Revelation 16
English Standard Version
The Seven Bowls of God's Wrath
16 Then I heard a loud voice from the temple telling (A)the seven angels, “Go and (B)pour out on the earth (C)the seven bowls of the wrath of God.”
2 So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth, and harmful and painful (D)sores came upon the people who bore (E)the mark of the beast and worshiped its image.
3 The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and (F)it became like the blood of a corpse, and (G)every living thing died that was in the sea.
4 The third angel poured out his bowl into (H)the rivers and the springs of water, and (I)they became blood. 5 And I heard the angel in charge of the waters[a] say,
(J)“Just are you, (K)O Holy One, (L)who is and who was,
for you brought these judgments.
6 For (M)they have shed the blood of (N)saints and prophets,
and (O)you have given them blood to drink.
It is what they deserve!”
7 And I heard (P)the altar saying,
“Yes, Lord God the Almighty,
(Q)true and just are your judgments!”
8 The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was allowed to scorch people (R)with fire. 9 They were scorched by the fierce heat, and (S)they cursed[b] the name of God who had power over these plagues. (T)They did not repent (U)and give him glory.
10 The fifth angel poured out his bowl on (V)the throne of the beast, and (W)its kingdom was plunged into darkness. People gnawed their tongues in anguish 11 and cursed (X)the God of heaven for their pain and (Y)sores. (Z)They did not repent of their deeds.
12 The sixth angel poured out his bowl on (AA)the great river Euphrates, and (AB)its water was dried up, (AC)to prepare the way for the kings (AD)from the east. 13 And I saw, coming out of the mouth of (AE)the dragon and out of the mouth of (AF)the beast and out of the mouth of (AG)the false prophet, three (AH)unclean spirits like (AI)frogs. 14 For they are (AJ)demonic spirits, (AK)performing signs, who go abroad to the kings of the whole world, (AL)to assemble them for battle on (AM)the great day of God the Almighty. 15 (“Behold, (AN)I am coming like a thief! (AO)Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, (AP)that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!”) 16 And (AQ)they assembled them at the place that in Hebrew is called (AR)Armageddon.
The Seventh Bowl
17 The seventh angel poured out his bowl into (AS)the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple, from the throne, saying, (AT)“It is done!” 18 And there were (AU)flashes of lightning, rumblings,[c] peals of thunder, and (AV)a great earthquake (AW)such as there had never been since man was on the earth, so great was that earthquake. 19 (AX)The great city (AY)was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell, and God (AZ)remembered (BA)Babylon the great, (BB)to make her drain the cup of the wine of the fury of his wrath. 20 And (BC)every island fled away, and no mountains were to be found. 21 And (BD)great hailstones, about one hundred pounds[d] each, fell from heaven on people; and (BE)they cursed God for (BF)the plague of the hail, because the plague was so severe.
Footnotes
- Revelation 16:5 Greek angel of the waters
- Revelation 16:9 Greek blasphemed; also verses 11, 21
- Revelation 16:18 Or voices, or sounds
- Revelation 16:21 Greek a talent in weight
Revelation 16
The Message
Pouring Out the Seven Disasters
16 I heard a shout of command from the Temple to the Seven Angels: “Begin! Pour out the seven bowls of God’s wrath on earth!”
2 The first Angel stepped up and poured his bowl out on earth: Loathsome, stinking sores erupted on all who had taken the mark of the Beast and worshiped its image.
3 The second Angel poured his bowl on the sea: The sea coagulated into blood, and everything in it died.
4-7 The third Angel poured his bowl on rivers and springs: The waters turned to blood. I heard the Angel of Waters say,
Righteous you are, and your judgments are righteous,
The Is, The Was, The Holy.
They poured out the blood of saints and prophets
so you’ve given them blood to drink—
they’ve gotten what they deserve!
Just then I heard the Altar chime in,
Yes, O God, the Sovereign-Strong!
Your judgments are true and just!
8-9 The fourth Angel poured his bowl on the sun: Fire blazed from the sun and scorched men and women. Burned and blistered, they cursed God’s Name, the God behind these disasters. They refused to repent, refused to honor God.
10-11 The fifth Angel poured his bowl on the throne of the Beast: Its kingdom fell into sudden eclipse. Mad with pain, men and women bit and chewed their tongues, cursed the God-of-Heaven for their torment and sores, and refused to repent and change their ways.
12-14 The sixth Angel poured his bowl on the great Euphrates River: It dried up to nothing. The dry riverbed became a fine roadbed for the kings from the East. From the mouths of the Dragon, the Beast, and the False Prophet I saw three foul demons crawl out—they looked like frogs. These are demon spirits performing signs. They’re after the kings of the whole world to get them gathered for battle on the Great Day of God, the Sovereign-Strong.
15 “Keep watch! I come unannounced, like a thief. You’re blessed if, awake and dressed, you’re ready for me. Too bad if you’re found running through the streets, naked and ashamed.”
16 The frog-demons gathered the kings together at the place called in Hebrew Armageddon.
17-21 The seventh Angel poured his bowl into the air: From the Throne in the Temple came a shout, “Done!” followed by lightning flashes and shouts, thunder crashes and a colossal earthquake—a huge and devastating earthquake, never an earthquake like it since time began. The Great City split three ways, the cities of the nations toppled to ruin. Great Babylon had to drink the wine of God’s raging anger—God remembered to give her the cup! Every island fled and not a mountain was to be found. Hailstones weighing close to a hundred pounds plummeted, crushing and smashing men and women as they cursed God for the hail, the epic disaster of hail.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson