The Lamb and the 144,000

14 Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb,^(A) standing on Mount Zion,^(B) and with him 144,000^(C) who had his name and his Father’s name^(D) written on their foreheads.^{(E) 2} And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters^(F) and like a loud peal of thunder.^(G) The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps.^{(H) 3} And they sang a new song^(I) before the throne and before the four living creatures^(J) and the elders.^(K) No one could learn the song except the 144,000^(L) who had been redeemed from the earth. ⁴ These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they remained virgins.^(M) They follow the Lamb wherever he goes.^(N) They were purchased from among mankind^(O) and offered as firstfruits^(P) to God and the Lamb. ⁵ No lie was found in their mouths;^(Q) they are blameless.^(R)

The Three Angels

⁶ Then I saw another angel flying in midair,^(S) and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth^(T)—to every nation, tribe, language and people.^{(U) 7} He said in a loud voice, “Fear God^(V) and give him glory,^(W) because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made^(X) the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.”^(Y)

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

⁹ A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast^(AB) and its image^(AC) and receives its mark on their forehead^(AD) or on their hand, ¹⁰ they, too, will drink the wine of God’s fury,^(AE) which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath.^(AF) They will be tormented with burning sulfur^(AG) in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. ¹¹ And the smoke of their torment will rise for ever and ever.^(AH) There will be no rest day or night^(AI) for those who worship the beast and its image,^(AJ) or for anyone who receives the mark of its name.”^{(AK) 12} This calls for patient endurance^(AL) on the part of the people of God^(AM) who keep his commands^(AN) 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^(AO) from now on.”

“Yes,” says the Spirit,^(AP) “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,^(AQ) and seated on the cloud was one like a son of man^[b](AR) with a crown^(AS) of gold on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. ¹⁵ Then another angel came out of the temple^(AT) and called in a loud voice to him who was sitting on the cloud, “Take your sickle^(AU) and reap, because the time to reap has come, for the harvest^(AV) 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.^{(AW) 18} Still another angel, who had charge of the fire, came from the altar^(AX) and called in a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, “Take your sharp sickle^(AY) 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.^{(AZ) 20} They were trampled in the winepress^(BA) outside the city,^(BB) and blood^(BC) flowed out of the press, rising as high as the horses’ bridles for a distance of 1,600 stadia.^[c]

Ruth and Boaz at the Threshing Floor

3 One day Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi^(A) said to her, “My daughter, I must find a home^[a](B) for you, where you will be well provided for. ² Now Boaz, with whose women you have worked, is a relative^(C) of ours. Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor.^{(D) 3} Wash,^(E) put on perfume,^(F) and get dressed in your best clothes.^(G) Then go down to the threshing floor, but don’t let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking.^{(H) 4} When he lies down, note the place where he is lying. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what to do.”

⁵ “I will do whatever you say,”^(I) Ruth answered. ⁶ So she went down to the threshing floor^(J) and did everything her mother-in-law told her to do.

⁷ When Boaz had finished eating and drinking and was in good spirits,^(K) he went over to lie down at the far end of the grain pile.^(L) Ruth approached quietly, uncovered his feet and lay down. ⁸ In the middle of the night something startled the man; he turned—and there was a woman lying at his feet!

⁹ “Who are you?” he asked.

“I am your servant Ruth,” she said. “Spread the corner of your garment^(M) over me, since you are a guardian-redeemer^[b](N) of our family.”

¹⁰ “The Lord bless you,^(O) my daughter,” he replied. “This kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier:^(P) You have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor. ¹¹ And now, my daughter, don’t be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All the people of my town know that you are a woman of noble character.^{(Q) 12} Although it is true that I am a guardian-redeemer of our family,^(R) there is another who is more closely related than^(S) I. ¹³ Stay here for the night, and in the morning if he wants to do his duty as your guardian-redeemer,^(T) good; let him redeem you. But if he is not willing, as surely as the Lord lives^(U) I will do it.^(V) Lie here until morning.”

¹⁴ So she lay at his feet until morning, but got up before anyone could be recognized; and he said, “No one must know that a woman came to the threshing floor.^(W)”^(X)

¹⁵ He also said, “Bring me the shawl^(Y) you are wearing and hold it out.” When she did so, he poured into it six measures of barley and placed the bundle on her. Then he^[c] went back to town.

¹⁶ When Ruth came to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked, “How did it go, my daughter?”

Then she told her everything Boaz had done for her ¹⁷ and added, “He gave me these six measures of barley, saying, ‘Don’t go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’”

¹⁸ Then Naomi said, “Wait, my daughter, until you find out what happens. For the man will not rest until the matter is settled today.”^(Z)

Boaz Marries Ruth

4 Meanwhile Boaz went up to the town gate^(AA) and sat down there just as the guardian-redeemer^[d](AB) he had mentioned^(AC) came along. Boaz said, “Come over here, my friend, and sit down.” So he went over and sat down.

² Boaz took ten of the elders^(AD) of the town and said, “Sit here,” and they did so.^{(AE) 3} Then he said to the guardian-redeemer, “Naomi, who has come back from Moab, is selling the piece of land that belonged to our relative Elimelek.^{(AF) 4} I thought I should bring the matter to your attention and suggest that you buy it in the presence of these seated here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, do so. But if you^[e] will not, tell me, so I will know. For no one has the right to do it except you,^(AG) and I am next in line.”

“I will redeem it,” he said.

⁵ Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the land from Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite,^(AH) the^[f] dead man’s widow, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property.”^(AI)

⁶ At this, the guardian-redeemer said, “Then I cannot redeem^(AJ) it because I might endanger my own estate. You redeem it yourself. I cannot do it.”^(AK)

⁷ (Now in earlier times in Israel, for the redemption^(AL) and transfer of property to become final, one party took off his sandal^(AM) and gave it to the other. This was the method of legalizing transactions^(AN) in Israel.)^(AO)

⁸ So the guardian-redeemer said to Boaz, “Buy it yourself.” And he removed his sandal.^(AP)

⁹ Then Boaz announced to the elders and all the people, “Today you are witnesses^(AQ) that I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelek, Kilion and Mahlon. ¹⁰ I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite,^(AR) Mahlon’s widow, as my wife,^(AS) in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property, so that his name will not disappear from among his family or from his hometown.^(AT) Today you are witnesses!^(AU)”

¹¹ Then the elders and all the people at the gate^(AV) said, “We are witnesses.^(AW) May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah,^(AX) who together built up the family of Israel. May you have standing in Ephrathah^(AY) and be famous in Bethlehem.^{(AZ) 12} Through the offspring the Lord gives you by this young woman, may your family be like that of Perez,^(BA) whom Tamar^(BB) bore to Judah.”

Naomi Gains a Son

¹³ So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When he made love to her, the Lord enabled her to conceive,^(BC) and she gave birth to a son.^{(BD) 14} The women^(BE) said to Naomi: “Praise be to the Lord,^(BF) who this day has not left you without a guardian-redeemer.^(BG) May he become famous throughout Israel! ¹⁵ He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law,^(BH) who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons,^(BI) has given him birth.”

¹⁶ Then Naomi took the child in her arms and cared for him. ¹⁷ The women living there said, “Naomi has a son!” And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse,^(BJ) the father of David.^(BK)

The Genealogy of David^(BL)

¹⁸ This, then, is the family line of Perez^(BM):

Achish Sends David Back to Ziklag

29 The Philistines gathered^(A) all their forces at Aphek,^(B) and Israel camped by the spring in Jezreel.^{(C) 2} As the Philistine rulers marched with their units of hundreds and thousands, David and his men were marching at the rear^(D) with Achish. ³ The commanders of the Philistines asked, “What about these Hebrews?”

Achish replied, “Is this not David,^(E) who was an officer of Saul king of Israel? He has already been with me for over a year,^(F) and from the day he left Saul until now, I have found no fault in him.”

⁴ But the Philistine commanders were angry with Achish and said, “Send^(G) the man back, that he may return to the place you assigned him. He must not go with us into battle, or he will turn^(H) against us during the fighting. How better could he regain his master’s favor than by taking the heads of our own men? ⁵ Isn’t this the David they sang about in their dances:

⁶ So Achish called David and said to him, “As surely as the Lord lives, you have been reliable, and I would be pleased to have you serve with me in the army. From the day^(J) you came to me until today, I have found no fault in you, but the rulers^(K) don’t approve of you. ⁷ Now turn back and go in peace; do nothing to displease the Philistine rulers.”

⁸ “But what have I done?” asked David. “What have you found against your servant from the day I came to you until now? Why can’t I go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?”

⁹ Achish answered, “I know that you have been as pleasing in my eyes as an angel^(L) of God; nevertheless, the Philistine commanders^(M) have said, ‘He must not go up with us into battle.’ ¹⁰ Now get up early, along with your master’s servants who have come with you, and leave^(N) in the morning as soon as it is light.”

¹¹ So David and his men got up early in the morning to go back to the land of the Philistines, and the Philistines went up to Jezreel.

David Destroys the Amalekites

30 David and his men reached Ziklag^(O) on the third day. Now the Amalekites^(P) had raided the Negev and Ziklag. They had attacked Ziklag and burned^(Q) it, ² and had taken captive the women and everyone else in it, both young and old. They killed none of them, but carried them off as they went on their way.

³ When David and his men reached Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive.^{(R) 4} So David and his men wept^(S) aloud until they had no strength left to weep. ⁵ David’s two wives^(T) had been captured—Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel. ⁶ David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning^(U) him; each one was bitter^(V) in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength^(W) in the Lord his God.

⁷ Then David said to Abiathar^(X) the priest, the son of Ahimelek, “Bring me the ephod.^(Y)” Abiathar brought it to him, ⁸ and David inquired^(Z) of the Lord, “Shall I pursue this raiding party? Will I overtake them?”

“Pursue them,” he answered. “You will certainly overtake them and succeed^(AA) in the rescue.^(AB)”

⁹ David and the six hundred men^(AC) with him came to the Besor Valley, where some stayed behind. ¹⁰ Two hundred of them were too exhausted^(AD) to cross the valley, but David and the other four hundred continued the pursuit.

¹¹ They found an Egyptian in a field and brought him to David. They gave him water to drink and food to eat— ¹² part of a cake of pressed figs and two cakes of raisins. He ate and was revived,^(AE) for he had not eaten any food or drunk any water for three days and three nights.

¹³ David asked him, “Who do you belong to? Where do you come from?”

He said, “I am an Egyptian, the slave of an Amalekite.^(AF) My master abandoned me when I became ill three days ago. ¹⁴ We raided the Negev of the Kerethites,^(AG) some territory belonging to Judah and the Negev of Caleb.^(AH) And we burned^(AI) Ziklag.”

¹⁵ David asked him, “Can you lead me down to this raiding party?”

He answered, “Swear to me before God that you will not kill me or hand me over to my master,^(AJ) and I will take you down to them.”

¹⁶ He led David down, and there they were, scattered over the countryside, eating, drinking and reveling^(AK) because of the great amount of plunder^(AL) they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from Judah. ¹⁷ David fought^(AM) them from dusk until the evening of the next day, and none of them got away, except four hundred young men who rode off on camels and fled.^{(AN) 18} David recovered^(AO) everything the Amalekites had taken, including his two wives. ¹⁹ Nothing was missing: young or old, boy or girl, plunder or anything else they had taken. David brought everything back. ²⁰ He took all the flocks and herds, and his men drove them ahead of the other livestock, saying, “This is David’s plunder.”

²¹ Then David came to the two hundred men who had been too exhausted^(AP) to follow him and who were left behind at the Besor Valley. They came out to meet David and the men with him. As David and his men approached, he asked them how they were. ²² But all the evil men and troublemakers among David’s followers said, “Because they did not go out with us, we will not share with them the plunder we recovered. However, each man may take his wife and children and go.”

²³ David replied, “No, my brothers, you must not do that with what the Lord has given us. He has protected us and delivered into our hands the raiding party that came against us. ²⁴ Who will listen to what you say? The share of the man who stayed with the supplies is to be the same as that of him who went down to the battle. All will share alike.^(AQ)” ²⁵ David made this a statute and ordinance for Israel from that day to this.

²⁶ When David reached Ziklag, he sent some of the plunder to the elders of Judah, who were his friends, saying, “Here is a gift^(AR) for you from the plunder of the Lord’s enemies.”

²⁷ David sent it to those who were in Bethel,^(AS) Ramoth^(AT) Negev and Jattir;^{(AU) 28} to those in Aroer,^(AV) Siphmoth,^(AW) Eshtemoa^{(AX) 29} and Rakal; to those in the towns of the Jerahmeelites^(AY) and the Kenites;^{(AZ) 30} to those in Hormah,^(BA) Bor Ashan,^(BB) Athak ³¹ and Hebron;^(BC) and to those in all the other places where he and his men had roamed.

Saul Takes His Life^(BD)

31 Now the Philistines fought against Israel; the Israelites fled before them, and many fell dead on Mount Gilboa.^{(BE) 2} The Philistines were in hot pursuit of Saul and his sons,^(BF) and they killed his sons Jonathan,^(BG) Abinadab and Malki-Shua.^{(BH) 3} The fighting grew fierce around Saul, and when the archers overtook him, they wounded^(BI) him critically.

⁴ Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and run me through,^(BJ) or these uncircumcised^(BK) fellows will come and run me through and abuse me.”

But his armor-bearer was terrified and would not do it; so Saul took his own sword and fell on it. ⁵ When the armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his sword and died with him. ⁶ So Saul and his three sons and his armor-bearer and all his men died^(BL) together that same day.

⁷ When the Israelites along the valley and those across the Jordan saw that the Israelite army had fled and that Saul and his sons had died, they abandoned their towns and fled. And the Philistines came and occupied them.

⁸ The next day, when the Philistines^(BM) came to strip the dead, they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. ⁹ They cut off his head and stripped off his armor, and they sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to proclaim the news^(BN) in the temple of their idols and among their people.^{(BO) 10} They put his armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths^(BP) and fastened his body to the wall of Beth Shan.^(BQ)

¹¹ When the people of Jabesh Gilead^(BR) heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, ¹² all their valiant men^(BS) marched through the night to Beth Shan. They took down the bodies of Saul and his sons from the wall of Beth Shan and went to Jabesh, where they burned^(BT) them. ¹³ Then they took their bones^(BU) and buried them under a tamarisk^(BV) tree at Jabesh, and they fasted^(BW) seven days.^(BX)