Revelation 5
Good News Translation
The Scroll and the Lamb
5 (A)I saw a scroll in the right hand of the one who sits on the throne; it was covered with writing on both sides and was sealed with seven seals. 2 And I saw a mighty angel, who announced in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” 3 But there was no one in heaven or on earth or in the world below[a] who could open the scroll and look inside it. 4 I cried bitterly because no one could be found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside it. 5 (B)Then one of the elders said to me, “Don't cry. Look! The Lion from Judah's tribe, the great descendant of David, has won the victory, and he can break the seven seals and open the scroll.”
6 (C)Then I saw a Lamb standing in the center of the throne, surrounded by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb appeared to have been killed. It had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God that have been sent through the whole earth. 7 The Lamb went and took the scroll from the right hand of the one who sits on the throne. 8 (D)As he did so, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each had a harp and gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of God's people. 9 (E)They sang a new song:
“You are worthy to take the scroll
and to break open its seals.
For you were killed, and by your sacrificial death you bought for God
people from every tribe, language, nation, and race.
10 (F)You have made them a kingdom of priests to serve our God,
and they shall rule on earth.”
11 (G)Again I looked, and I heard angels, thousands and millions of them! They stood around the throne, the four living creatures, and the elders, 12 and sang in a loud voice:
“The Lamb who was killed is worthy
to receive power, wealth, wisdom, and strength,
honor, glory, and praise!”
13 And I heard every creature in heaven, on earth, in the world below, and in the sea—all living beings in the universe—and they were singing:
“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb,
be praise and honor, glory and might,
forever and ever!”
14 The four living creatures answered, “Amen!” And the elders fell down and worshiped.
Footnotes
- Revelation 5:3 The world of the dead (see 1.18).
Revelation 5
New American Standard Bible
The Scroll with Seven Seals
5 I saw [a]in the right hand of Him who (A)sat on the throne a [b](B)scroll written inside and on the back, (C)sealed up with seven seals. 2 And I saw a (D)strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to break its seals?” 3 And no one (E)in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it. 4 Then I began to weep greatly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. 5 And one of the elders *said to me, “Stop weeping; behold, the (F)Lion that is (G)from the tribe of Judah, the (H)Root of David, has overcome so as to be able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”
6 And I saw [c]between the throne (with the four living creatures) and (I)the elders a (J)Lamb standing, as if (K)slaughtered, having seven (L)horns and (M)seven eyes, which are [d](N)the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7 And He came and took (O)the scroll out of the right hand of Him who (P)sat on the throne. 8 When He had taken the scroll, the (Q)four living creatures and the (R)twenty-four elders (S)fell down before the (T)Lamb, each one holding a (U)harp and (V)golden bowls full of incense, which are the (W)prayers of the [e]saints. 9 And they *sang a (X)new song, saying,
“(Y)Worthy are You to take the scroll and to break its seals; for You were (Z)slaughtered, and You (AA)purchased people for God with Your blood from (AB)every tribe, language, people, and nation.
10 You have made them into a (AC)kingdom and (AD)priests to our God, and they will (AE)reign upon the earth.”
Angels Exalt the Lamb
11 Then I looked, and I heard the voices of many angels (AF)around the throne and the (AG)living creatures and the (AH)elders; and the number of them was [f](AI)myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice,
“(AJ)Worthy is the (AK)Lamb that was (AL)slaughtered to receive power, wealth, wisdom, might, honor, glory, and blessing.”
13 And I heard (AM)every created thing which is in heaven, or on the earth, or under the earth, or on the sea, and all the things in them, saying,
“To Him who (AN)sits on the throne and to the (AO)Lamb (AP)be the blessing, the honor, the glory, and the dominion forever and ever.”
14 And the (AQ)four living creatures were saying, “(AR)Amen.” And the (AS)elders (AT)fell down and worshiped.
Footnotes
- Revelation 5:1 Lit upon
- Revelation 5:1 Or book, and so throughout the ch
- Revelation 5:6 Lit in the middle of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the middle of the elders
- Revelation 5:6 Possibly a symbolic reference to the Holy Spirit in His fullness, or to seven key angels
- Revelation 5:8 Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s people
- Revelation 5:11 Gr for 10,000s of 10,000s
Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
