A Multitude from the Great Tribulation

After this I looked, and there was a vast multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language,(A) which no one could number,(B) standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes with palm branches in their hands.(C) 10 And they cried out in a loud voice:

Salvation belongs to our God,(D)
who is seated on the throne,
and to the Lamb!

11 All the angels stood around the throne, and along with the elders and the four living creatures they fell facedown before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying,

Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom
and thanksgiving and honor
and power and strength
be to our God forever and ever.(E) Amen.

13 Then one of the elders asked me, “Who are these people in white robes, and where did they come from?”

14 I said to him, “Sir,[a] you know.”

Then he told me: These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation.(F) They washed their robes and made them white(G) in the blood of the Lamb.

15 For this reason they are before the throne of God,
and they serve him day and night(H) in his temple.(I)
The one seated on the throne will shelter[b] them:(J)
16 They will no longer hunger;
they will no longer thirst;
the sun will no longer strike them,
nor will any scorching heat.(K)
17 For the Lamb who is at the center of the throne
will shepherd them;(L)
he will guide them to springs of the waters of life,(M)
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.(N)

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Footnotes

  1. 7:14 Or “My lord
  2. 7:15 Or will spread his tent over

Praise from the Great Crowd

After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands. 10 And they were shouting with a great roar,

“Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne
    and from the Lamb!”

11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living beings. And they fell before the throne with their faces to the ground and worshiped God. 12 They sang,

“Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom
    and thanksgiving and honor
and power and strength belong to our God
    forever and ever! Amen.”

13 Then one of the twenty-four elders asked me, “Who are these who are clothed in white? Where did they come from?”

14 And I said to him, “Sir, you are the one who knows.”

Then he said to me, “These are the ones who died in[a] the great tribulation.[b] They have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb and made them white.

15 “That is why they stand in front of God’s throne
    and serve him day and night in his Temple.
And he who sits on the throne
    will give them shelter.
16 They will never again be hungry or thirsty;
    they will never be scorched by the heat of the sun.
17 For the Lamb on the throne[c]
    will be their Shepherd.
He will lead them to springs of life-giving water.
    And God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”

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Footnotes

  1. 7:14a Greek who came out of.
  2. 7:14b Or the great suffering.
  3. 7:17 Greek on the center of the throne.