The Eagles and the Vine

17 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Son of man, pose a riddle, and speak a (A)parable to the house of Israel, and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God:

(B)“A great eagle with large wings and long pinions,
Full of feathers of various colors,
Came to Lebanon
And (C)took from the cedar the highest branch.
He cropped off its topmost young twig
And carried it to a land of trade;
He set it in a city of merchants.
Then he took some of the seed of the land
And planted it in (D)a fertile field;
He placed it by abundant waters
And set it (E)like a willow tree.
And it grew and became a spreading vine (F)of low stature;
Its branches turned toward him,
But its roots were under it.
So it became a vine,
Brought forth branches,
And put forth shoots.

“But there was [a]another great eagle with large wings and many feathers;
And behold, (G)this vine bent its roots toward him,
And stretched its branches toward him,
From the garden terrace where it had been planted,
That he might water it.
It was planted in [b]good soil by many waters,
To bring forth branches, bear fruit,
And become a majestic vine.” ’

“Say, ‘Thus says the Lord God:

“Will it thrive?
(H)Will he not pull up its roots,
Cut off its fruit,
And leave it to wither?
All of its spring leaves will wither,
And no great power or many people
Will be needed to pluck it up by its roots.
10 Behold, it is planted,
Will it thrive?
(I)Will it not utterly wither when the east wind touches it?
It will wither in the garden terrace where it grew.” ’ ”

11 Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 12 “Say now to (J)the rebellious house: ‘Do you not know what these things mean?’ Tell them, ‘Indeed (K)the king of Babylon went to Jerusalem and took its king and princes, and led them with him to Babylon. 13 (L)And he took the king’s offspring, made a covenant with him, (M)and put him under oath. He also took away the mighty of the land, 14 that the kingdom might be (N)brought low and not lift itself up, but that by keeping his covenant it might stand. 15 But (O)he rebelled against him by sending his ambassadors to Egypt, (P)that they might give him horses and many people. (Q)Will he prosper? Will he who does such things escape? Can he break a covenant and still be delivered?

16 As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘surely (R)in the place where the king dwells who made him king, whose oath he despised and whose covenant he broke—with him in the midst of Babylon he shall die. 17 (S)Nor will Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company do anything in the war, (T)when they heap up a siege mound and build a [c]wall to cut off many persons. 18 Since he despised the oath by breaking the covenant, and in fact (U)gave[d] his hand and still did all these things, he shall not escape.’ ”

19 Therefore thus says the Lord God: “As I live, surely My oath which he despised, and My covenant which he broke, I will recompense on his own head. 20 I will (V)spread My net over him, and he shall be taken in My snare. I will bring him to Babylon and (W)try him there for the [e]treason which he committed against Me. 21 (X)All his [f]fugitives with all his troops shall fall by the sword, and those who remain shall be (Y)scattered to every wind; and you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken.”

Israel Exalted at Last(Z)

22 Thus says the Lord God: “I will take also one of the highest (AA)branches of the high cedar and set it out. I will crop off from the topmost of its young twigs (AB)a tender one, and will (AC)plant it on a high and prominent mountain. 23 (AD)On the mountain height of Israel I will plant it; and it will bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, and be a majestic cedar. (AE)Under it will dwell birds of every sort; in the shadow of its branches they will dwell. 24 And all the trees of the field shall know that I, the Lord, (AF)have brought down the high tree and exalted the low tree, dried up the green tree and made the dry tree flourish; (AG)I, the Lord, have spoken and have done it.

A False Proverb Refuted

18 The word of the Lord came to me again, saying, “What do you mean when you use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying:

‘The (AH)fathers have eaten sour grapes,
And the children’s teeth are set on edge’?

As I live,” says the Lord God, “you shall no longer use this proverb in Israel.

“Behold, all souls are (AI)Mine;
The soul of the father
As well as the soul of the son is Mine;
(AJ)The soul who sins shall die.
But if a man is just
And does what is lawful and right;
(AK)If he has not eaten [g]on the mountains,
Nor lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel,
Nor (AL)defiled his neighbor’s wife,
Nor approached (AM)a woman during her impurity;
If he has not (AN)oppressed anyone,
But has restored to the debtor his (AO)pledge;
Has robbed no one by violence,
But has (AP)given his bread to the hungry
And covered the naked with (AQ)clothing;
If he has not [h]exacted (AR)usury
Nor taken any increase,
But has withdrawn his hand from iniquity
And (AS)executed true [i]judgment between man and man;
If he has walked in My statutes
And kept My judgments faithfully—
He is just;
He shall surely (AT)live!”
Says the Lord God.

10 “If he begets a son who is a robber
Or (AU)a shedder of blood,
Who does any of these things
11 And does none of those duties,
But has eaten [j]on the mountains
Or defiled his neighbor’s wife;
12 If he has oppressed the poor and needy,
Robbed by violence,
Not restored the pledge,
Lifted his eyes to the idols,
Or (AV)committed abomination;
13 If he has exacted usury
Or taken increase—
Shall he then live?
He shall not live!
If he has done any of these abominations,
He shall surely die;
(AW)His blood shall be upon him.

14 If, however, he begets a son
Who sees all the sins which his father has done,
And considers but does not do likewise;
15 (AX)Who has not eaten [k]on the mountains,
Nor lifted his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel,
Nor defiled his neighbor’s wife;
16 Has not oppressed anyone,
Nor withheld a pledge,
Nor robbed by violence,
But has given his bread to the hungry
And covered the naked with clothing;
17 Who has withdrawn his hand from [l]the poor
And not received usury or increase,
But has executed My judgments
And walked in My statutes—
He shall not die for the iniquity of his father;
He shall surely live!

18 As for his father,
Because he cruelly oppressed,
Robbed his brother by violence,
And did what is not good among his people,
Behold, (AY)he shall die for his iniquity.

Turn and Live

19 “Yet you say, ‘Why (AZ)should the son not bear the guilt of the father?’ Because the son has done what is lawful and right, and has kept all My statutes and observed them, he shall surely live. 20 (BA)The soul who sins shall die. (BB)The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. (BC)The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, (BD)and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.

21 “But (BE)if a wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed, keeps all My statutes, and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. 22 (BF)None of the transgressions which he has committed shall be remembered against him; because of the righteousness which he has done, he shall (BG)live. 23 (BH)Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?” says the Lord God, “and not that he should turn from his ways and live?

24 “But (BI)when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live? (BJ)All the righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; because of the unfaithfulness of which he is guilty and the sin which he has committed, because of them he shall die.

25 “Yet you say, (BK)‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ Hear now, O house of Israel, is it not My way which is fair, and your ways which are not fair? 26 (BL)When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, commits iniquity, and dies in it, it is because of the iniquity which he has done that he dies. 27 Again, (BM)when a wicked man turns away from the wickedness which he committed, and does what is lawful and right, he preserves himself alive. 28 Because he (BN)considers and turns away from all the transgressions which he committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die. 29 (BO)Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ O house of Israel, is it not My ways which are fair, and your ways which are not fair?

30 (BP)“Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways,” says the Lord God. (BQ)“Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin. 31 (BR)Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a (BS)new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel? 32 For (BT)I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,” says the Lord God. “Therefore turn and (BU)live!”

Israel Degraded

19 “Moreover (BV)take up a lamentation for the princes of Israel, and say:

‘What is your mother? A lioness:
She lay down among the lions;
Among the young lions she nourished her cubs.
She brought up one of her cubs,
And (BW)he became a young lion;
He learned to catch prey,
And he devoured men.
The nations also heard of him;
He was trapped in their pit,
And they brought him with chains to the land of (BX)Egypt.

‘When she saw that she waited, that her hope was lost,
She took (BY)another of her cubs and made him a young lion.
(BZ)He roved among the lions,
And (CA)became a young lion;
He learned to catch prey;
He devoured men.
[m]He knew their desolate places,
And laid waste their cities;
The land with its fullness was desolated
By the noise of his roaring.
(CB)Then the nations set against him from the provinces on every side,
And spread their net over him;
(CC)He was trapped in their pit.
(CD)They put him in a cage with [n]chains,
And brought him to the king of Babylon;
They brought him in nets,
That his voice should no longer be heard on (CE)the mountains of Israel.

10 ‘Your mother was (CF)like a vine in your [o]bloodline,
Planted by the waters,
(CG)Fruitful and full of branches
Because of many waters.
11 She had strong branches for scepters of rulers.
(CH)She towered in stature above the thick branches,
And was seen in her height amid the [p]dense foliage.
12 But she was (CI)plucked up in fury,
She was cast down to the ground,
And the (CJ)east wind dried her fruit.
Her strong branches were broken and withered;
The fire consumed them.
13 And now she is planted in the wilderness,
In a dry and thirsty land.
14 (CK)Fire has come out from a rod of her branches
And devoured her fruit,
So that she has no strong branch—a scepter for ruling.’ ”

(CL)This is a lamentation, and has become a lamentation.

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 17:7 So with LXX, Syr., Vg.; MT, Tg. one
  2. Ezekiel 17:8 Lit. a good field
  3. Ezekiel 17:17 Or siege wall
  4. Ezekiel 17:18 Took an oath
  5. Ezekiel 17:20 Lit. unfaithful act
  6. Ezekiel 17:21 So with MT, Vg.; many Heb. mss., Syr. choice men; Tg. mighty men; LXX omits All his fugitives
  7. Ezekiel 18:6 At the mountain shrines
  8. Ezekiel 18:8 Lent money at interest
  9. Ezekiel 18:8 justice
  10. Ezekiel 18:11 At the mountain shrines
  11. Ezekiel 18:15 At the mountain shrines
  12. Ezekiel 18:17 So with MT, Tg., Vg.; LXX iniquity (cf. v. 8)
  13. Ezekiel 19:7 LXX He stood in insolence; Tg. He destroyed its palaces; Vg. He learned to make widows
  14. Ezekiel 19:9 Or hooks
  15. Ezekiel 19:10 Lit. blood, so with MT, Syr., Vg.; LXX like a flower on a pomegranate tree; Tg. in your likeness
  16. Ezekiel 19:11 Or many branches

Two Eagles and a Vine

17 The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, set forth an allegory and tell it to the Israelites as a parable.(A) Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: A great eagle(B) with powerful wings, long feathers and full plumage of varied colors came to Lebanon.(C) Taking hold of the top of a cedar, he broke off(D) its topmost shoot and carried it away to a land of merchants, where he planted it in a city of traders.

“‘He took one of the seedlings of the land and put it in fertile soil. He planted it like a willow by abundant water,(E) and it sprouted and became a low, spreading vine. Its branches(F) turned toward him, but its roots remained under it. So it became a vine and produced branches and put out leafy boughs.(G)

“‘But there was another great eagle with powerful wings and full plumage. The vine now sent out its roots toward him from the plot where it was planted and stretched out its branches to him for water.(H) It had been planted in good soil by abundant water so that it would produce branches,(I) bear fruit and become a splendid vine.’

“Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Will it thrive? Will it not be uprooted and stripped of its fruit so that it withers? All its new growth will wither. It will not take a strong arm or many people to pull it up by the roots.(J) 10 It has been planted,(K) but will it thrive? Will it not wither completely when the east wind strikes it—wither away in the plot where it grew?(L)’”

11 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 12 “Say to this rebellious people, ‘Do you not know what these things mean?(M)’ Say to them: ‘The king of Babylon went to Jerusalem and carried off her king and her nobles,(N) bringing them back with him to Babylon.(O) 13 Then he took a member of the royal family and made a treaty(P) with him, putting him under oath.(Q) He also carried away the leading men(R) of the land, 14 so that the kingdom would be brought low,(S) unable to rise again, surviving only by keeping his treaty. 15 But the king rebelled(T) against him by sending his envoys to Egypt(U) to get horses and a large army.(V) Will he succeed? Will he who does such things escape? Will he break the treaty and yet escape?(W)

16 “‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, he shall die(X) in Babylon, in the land of the king who put him on the throne, whose oath he despised and whose treaty he broke.(Y) 17 Pharaoh(Z) with his mighty army and great horde will be of no help to him in war, when ramps(AA) are built and siege works erected to destroy many lives.(AB) 18 He despised the oath by breaking the covenant. Because he had given his hand in pledge(AC) and yet did all these things, he shall not escape.

19 “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: As surely as I live, I will repay him for despising my oath and breaking my covenant.(AD) 20 I will spread my net(AE) for him, and he will be caught in my snare. I will bring him to Babylon and execute judgment(AF) on him there because he was unfaithful(AG) to me. 21 All his choice troops will fall by the sword,(AH) and the survivors(AI) will be scattered to the winds.(AJ) Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken.(AK)

22 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will take a shoot(AL) from the very top of a cedar and plant it; I will break off a tender sprig from its topmost shoots and plant it on a high and lofty mountain.(AM) 23 On the mountain heights(AN) of Israel I will plant it; it will produce branches and bear fruit(AO) and become a splendid cedar. Birds of every kind will nest in it; they will find shelter in the shade of its branches.(AP) 24 All the trees of the forest(AQ) will know that I the Lord bring down(AR) the tall tree and make the low tree grow tall. I dry up the green tree and make the dry tree flourish.(AS)

“‘I the Lord have spoken, and I will do it.(AT)’”

The One Who Sins Will Die

18 The word of the Lord came to me: “What do you people mean by quoting this proverb about the land of Israel:

“‘The parents eat sour grapes,
    and the children’s teeth are set on edge’?(AU)

“As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, you will no longer quote this proverb(AV) in Israel. For everyone belongs to me, the parent as well as the child—both alike belong to me. The one who sins(AW) is the one who will die.(AX)

“Suppose there is a righteous man
    who does what is just and right.
He does not eat at the mountain(AY) shrines
    or look to the idols(AZ) of Israel.
He does not defile his neighbor’s wife
    or have sexual relations with a woman during her period.(BA)
He does not oppress(BB) anyone,
    but returns what he took in pledge(BC) for a loan.
He does not commit robbery(BD)
    but gives his food to the hungry(BE)
    and provides clothing for the naked.(BF)
He does not lend to them at interest
    or take a profit from them.(BG)
He withholds his hand from doing wrong
    and judges fairly(BH) between two parties.
He follows my decrees(BI)
    and faithfully keeps my laws.
That man is righteous;(BJ)
    he will surely live,(BK)
declares the Sovereign Lord.

10 “Suppose he has a violent son, who sheds blood(BL) or does any of these other things[a] 11 (though the father has done none of them):

“He eats at the mountain shrines.(BM)
He defiles his neighbor’s wife.
12 He oppresses the poor(BN) and needy.
He commits robbery.
He does not return what he took in pledge.(BO)
He looks to the idols.
He does detestable things.(BP)
13 He lends at interest and takes a profit.(BQ)

Will such a man live? He will not! Because he has done all these detestable things, he is to be put to death; his blood will be on his own head.(BR)

14 “But suppose this son has a son who sees all the sins his father commits, and though he sees them, he does not do such things:(BS)

15 “He does not eat at the mountain shrines(BT)
    or look to the idols(BU) of Israel.
He does not defile his neighbor’s wife.
16 He does not oppress anyone
    or require a pledge for a loan.
He does not commit robbery
    but gives his food to the hungry(BV)
    and provides clothing for the naked.(BW)
17 He withholds his hand from mistreating the poor
    and takes no interest or profit from them.
He keeps my laws(BX) and follows my decrees.

He will not die for his father’s sin; he will surely live. 18 But his father will die for his own sin, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother and did what was wrong among his people.

19 “Yet you ask, ‘Why does the son not share the guilt of his father?’ Since the son has done what is just and right and has been careful to keep all my decrees, he will surely live.(BY) 20 The one who sins is the one who will die.(BZ) The child will not share the guilt of the parent, nor will the parent share the guilt of the child. The righteousness of the righteous will be credited to them, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against them.(CA)

21 “But if(CB) a wicked person turns away from all the sins they have committed and keeps all my decrees(CC) and does what is just and right, that person will surely live; they will not die.(CD) 22 None of the offenses they have committed will be remembered against them. Because of the righteous things they have done, they will live.(CE) 23 Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign Lord. Rather, am I not pleased(CF) when they turn from their ways and live?(CG)

24 “But if a righteous person turns(CH) from their righteousness and commits sin and does the same detestable things the wicked person does, will they live? None of the righteous things that person has done will be remembered. Because of the unfaithfulness(CI) they are guilty of and because of the sins they have committed, they will die.(CJ)

25 “Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’(CK) Hear, you Israelites: Is my way unjust?(CL) Is it not your ways that are unjust? 26 If a righteous person turns from their righteousness and commits sin, they will die for it; because of the sin they have committed they will die. 27 But if a wicked person turns away from the wickedness they have committed and does what is just and right, they will save their life.(CM) 28 Because they consider all the offenses they have committed and turn away from them, that person will surely live; they will not die.(CN) 29 Yet the Israelites say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Are my ways unjust, people of Israel? Is it not your ways that are unjust?

30 “Therefore, you Israelites, I will judge each of you according to your own ways, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent!(CO) Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall.(CP) 31 Rid(CQ) yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart(CR) and a new spirit. Why(CS) will you die, people of Israel?(CT) 32 For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent(CU) and live!(CV)

A Lament Over Israel’s Princes

19 “Take up a lament(CW) concerning the princes(CX) of Israel and say:

“‘What a lioness(CY) was your mother
    among the lions!
She lay down among them
    and reared her cubs.(CZ)
She brought up one of her cubs,
    and he became a strong lion.
He learned to tear the prey
    and he became a man-eater.
The nations heard about him,
    and he was trapped in their pit.
They led him with hooks(DA)
    to the land of Egypt.(DB)

“‘When she saw her hope unfulfilled,
    her expectation gone,
she took another of her cubs(DC)
    and made him a strong lion.(DD)
He prowled among the lions,
    for he was now a strong lion.
He learned to tear the prey
    and he became a man-eater.(DE)
He broke down[b] their strongholds
    and devastated(DF) their towns.
The land and all who were in it
    were terrified by his roaring.
Then the nations(DG) came against him,
    those from regions round about.
They spread their net(DH) for him,
    and he was trapped in their pit.(DI)
With hooks(DJ) they pulled him into a cage
    and brought him to the king of Babylon.(DK)
They put him in prison,
    so his roar(DL) was heard no longer
    on the mountains of Israel.(DM)

10 “‘Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard[c](DN)
    planted by the water;(DO)
it was fruitful and full of branches
    because of abundant water.(DP)
11 Its branches were strong,
    fit for a ruler’s scepter.
It towered high
    above the thick foliage,
conspicuous for its height
    and for its many branches.(DQ)
12 But it was uprooted(DR) in fury
    and thrown to the ground.
The east wind(DS) made it shrivel,
    it was stripped of its fruit;
its strong branches withered
    and fire consumed them.(DT)
13 Now it is planted in the desert,(DU)
    in a dry and thirsty land.(DV)
14 Fire spread from one of its main[d] branches
    and consumed(DW) its fruit.
No strong branch is left on it
    fit for a ruler’s scepter.’(DX)

“This is a lament(DY) and is to be used as a lament.”

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 18:10 Or things to a brother
  2. Ezekiel 19:7 Targum (see Septuagint); Hebrew He knew
  3. Ezekiel 19:10 Two Hebrew manuscripts; most Hebrew manuscripts your blood
  4. Ezekiel 19:14 Or from under its

The Sealed of Israel

After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, (A)holding the four winds of the earth, (B)that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree. Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, (C)“Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God (D)on their foreheads.” (E)And I heard the number of those who were sealed. (F)One hundred and forty-four thousand (G)of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed:

of the tribe of Judah twelve thousand were sealed;
of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand were [a]sealed;
of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand were sealed;
of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand were sealed;
of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand were sealed;
of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand were sealed;
of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand were sealed;
of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand were sealed;
of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand were sealed;
of the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand were sealed;
of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand were sealed;
of the tribe of Benjamin twelve thousand were sealed.

A Multitude from the Great Tribulation

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

“Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom,
Thanksgiving and honor and power and might,
Be to our God forever and ever.
Amen.”

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

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

So he said to me, (Q)“These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and (R)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 (S)dwell among them. 16 (T)They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; (U)the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; 17 for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne (V)will shepherd them and lead them to [c]living fountains of waters. (W)And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 7:5 NU, M omit sealed in vv. 5b–8b.
  2. Revelation 7:14 NU, M My lord
  3. Revelation 7:17 NU, M fountains of the waters of life

144,000 Sealed

After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners(A) of the earth, holding back the four winds(B) of the earth to prevent(C) any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree. Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal(D) of the living God.(E) He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea:(F) “Do not harm(G) the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads(H) of the servants of our God.” Then I heard the number(I) of those who were sealed: 144,000(J) from all the tribes of Israel.

From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed,

from the tribe of Reuben 12,000,

from the tribe of Gad 12,000,

from the tribe of Asher 12,000,

from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000,

from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000,

from the tribe of Simeon 12,000,

from the tribe of Levi 12,000,

from the tribe of Issachar 12,000,

from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000,

from the tribe of Joseph 12,000,

from the tribe of Benjamin 12,000.

The Great Multitude in White Robes

After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language,(K) standing before the throne(L) and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes(M) and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice:

“Salvation belongs to our God,(N)
who sits on the throne,(O)
and to the Lamb.”

11 All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders(P) and the four living creatures.(Q) They fell down on their faces(R) before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying:

“Amen!
Praise and glory
and wisdom and thanks and honor
and power and strength
be to our God for ever and ever.
Amen!”(S)

13 Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes(T)—who are they, and where did they come from?”

14 I answered, “Sir, you know.”

And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes(U) and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.(V) 15 Therefore,

“they are before the throne of God(W)
    and serve him(X) day and night in his temple;(Y)
and he who sits on the throne(Z)
    will shelter them with his presence.(AA)
16 ‘Never again will they hunger;
    never again will they thirst.(AB)
The sun will not beat down on them,’[a]
    nor any scorching heat.(AC)
17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne
    will be their shepherd;(AD)
‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’[b](AE)
    ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’[c](AF)

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 7:16 Isaiah 49:10
  2. Revelation 7:17 Isaiah 49:10
  3. Revelation 7:17 Isaiah 25:8