Revelation 7:9-17
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
The Multitude from Every Nation
9 After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands.(A) 10 They cried out in a loud voice, saying,
“Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne and to the Lamb!”(B)
11 And all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 singing,
“Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom
and thanksgiving and honor
and power and might
be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”(C)
13 Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?” 14 I said to him, “Sir, you are the one who knows.” Then he said to me, “These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.(D)
15 For this reason they are before the throne of God
and worship him day and night within his temple,
and the one who is seated on the throne will shelter them.(E)
16 They will hunger no more and thirst no more;
the sun will not strike them,
nor any scorching heat,(F)
17 for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd,
and he will guide them to springs of the water of life,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”(G)
Revelation 7:9-17
New English Translation
9 After these things I looked, and here was[a] an enormous crowd that no one could count, made up of persons from every nation, tribe,[b] people, and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb dressed in long white robes, and with palm branches in their hands. 10 They were shouting out in a loud voice,
“Salvation belongs to our God,[c] who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
11 And all the angels stood[d] there in a circle around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they threw themselves down with their faces to the ground[e] before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying,
“Amen! Praise and glory,
and wisdom and thanksgiving,
and honor and power and strength
be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!”
13 Then[f] one of the elders asked[g] me, “These dressed in long white robes—who are they and where have they come from?” 14 So[h] I said to him, “My lord, you know the answer.”[i] Then[j] he said to me, “These are the ones who have come out of the great tribulation. They[k] have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb! 15 For this reason they are before the throne of God, and they serve[l] him day and night in his temple, and the one seated on the throne will shelter them.[m] 16 They will never go hungry or be thirsty again, and the sun will not beat down on them, nor any burning heat,[n] 17 because the Lamb in the middle of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”[o]
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Revelation 7:9 tn The phrase “and here was” expresses the sense of καὶ ἰδού (kai idou).
- Revelation 7:9 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated before each of the following categories, since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.
- Revelation 7:10 tn The dative here has been translated as a dative of possession.
- Revelation 7:11 tn The verb is pluperfect, but the force is simple past. See ExSyn 586.
- Revelation 7:11 tn Grk “they fell down on their faces.” BDAG 815 s.v. πίπτω 1.b.α.ב. has “fall down, throw oneself to the ground as a sign of devotion or humility, before high-ranking persons or divine beings.”
- Revelation 7:13 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
- Revelation 7:13 tn Grk “spoke” or “declared to,” but in the context “asked” reads more naturally in English.
- Revelation 7:14 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the previous question.
- Revelation 7:14 tn Though the expression “the answer” is not in the Greek text, it is clearly implied. Direct objects in Greek were frequently omitted when clear from the context.
- Revelation 7:14 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
- Revelation 7:14 tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation. Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
- Revelation 7:15 tn Or “worship.” The word here is λατρεύω (latreuō).
- Revelation 7:15 tn Grk “will spread his tent over them,” normally an idiom for taking up residence with someone, but when combined with the preposition ἐπί (epi, “over”) the idea is one of extending protection or shelter (BDAG 929 s.v. σκηνόω).
- Revelation 7:16 tn An allusion to Isa 49:10. The phrase “burning heat” is one word in Greek (καῦμα, kauma) that refers to a burning, intensely-felt heat. See BDAG 536 s.v.
- Revelation 7:17 sn An allusion to Isa 25:8.
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