Book of Common Prayer

Who Is Worthy To Open The Scroll? A Lamb Takes It From The One On The Throne

5 And I saw upon the right hand of the One sitting on the throne a scroll having been written inside and on-the-back, having been sealed-down with seven seals. ² And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to break its seals?” ³ And no one in heaven nor on earth nor under the earth was able to open the scroll, nor to look-at ^[a] it. ⁴ And I was weeping greatly because no one worthy was found to open the scroll, nor to look-at it. ⁵ And one of the elders says to me, “Do not be weeping. Behold— the Lion from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, overcame so as to open the scroll and its seven seals”. ⁶ And I saw in the midst of the throne and the four living-creatures, and in the midst of the elders, there was a Lamb as-if ^[b] having been slain, standing, having seven horns, and seven eyes (which are the seven Spirits^[c] of God having been sent-forth into all the earth). ⁷ And He came, and He has taken it out of the right hand of the One sitting on the throne.

Then The One On The Throne And The Lamb Are Worshiped By All Creation

⁸ And when He took the scroll, the four living-creatures and the twenty four elders fell before the Lamb— each one holding a harp and golden bowls being full of incense (which are the prayers of the saints). ⁹ And they are singing a new song, saying “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because You were slain, and You bought^[d] for God with Your blood some from every tribe and tongue and people and nation, ¹⁰ and You made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they will reign upon^[e] the earth”. ¹¹ And I saw, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, and of the living-creatures, and of the elders— and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands— ¹² saying with a loud voice “Worthy is the Lamb having been slain to receive the power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing”. ¹³ And I heard every creature which is in the heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and^[f] all the things in them, saying “To the One sitting on the throne and to the Lamb be the blessing and the honor and the glory and the dominion forever and ever”. ¹⁴ And the four living-creatures were saying “amen”. And the elders fell and worshiped.

5 ¹ And having seen the crowds, He went up on the mountain. And He having sat-down, His disciples^[a] came to Him. ² And having opened His mouth He was teaching^[b] them^[c], saying—

These Are The Ones God Considers Blessed

³ “Blessed^[d] are the poor in spirit, because the kingdom of the heavens is theirs. ⁴ Blessed are the ones mourning, because they^[e] will be comforted. ⁵ Blessed are the gentle ones, because they will inherit the earth. ⁶ Blessed are the ones hungering and thirsting as to righteousness, because they will be filled-to-satisfaction. ⁷ Blessed are the merciful ones, because they will be shown-mercy. ⁸ Blessed are the pure in heart, because they will see God. ⁹ Blessed are the peacemakers, because they will be called sons of God^[f]. ¹⁰ Blessed are the ones having been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, because the kingdom of the heavens is theirs. ¹¹ You are blessed ones whenever they reproach you and persecute you and speak every [kind of] evil against you while lying, because-of ^[g] Me. ¹² Be rejoicing and be overjoyed, because your reward is great in the heavens. For in this manner they persecuted the prophets before you.