11 I was given a reed like a measuring rod(FS) and was told, “Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, with its worshipers. 2 But exclude the outer court;(FT) do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles.(FU) They will trample on the holy city(FV) for 42 months.(FW) 3 And I will appoint my two witnesses,(FX) and they will prophesy for 1,260 days,(FY) clothed in sackcloth.”(FZ) 4 They are “the two olive trees”(GA) and the two lampstands, and “they stand before the Lord of the earth.”[m](GB) 5 If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies.(GC) This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die.(GD) 6 They have power to shut up the heavens(GE) so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying;(GF) and they have power to turn the waters into blood(GG) and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want.

7 Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast(GH) that comes up from the Abyss(GI) will attack them,(GJ) and overpower and kill them. 8 Their bodies will lie in the public square of the great city(GK)—which is figuratively called Sodom(GL) and Egypt—where also their Lord was crucified.(GM) 9 For three and a half days some from every people, tribe, language and nation(GN) will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial.(GO) 10 The inhabitants of the earth(GP) will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts,(GQ) because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth.

11 But after the three and a half days(GR) the breath[n] of life from God entered them,(GS) and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them. 12 Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.”(GT) And they went up to heaven in a cloud,(GU) while their enemies looked on.

13 At that very hour there was a severe earthquake(GV) and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the survivors were terrified and gave glory(GW) to the God of heaven.(GX)

14 The second woe has passed; the third woe is coming soon.(GY)

The Seventh Trumpet

15 The seventh angel sounded his trumpet,(GZ) and there were loud voices(HA) in heaven, which said:

“The kingdom of the world has become
    the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah,(HB)
    and he will reign for ever and ever.”(HC)

16 And the twenty-four elders,(HD) who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces(HE) and worshiped God, 17 saying:

“We give thanks(HF) to you, Lord God Almighty,(HG)
    the One who is and who was,(HH)
because you have taken your great power
    and have begun to reign.(HI)
18 The nations were angry,(HJ)
    and your wrath has come.
The time has come for judging the dead,(HK)
    and for rewarding your servants the prophets(HL)
and your people who revere your name,
    both great and small(HM)—
and for destroying those who destroy the earth.”

19 Then God’s temple(HN) in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant.(HO) And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder,(HP) an earthquake and a severe hailstorm.(HQ)

The Woman and the Dragon

12 A great sign(HR) appeared in heaven:(HS) a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars(HT) on her head. 2 She was pregnant and cried out in pain(HU) as she was about to give birth. 3 Then another sign appeared in heaven:(HV) an enormous red dragon(HW) with seven heads(HX) and ten horns(HY) and seven crowns(HZ) on its heads. 4 Its tail swept a third(IA) of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth.(IB) The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child(IC) the moment he was born. 5 She gave birth to a son, a male child, who “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.”[o](ID) And her child was snatched up(IE) to God and to his throne. 6 The woman fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.(IF)

7 Then war broke out in heaven. Michael(IG) and his angels fought against the dragon,(IH) and the dragon and his angels(II) fought back. 8 But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. 9 The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent(IJ) called the devil,(IK) or Satan,(IL) who leads the whole world astray.(IM) He was hurled to the earth,(IN) and his angels with him.

10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven(IO) say:

“Now have come the salvation(IP) and the power
    and the kingdom of our God,
    and the authority of his Messiah.
For the accuser of our brothers and sisters,(IQ)
    who accuses them before our God day and night,
    has been hurled down.
11 They triumphed over(IR) him
    by the blood of the Lamb(IS)
    and by the word of their testimony;(IT)
they did not love their lives so much
    as to shrink from death.(IU)
12 Therefore rejoice, you heavens(IV)
    and you who dwell in them!
But woe(IW) to the earth and the sea,(IX)
    because the devil has gone down to you!
He is filled with fury,
    because he knows that his time is short.”

13 When the dragon(IY) saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child.(IZ) 14 The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle,(JA) so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time,(JB) out of the serpent’s reach. 15 Then from his mouth the serpent(JC) spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent. 16 But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. 17 Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war(JD) against the rest of her offspring(JE)—those who keep God’s commands(JF) and hold fast their testimony about Jesus.(JG)

The Beast out of the Sea

13 The dragon[p] stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea.(JH) It had ten horns and seven heads,(JI) with ten crowns on its horns, and on each head a blasphemous name.(JJ) 2 The beast I saw resembled a leopard,(JK) but had feet like those of a bear(JL) and a mouth like that of a lion.(JM) The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority.(JN) 3 One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed.(JO) The whole world was filled with wonder(JP) and followed the beast. 4 People worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, “Who is like(JQ) the beast? Who can wage war against it?”

5 The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies(JR) and to exercise its authority for forty-two months.(JS) 6 It opened its mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven.(JT) 7 It was given power to wage war(JU) against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And it was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation.(JV) 8 All inhabitants of the earth(JW) will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life,(JX) the Lamb(JY) who was slain from the creation of the world.[q](JZ)

9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.(KA)

10 “If anyone is to go into captivity,
    into captivity they will go.
If anyone is to be killed[r] with the sword,
    with the sword they will be killed.”[s](KB)

This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness(KC) on the part of God’s people.(KD)

The Beast out of the Earth

11 Then I saw a second beast, coming out of the earth.(KE) It had two horns like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon.(KF) 12 It exercised all the authority(KG) of the first beast on its behalf,(KH) and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast,(KI) whose fatal wound had been healed.(KJ) 13 And it performed great signs,(KK) even causing fire to come down from heaven(KL) to the earth in full view of the people. 14 Because of the signs(KM) it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived(KN) the inhabitants of the earth.(KO) It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived.(KP) 15 The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship(KQ) the image to be killed.(KR) 16 It also forced all people, great and small,(KS) rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads,(KT) 17 so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark,(KU) which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.(KV)

18 This calls for wisdom.(KW) Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man.[t](KX) That number is 666.

The Lamb and the 144,000

14 Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb,(KY) standing on Mount Zion,(KZ) and with him 144,000(LA) who had his name and his Father’s name(LB) written on their foreheads.(LC) 2 And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters(LD) and like a loud peal of thunder.(LE) The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps.(LF) 3 And they sang a new song(LG) before the throne and before the four living creatures(LH) and the elders.(LI) No one could learn the song except the 144,000(LJ) who had been redeemed from the earth. 4 These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they remained virgins.(LK) They follow the Lamb wherever he goes.(LL) They were purchased from among mankind(LM) and offered as firstfruits(LN) to God and the Lamb. 5 No lie was found in their mouths;(LO) they are blameless.(LP)

The Three Angels

6 Then I saw another angel flying in midair,(LQ) and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth(LR)—to every nation, tribe, language and people.(LS) 7 He said in a loud voice, “Fear God(LT) and give him glory,(LU) because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made(LV) the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.”(LW)

8 A second angel followed and said, “‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great,’[u](LX) which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries.”(LY)

9 A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast(LZ) and its image(MA) and receives its mark on their forehead(MB) or on their hand, 10 they, too, will drink the wine of God’s fury,(MC) which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath.(MD) They will be tormented with burning sulfur(ME) in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment will rise for ever and ever.(MF) There will be no rest day or night(MG) for those who worship the beast and its image,(MH) or for anyone who receives the mark of its name.”(MI) 12 This calls for patient endurance(MJ) on the part of the people of God(MK) who keep his commands(ML) and remain faithful to Jesus.

13 Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord(MM) from now on.”

“Yes,” says the Spirit,(MN) “they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.”

Harvesting the Earth and Trampling the Winepress

14 I looked, and there before me was a white cloud,(MO) and seated on the cloud was one like a son of man[v](MP) with a crown(MQ) of gold on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. 15 Then another angel came out of the temple(MR) and called in a loud voice to him who was sitting on the cloud, “Take your sickle(MS) and reap, because the time to reap has come, for the harvest(MT) of the earth is ripe.” 16 So he who was seated on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested.

17 Another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle.(MU) 18 Still another angel, who had charge of the fire, came from the altar(MV) and called in a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, “Take your sharp sickle(MW) and gather the clusters of grapes from the earth’s vine, because its grapes are ripe.” 19 The angel swung his sickle on the earth, gathered its grapes and threw them into the great winepress of God’s wrath.(MX) 20 They were trampled in the winepress(MY) outside the city,(MZ) and blood(NA) flowed out of the press, rising as high as the horses’ bridles for a distance of 1,600 stadia.[w]

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 6:6 Or about 1 kilogram
  2. Revelation 6:6 Greek a denarius
  3. Revelation 6:6 Or about 3 kilograms
  4. Revelation 6:6 Greek a denarius
  5. Revelation 6:11 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family; also in 12:10; 19:10.
  6. Revelation 6:16 See Hosea 10:8.
  7. Revelation 6:17 Some manuscripts his
  8. Revelation 7:16 Isaiah 49:10
  9. Revelation 7:17 Isaiah 49:10
  10. Revelation 7:17 Isaiah 25:8
  11. Revelation 8:11 Wormwood is a bitter substance.
  12. Revelation 10:9 Ezek. 3:3
  13. Revelation 11:4 See Zech. 4:3,11,14.
  14. Revelation 11:11 Or Spirit (see Ezek. 37:5,14)
  15. Revelation 12:5 Psalm 2:9
  16. Revelation 13:1 Some manuscripts And I
  17. Revelation 13:8 Or written from the creation of the world in the book of life belonging to the Lamb who was slain
  18. Revelation 13:10 Some manuscripts anyone kills
  19. Revelation 13:10 Jer. 15:2
  20. Revelation 13:18 Or is humanity’s number
  21. Revelation 14:8 Isaiah 21:9
  22. Revelation 14:14 See Daniel 7:13.
  23. Revelation 14:20 That is, about 180 miles or about 300 kilometers
Next
Revelation 5
Revelation 15
Next
dropdown
Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)

Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.

July Summer Surge

More on the NIV