Revelation 16
Living Bible
16 And I heard a mighty voice shouting from the temple to the seven angels, “Now go your ways and empty out the seven flasks of the wrath of God upon the earth.”
2 So the first angel left the temple and poured out his flask over the earth, and horrible, malignant sores broke out on everyone who had the mark of the Creature and was worshiping his statue.
3 The second angel poured out his flask upon the oceans, and they became like the watery blood of a dead man; and everything in all the oceans died.
4 The third angel poured out his flask upon the rivers and springs and they became blood. 5 And I heard this angel of the waters declaring, “You are just in sending this judgment, O Holy One, who is and was, 6 for your saints and prophets have been martyred and their blood poured out upon the earth; and now, in turn, you have poured out the blood of those who murdered them; it is their just reward.”
7 And I heard the angel of the altar say,[a] “Yes, Lord God Almighty, your punishments are just and true.”
8 Then the fourth angel poured out his flask upon the sun, causing it to scorch all men with its fire. 9 Everyone was burned by this blast of heat, and they cursed the name of God who sent the plagues—they did not change their mind and attitude to give him glory.
10 Then the fifth angel poured out his flask upon the throne of the Creature from the sea,[b] and his kingdom was plunged into darkness. And his subjects gnawed their tongues in anguish, 11 and cursed the God of heaven for their pains and sores, but they refused to repent of all their evil deeds.
12 The sixth angel poured out his flask upon the great River Euphrates and it dried up so that the kings from the east could march their armies westward without hindrance. 13 And I saw three evil spirits disguised as frogs leap from the mouth of the Dragon, the Creature, and his False Prophet.[c] 14 These miracle-working demons conferred with all the rulers of the world to gather them for battle against the Lord on that great coming Judgment Day of God Almighty.
15 “Take note: I will come as unexpectedly as a thief! Blessed are all who are awaiting me, who keep their robes in readiness and will not need to walk naked and ashamed.”
16 And they gathered all the armies of the world near a place called, in Hebrew, Armageddon—the Mountain of Megiddo.
17 Then the seventh angel poured out his flask into the air; and a mighty shout came from the throne of the temple in heaven, saying, “It is finished!”[d] 18 Then the thunder crashed and rolled, and lightning flashed; and there was a great earthquake of a magnitude unprecedented in human history. 19 The great city of “Babylon” split into three sections, and cities around the world fell in heaps of rubble; and so all of “Babylon’s” sins were remembered in God’s thoughts, and she was punished to the last drop of anger in the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. 20 And islands vanished, and mountains flattened out, 21 and there was an incredible hailstorm from heaven; hailstones weighing a hundred pounds fell from the sky onto the people below, and they cursed God because of the terrible hail.
Footnotes
- Revelation 16:7 I heard the angel of the altar say, literally, “I heard the altar cry.”
- Revelation 16:10 from the sea, implied.
- Revelation 16:13 his False Prophet, described in 13:11-15 and 19:20.
- Revelation 16:17 It is finished, literally, “It has happened.” An epoch of human history has come to an end.
Revelation 16
New King James Version
The Seven Bowls
16 Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying (A)to the seven angels, “Go and pour out the [a]bowls (B)of the wrath of God on the earth.”
First Bowl: Loathsome Sores
2 So the first went and poured out his bowl (C)upon the earth, and a [b]foul and (D)loathsome sore came upon the men (E)who had the mark of the beast and those (F)who worshiped his image.
Second Bowl: The Sea Turns to Blood
3 Then the second angel poured out his bowl (G)on the sea, and (H)it became blood as of a dead man; (I)and every living creature in the sea died.
Third Bowl: The Waters Turn to Blood
4 Then the third angel poured out his bowl (J)on the rivers and springs of water, (K)and they became blood. 5 And I heard the angel of the waters saying:
(L)“You are righteous, [c]O Lord,
The One (M)who is and who [d]was and who is to be,
Because You have judged these things.
6 For (N)they have shed the blood (O)of saints and prophets,
(P)And You have given them blood to drink.
[e]For it is their just due.”
7 And I heard [f]another from the altar saying, “Even so, (Q)Lord God Almighty, (R)true and righteous are Your judgments.”
Fourth Bowl: Men Are Scorched
8 Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl (S)on the sun, (T)and power was given to him to scorch men with fire. 9 And men were scorched with great heat, and they (U)blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; (V)and they did not repent (W)and give Him glory.
Fifth Bowl: Darkness and Pain
10 Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl (X)on the throne of the beast, (Y)and his kingdom became full of darkness; (Z)and they gnawed their tongues because of the pain. 11 They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and did not repent of their deeds.
Sixth Bowl: Euphrates Dried Up
12 Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl (AA)on the great river Euphrates, (AB)and its water was dried up, (AC)so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared. 13 And I saw three unclean (AD)spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of (AE)the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of (AF)the false prophet. 14 For they are spirits of demons, (AG)performing signs, which go out to the kings [g]of the earth and of (AH)the whole world, to gather them to (AI)the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
15 (AJ)“Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, (AK)lest he walk naked and they see his shame.”
16 (AL)And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, [h]Armageddon.
Seventh Bowl: The Earth Utterly Shaken
17 Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, (AM)“It is done!” 18 And (AN)there were noises and thunderings and lightnings; (AO)and there was a great earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake (AP)as had not occurred since men were on the earth. 19 Now (AQ)the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. And (AR)great Babylon (AS)was remembered before God, (AT)to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath. 20 Then (AU)every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. 21 And great hail from heaven fell upon men, each hailstone about the weight of a talent. Men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, since that plague was exceedingly great.
Footnotes
- Revelation 16:1 NU, M seven bowls
- Revelation 16:2 severe and malignant, lit. bad and evil
- Revelation 16:5 NU, M omit O Lord
- Revelation 16:5 NU, M was, the Holy One
- Revelation 16:6 NU, M omit For
- Revelation 16:7 NU, M omit another from
- Revelation 16:14 NU, M omit of the earth and
- Revelation 16:16 Lit. Mount Megiddo; M Megiddo
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.