A Multitude from the Great Tribulation

⁹ After these things I looked, and behold, ^(A)a great multitude which no one could number, ^(B)of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, ^(C)clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, ¹⁰ and crying out with a loud voice, saying, ^(D)“Salvation belongs to our God ^(E)who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” ^11 (F)All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and ^(G)worshiped God, ^12 (H)saying:

¹³ Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “Who are these arrayed in ^(I)white robes, and where did they come from?”

¹⁴ And I said to him, ^[a]“Sir, you know.”

So he said to me, ^(J)“These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and ^(K)washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. ¹⁵ Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will ^(L)dwell among them. ^16 (M)They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; ^(N)the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; ¹⁷ for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne ^(O)will shepherd them and lead them to ^[b]living fountains of waters. ^(P)And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

Praise to God for His Salvation and Judgment

Prayer for Spiritual Wisdom

¹⁵ Therefore I also, ^(A)after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, ^16 (B)do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: ¹⁷ that ^(C)the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, ^(D)may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, ^18 (E)the eyes of your ^[a]understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is ^(F)the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, ¹⁹ and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, ^(G)according to the working of His mighty power ²⁰ which He worked in Christ when ^(H)He raised Him from the dead and ^(I)seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, ^21 (J)far above all ^(K)principality^[b] and ^[c]power and ^[d]might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.

²² And ^(L)He put all things under His feet, and gave Him ^(M)to be head over all things to the church, ^23 (N)which is His body, ^(O)the fullness of Him ^(P)who fills all in all.

The Beatitudes^(A)

5 And seeing the multitudes, ^(B)He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. ² Then He opened His mouth and ^(C)taught them, saying:

^11 (N)Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of ^(O)evil against you falsely for My sake. ^12 (P)Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for ^(Q)so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Believers Are Salt and Light^(R)

¹³ “You are the salt of the earth; ^(S)but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.

^14 (T)“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Nor do they ^(U)light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. ¹⁶ Let your light so shine before men, ^(V)that they may see your good works and ^(W)glorify your Father in heaven.