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Revelation 6-14
New Living Translation
Revelation 6-14
New Living Translation
The Lamb Breaks the First Six Seals
6 As I watched, the Lamb broke the first of the seven seals on the scroll.[a] Then I heard one of the four living beings say with a voice like thunder, “Come!” 2 I looked up and saw a white horse standing there. Its rider carried a bow, and a crown was placed on his head. He rode out to win many battles and gain the victory.
3 When the Lamb broke the second seal, I heard the second living being say, “Come!” 4 Then another horse appeared, a red one. Its rider was given a mighty sword and the authority to take peace from the earth. And there was war and slaughter everywhere.
5 When the Lamb broke the third seal, I heard the third living being say, “Come!” I looked up and saw a black horse, and its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. 6 And I heard a voice from among the four living beings say, “A loaf of wheat bread or three loaves of barley will cost a day’s pay.[b] And don’t waste[c] the olive oil and wine.”
7 When the Lamb broke the fourth seal, I heard the fourth living being say, “Come!” 8 I looked up and saw a horse whose color was pale green. Its rider was named Death, and his companion was the Grave.[d] These two were given authority over one-fourth of the earth, to kill with the sword and famine and disease[e] and wild animals.
9 When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of all who had been martyred for the word of God and for being faithful in their testimony. 10 They shouted to the Lord and said, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you judge the people who belong to this world and avenge our blood for what they have done to us?” 11 Then a white robe was given to each of them. And they were told to rest a little longer until the full number of their brothers and sisters[f]—their fellow servants of Jesus who were to be martyred—had joined them.
12 I watched as the Lamb broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake. The sun became as dark as black cloth, and the moon became as red as blood. 13 Then the stars of the sky fell to the earth like green figs falling from a tree shaken by a strong wind. 14 The sky was rolled up like a scroll, and all of the mountains and islands were moved from their places.
15 Then everyone—the kings of the earth, the rulers, the generals, the wealthy, the powerful, and every slave and free person—all hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains. 16 And they cried to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the one who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. 17 For the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to survive?”
God’s People Will Be Preserved
7 Then I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds so they did not blow on the earth or the sea, or even on any tree. 2 And I saw another angel coming up from the east, carrying the seal of the living God. And he shouted to those four angels, who had been given power to harm land and sea, 3 “Wait! Don’t harm the land or the sea or the trees until we have placed the seal of God on the foreheads of his servants.”
4 And I heard how many were marked with the seal of God—144,000 were sealed from all the tribes of Israel:
| 5 from Judah | 12,000 |
| from Reuben | 12,000 |
| from Gad | 12,000 |
| 6 from Asher | 12,000 |
| from Naphtali | 12,000 |
| from Manasseh | 12,000 |
| 7 from Simeon | 12,000 |
| from Levi | 12,000 |
| from Issachar | 12,000 |
| 8 from Zebulun | 12,000 |
| from Joseph | 12,000 |
| from Benjamin | 12,000 |
Praise from the Great Crowd
9 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[g] the great tribulation.[h] 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[i]
will be their Shepherd.
He will lead them to springs of life-giving water.
And God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”
The Lamb Breaks the Seventh Seal
8 When the Lamb broke the seventh seal on the scroll,[j] there was silence throughout heaven for about half an hour. 2 I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and they were given seven trumpets.
3 Then another angel with a gold incense burner came and stood at the altar. And a great amount of incense was given to him to mix with the prayers of God’s people as an offering on the gold altar before the throne. 4 The smoke of the incense, mixed with the prayers of God’s holy people, ascended up to God from the altar where the angel had poured them out. 5 Then the angel filled the incense burner with fire from the altar and threw it down upon the earth; and thunder crashed, lightning flashed, and there was a terrible earthquake.
The First Four Trumpets
6 Then the seven angels with the seven trumpets prepared to blow their mighty blasts.
7 The first angel blew his trumpet, and hail and fire mixed with blood were thrown down on the earth. One-third of the earth was set on fire, one-third of the trees were burned, and all the green grass was burned.
8 Then the second angel blew his trumpet, and a great mountain of fire was thrown into the sea. One-third of the water in the sea became blood, 9 one-third of all things living in the sea died, and one-third of all the ships on the sea were destroyed.
10 Then the third angel blew his trumpet, and a great star fell from the sky, burning like a torch. It fell on one-third of the rivers and on the springs of water. 11 The name of the star was Bitterness.[k] It made one-third of the water bitter, and many people died from drinking the bitter water.
12 Then the fourth angel blew his trumpet, and one-third of the sun was struck, and one-third of the moon, and one-third of the stars, and they became dark. And one-third of the day was dark, and also one-third of the night.
13 Then I looked, and I heard a single eagle crying loudly as it flew through the air, “Terror, terror, terror to all who belong to this world because of what will happen when the last three angels blow their trumpets.”
The Fifth Trumpet Brings the First Terror
9 Then the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen to earth from the sky, and he was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit.[l] 2 When he opened it, smoke poured out as though from a huge furnace, and the sunlight and air turned dark from the smoke.
3 Then locusts came from the smoke and descended on the earth, and they were given power to sting like scorpions. 4 They were told not to harm the grass or plants or trees, but only the people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. 5 They were told not to kill them but to torture them for five months with pain like the pain of a scorpion sting. 6 In those days people will seek death but will not find it. They will long to die, but death will flee from them!
7 The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. They had what looked like gold crowns on their heads, and their faces looked like human faces. 8 They had hair like women’s hair and teeth like the teeth of a lion. 9 They wore armor made of iron, and their wings roared like an army of chariots rushing into battle. 10 They had tails that stung like scorpions, and for five months they had the power to torment people. 11 Their king is the angel from the bottomless pit; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon—the Destroyer.
12 The first terror is past, but look, two more terrors are coming!
The Sixth Trumpet Brings the Second Terror
13 Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a voice speaking from the four horns of the gold altar that stands in the presence of God. 14 And the voice said to the sixth angel who held the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great Euphrates River.” 15 Then the four angels who had been prepared for this hour and day and month and year were turned loose to kill one-third of all the people on earth. 16 I heard the size of their army, which was 200 million mounted troops.
17 And in my vision, I saw the horses and the riders sitting on them. The riders wore armor that was fiery red and dark blue and yellow. The horses had heads like lions, and fire and smoke and burning sulfur billowed from their mouths. 18 One-third of all the people on earth were killed by these three plagues—by the fire and smoke and burning sulfur that came from the mouths of the horses. 19 Their power was in their mouths and in their tails. For their tails had heads like snakes, with the power to injure people.
20 But the people who did not die in these plagues still refused to repent of their evil deeds and turn to God. They continued to worship demons and idols made of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood—idols that can neither see nor hear nor walk! 21 And they did not repent of their murders or their witchcraft or their sexual immorality or their thefts.
The Angel and the Small Scroll
10 Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, surrounded by a cloud, with a rainbow over his head. His face shone like the sun, and his feet were like pillars of fire. 2 And in his hand was a small scroll[m] that had been opened. He stood with his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land. 3 And he gave a great shout like the roar of a lion. And when he shouted, the seven thunders answered.
4 When the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write. But I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Keep secret[n] what the seven thunders said, and do not write it down.”
5 Then the angel I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand toward heaven. 6 He swore an oath in the name of the one who lives forever and ever, who created the heavens and everything in them, the earth and everything in it, and the sea and everything in it. He said, “There will be no more delay. 7 When the seventh angel blows his trumpet, God’s mysterious plan will be fulfilled. It will happen just as he announced it to his servants the prophets.”
8 Then the voice from heaven spoke to me again: “Go and take the open scroll from the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.”
9 So I went to the angel and told him to give me the small scroll. “Yes, take it and eat it,” he said. “It will be sweet as honey in your mouth, but it will turn sour in your stomach!” 10 So I took the small scroll from the hand of the angel, and I ate it! It was sweet in my mouth, but when I swallowed it, it turned sour in my stomach.
11 Then I was told, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages, and kings.”
The Two Witnesses
11 Then I was given a measuring stick, and I was told, “Go and measure the Temple of God and the altar, and count the number of worshipers. 2 But do not measure the outer courtyard, for it has been turned over to the nations. They will trample the holy city for 42 months. 3 And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will be clothed in burlap and will prophesy during those 1,260 days.”
4 These two prophets are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of all the earth. 5 If anyone tries to harm them, fire flashes from their mouths and consumes their enemies. This is how anyone who tries to harm them must die. 6 They have power to shut the sky so that no rain will fall for as long as they prophesy. And they have the power to turn the rivers and oceans into blood, and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they wish.
7 When they complete their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the bottomless pit[o] will declare war against them, and he will conquer them and kill them. 8 And their bodies will lie in the main street of Jerusalem,[p] the city that is figuratively called “Sodom” and “Egypt,” the city where their Lord was crucified. 9 And for three and a half days, all peoples, tribes, languages, and nations will stare at their bodies. No one will be allowed to bury them. 10 All the people who belong to this world will gloat over them and give presents to each other to celebrate the death of the two prophets who had tormented them.
11 But after three and a half days, God breathed life into them, and they stood up! Terror struck all who were staring at them. 12 Then a loud voice from heaven called to the two prophets, “Come up here!” And they rose to heaven in a cloud as their enemies watched.
13 At the same time there was a terrible earthquake that destroyed a tenth of the city. Seven thousand people died in that earthquake, and everyone else was terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.
14 The second terror is past, but look, the third terror is coming quickly.
The Seventh Trumpet Brings the Third Terror
15 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices shouting in heaven:
“The world has now become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ,[q]
and he will reign forever and ever.”
16 The twenty-four elders sitting on their thrones before God fell with their faces to the ground and worshiped him. 17 And they said,
“We give thanks to you, Lord God, the Almighty,
the one who is and who always was,
for now you have assumed your great power
and have begun to reign.
18 The nations were filled with wrath,
but now the time of your wrath has come.
It is time to judge the dead
and reward your servants the prophets,
as well as your holy people,
and all who fear your name,
from the least to the greatest.
It is time to destroy
all who have caused destruction on the earth.”
19 Then, in heaven, the Temple of God was opened and the Ark of his covenant could be seen inside the Temple. Lightning flashed, thunder crashed and roared, and there was an earthquake and a terrible hailstorm.
The Woman and the Dragon
12 Then I witnessed in heaven an event of great significance. I saw a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon beneath her feet, and a crown of twelve stars on her head. 2 She was pregnant, and she cried out because of her labor pains and the agony of giving birth.
3 Then I witnessed in heaven another significant event. I saw a large red dragon with seven heads and ten horns, with seven crowns on his heads. 4 His tail swept away one-third of the stars in the sky, and he threw them to the earth. He stood in front of the woman as she was about to give birth, ready to devour her baby as soon as it was born.
5 She gave birth to a son who was to rule all nations with an iron rod. And her child was snatched away from the dragon and was caught up to God and to his throne. 6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where God had prepared a place to care for her for 1,260 days.
7 Then there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and his angels. 8 And the dragon lost the battle, and he and his angels were forced out of heaven. 9 This great dragon—the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world—was thrown down to the earth with all his angels.
10 Then I heard a loud voice shouting across the heavens,
“It has come at last—
salvation and power
and the Kingdom of our God,
and the authority of his Christ.[r]
For the accuser of our brothers and sisters[s]
has been thrown down to earth—
the one who accuses them
before our God day and night.
11 And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb
and by their testimony.
And they did not love their lives so much
that they were afraid to die.
12 Therefore, rejoice, O heavens!
And you who live in the heavens, rejoice!
But terror will come on the earth and the sea,
for the devil has come down to you in great anger,
knowing that he has little time.”
13 When the dragon realized that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. 14 But she was given two wings like those of a great eagle so she could fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness. There she would be cared for and protected from the dragon[t] for a time, times, and half a time.
15 Then the dragon tried to drown the woman with a flood of water that flowed from his mouth. 16 But the earth helped her by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that gushed out from the mouth of the dragon. 17 And the dragon was angry at the woman and declared war against the rest of her children—all who keep God’s commandments and maintain their testimony for Jesus.
18 Then the dragon took his stand[u] on the shore beside the sea.
The Beast out of the Sea
13 Then I saw a beast rising up out of the sea. It had seven heads and ten horns, with ten crowns on its horns. And written on each head were names that blasphemed God. 2 This beast looked like a leopard, but it had the feet of a bear and the mouth of a lion! And the dragon gave the beast his own power and throne and great authority.
3 I saw that one of the heads of the beast seemed wounded beyond recovery—but the fatal wound was healed! The whole world marveled at this miracle and gave allegiance to the beast. 4 They worshiped the dragon for giving the beast such power, and they also worshiped the beast. “Who is as great as the beast?” they exclaimed. “Who is able to fight against him?”
5 Then the beast was allowed to speak great blasphemies against God. And he was given authority to do whatever he wanted for forty-two months. 6 And he spoke terrible words of blasphemy against God, slandering his name and his dwelling—that is, those who dwell in heaven.[v] 7 And the beast was allowed to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And he was given authority to rule over every tribe and people and language and nation. 8 And all the people who belong to this world worshiped the beast. They are the ones whose names were not written in the Book of Life that belongs to the Lamb who was slaughtered before the world was made.[w]
9 Anyone with ears to hear
should listen and understand.
10 Anyone who is destined for prison
will be taken to prison.
Anyone destined to die by the sword
will die by the sword.
This means that God’s holy people must endure persecution patiently and remain faithful.
The Beast out of the Earth
11 Then I saw another beast come up out of the earth. He had two horns like those of a lamb, but he spoke with the voice of a dragon. 12 He exercised all the authority of the first beast. And he required all the earth and its people to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. 13 He did astounding miracles, even making fire flash down to earth from the sky while everyone was watching. 14 And with all the miracles he was allowed to perform on behalf of the first beast, he deceived all the people who belong to this world. He ordered the people to make a great statue of the first beast, who was fatally wounded and then came back to life. 15 He was then permitted to give life to this statue so that it could speak. Then the statue of the beast commanded that anyone refusing to worship it must die.
16 He required everyone—small and great, rich and poor, free and slave—to be given a mark on the right hand or on the forehead. 17 And no one could buy or sell anything without that mark, which was either the name of the beast or the number representing his name. 18 Wisdom is needed here. Let the one with understanding solve the meaning of the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man.[x] His number is 666.[y]
The Lamb and the 144,000
14 Then I saw the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with him were 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. 2 And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of mighty ocean waves or the rolling of loud thunder. It was like the sound of many harpists playing together.
3 This great choir sang a wonderful new song in front of the throne of God and before the four living beings and the twenty-four elders. No one could learn this song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. 4 They have kept themselves as pure as virgins,[z] following the Lamb wherever he goes. They have been purchased from among the people on the earth as a special offering[aa] to God and to the Lamb. 5 They have told no lies; they are without blame.
The Three Angels
6 And I saw another angel flying through the sky, carrying the eternal Good News to proclaim to the people who belong to this world—to every nation, tribe, language, and people. 7 “Fear God,” he shouted. “Give glory to him. For the time has come when he will sit as judge. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and all the springs of water.”
8 Then another angel followed him through the sky, shouting, “Babylon is fallen—that great city is fallen—because she made all the nations of the world drink the wine of her passionate immorality.”
9 Then a third angel followed them, shouting, “Anyone who worships the beast and his statue or who accepts his mark on the forehead or on the hand 10 must drink the wine of God’s anger. It has been poured full strength into God’s cup of wrath. And they will be tormented with fire and burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and the Lamb. 11 The smoke of their torment will rise forever and ever, and they will have no relief day or night, for they have worshiped the beast and his statue and have accepted the mark of his name.”
12 This means that God’s holy people must endure persecution patiently, obeying his commands and maintaining their faith in Jesus.
13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this down: Blessed are those who die in the Lord from now on. Yes, says the Spirit, they are blessed indeed, for they will rest from their hard work; for their good deeds follow them!”
The Harvest of the Earth
14 Then I saw a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was someone like the Son of Man.[ab] He had a gold crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand.
15 Then another angel came from the Temple and shouted to the one sitting on the cloud, “Swing the sickle, for the time of harvest has come; the crop on earth is ripe.” 16 So the one sitting on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the whole earth was harvested.
17 After that, another angel came from the Temple in heaven, and he also had a sharp sickle. 18 Then another angel, who had power to destroy with fire, came from the altar. He shouted to the angel with the sharp sickle, “Swing your sickle now to gather the clusters of grapes from the vines of the earth, for they are ripe for judgment.” 19 So the angel swung his sickle over the earth and loaded the grapes into the great winepress of God’s wrath. 20 The grapes were trampled in the winepress outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress in a stream about 180 miles[ac] long and as high as a horse’s bridle.
Footnotes
- 6:1 Or book.
- 6:6a Greek A choinix [1 quart or 1 liter] of wheat for a denarius, and 3 choinix of barley for a denarius. A denarius was equivalent to a laborer’s full day’s wage.
- 6:6b Or harm.
- 6:8a Greek was Hades.
- 6:8b Greek death.
- 6:11 Greek their brothers.
- 7:14a Greek who came out of.
- 7:14b Or the great suffering.
- 7:17 Greek on the center of the throne.
- 8:1 Or book.
- 8:11 Greek Wormwood.
- 9:1 Or the abyss, or the underworld; also in 9:11.
- 10:2 Or book; also in 10:8, 9, 10.
- 10:4 Greek Seal up.
- 11:7 Or the abyss, or the underworld.
- 11:8 Greek the great city.
- 11:15 Or his Messiah.
- 12:10a Or his Messiah.
- 12:10b Greek brothers.
- 12:14 Greek the serpent; also in 12:15. See 12:9.
- 12:18 Greek Then he took his stand; some manuscripts read Then I took my stand. Some translations put this entire sentence into 13:1.
- 13:6 Some manuscripts read and his dwelling and all who dwell in heaven.
- 13:8 Or not written in the Book of Life before the world was made—the Book that belongs to the Lamb who was slaughtered.
- 13:18a Or of humanity.
- 13:18b Some manuscripts read 616.
- 14:4a Greek They are virgins who have not defiled themselves with women.
- 14:4b Greek as firstfruits.
- 14:14 Or like a son of man. See Dan 7:13. “Son of Man” is a title Jesus used for himself.
- 14:20 Greek 1,600 stadia [300 kilometers].
Revelation 6-14
New International Version
Revelation 6-14
New International Version
The Seals
6 I watched as the Lamb(A) opened the first of the seven seals.(B) Then I heard one of the four living creatures(C) say in a voice like thunder,(D) “Come!” 2 I looked, and there before me was a white horse!(E) Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown,(F) and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.(G)
3 When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature(H) say, “Come!” 4 Then another horse came out, a fiery red one.(I) Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth(J) and to make people kill each other. To him was given a large sword.
5 When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature(K) say, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a black horse!(L) Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. 6 Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures,(M) saying, “Two pounds[a] of wheat for a day’s wages,[b] and six pounds[c] of barley for a day’s wages,[d](N) and do not damage(O) the oil and the wine!”
7 When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature(P) say, “Come!” 8 I looked, and there before me was a pale horse!(Q) Its rider was named Death, and Hades(R) was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.(S)
9 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under(T) the altar(U) the souls of those who had been slain(V) because of the word of God(W) and the testimony they had maintained. 10 They called out in a loud voice, “How long,(X) Sovereign Lord,(Y) holy and true,(Z) until you judge the inhabitants of the earth(AA) and avenge our blood?”(AB) 11 Then each of them was given a white robe,(AC) and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters,[e] were killed just as they had been.(AD)
12 I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake.(AE) The sun turned black(AF) like sackcloth(AG) made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, 13 and the stars in the sky fell to earth,(AH) as figs drop from a fig tree(AI) when shaken by a strong wind. 14 The heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up,(AJ) and every mountain and island was removed from its place.(AK)
15 Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and everyone else, both slave and free,(AL) hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains.(AM) 16 They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us(AN) and hide us[f] from the face of him who sits on the throne(AO) and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day(AP) of their[g] wrath has come, and who can withstand it?”(AQ)
144,000 Sealed
7 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners(AR) of the earth, holding back the four winds(AS) of the earth to prevent(AT) any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree. 2 Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal(AU) of the living God.(AV) He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea:(AW) 3 “Do not harm(AX) the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads(AY) of the servants of our God.” 4 Then I heard the number(AZ) of those who were sealed: 144,000(BA) from all the tribes of Israel.
5 From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed,
from the tribe of Reuben 12,000,
from the tribe of Gad 12,000,
6 from the tribe of Asher 12,000,
from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000,
from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000,
7 from the tribe of Simeon 12,000,
from the tribe of Levi 12,000,
from the tribe of Issachar 12,000,
8 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
9 After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language,(BB) standing before the throne(BC) and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes(BD) and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice:
11 All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders(BG) and the four living creatures.(BH) They fell down on their faces(BI) 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!”(BJ)
13 Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes(BK)—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(BL) and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.(BM) 15 Therefore,
“they are before the throne of God(BN)
and serve him(BO) day and night in his temple;(BP)
and he who sits on the throne(BQ)
will shelter them with his presence.(BR)
16 ‘Never again will they hunger;
never again will they thirst.(BS)
The sun will not beat down on them,’[h]
nor any scorching heat.(BT)
17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne
will be their shepherd;(BU)
‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’[i](BV)
‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’[j]”(BW)
The Seventh Seal and the Golden Censer
8 When he opened the seventh seal,(BX) there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.
2 And I saw the seven angels(BY) who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them.(BZ)
3 Another angel,(CA) who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people,(CB) on the golden altar(CC) in front of the throne. 4 The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God(CD) from the angel’s hand. 5 Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar,(CE) and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder,(CF) rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.(CG)
The Trumpets
6 Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets(CH) prepared to sound them.
7 The first angel(CI) sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire(CJ) mixed with blood, and it was hurled down on the earth. A third(CK) of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.(CL)
8 The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a huge mountain,(CM) all ablaze, was thrown into the sea. A third(CN) of the sea turned into blood,(CO) 9 a third(CP) of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.
10 The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky(CQ) on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water(CR)— 11 the name of the star is Wormwood.[k] A third(CS) of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter.(CT)
12 The fourth angel sounded his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third(CU) of them turned dark.(CV) A third of the day was without light, and also a third of the night.(CW)
13 As I watched, I heard an eagle that was flying in midair(CX) call out in a loud voice: “Woe! Woe! Woe(CY) to the inhabitants of the earth,(CZ) because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels!”
9 The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth.(DA) The star was given the key(DB) to the shaft of the Abyss.(DC) 2 When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace.(DD) The sun and sky were darkened(DE) by the smoke from the Abyss.(DF) 3 And out of the smoke locusts(DG) came down on the earth and were given power like that of scorpions(DH) of the earth. 4 They were told not to harm(DI) the grass of the earth or any plant or tree,(DJ) but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads.(DK) 5 They were not allowed to kill them but only to torture them for five months.(DL) And the agony they suffered was like that of the sting of a scorpion(DM) when it strikes. 6 During those days people will seek death but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them.(DN)
7 The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle.(DO) On their heads they wore something like crowns of gold, and their faces resembled human faces.(DP) 8 Their hair was like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth.(DQ) 9 They had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle.(DR) 10 They had tails with stingers, like scorpions, and in their tails they had power to torment people for five months.(DS) 11 They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss,(DT) whose name in Hebrew(DU) is Abaddon(DV) and in Greek is Apollyon (that is, Destroyer).
12 The first woe is past; two other woes are yet to come.(DW)
13 The sixth angel sounded his trumpet, and I heard a voice coming from the four horns(DX) of the golden altar that is before God.(DY) 14 It said to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels(DZ) who are bound at the great river Euphrates.”(EA) 15 And the four angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released(EB) to kill a third(EC) of mankind.(ED) 16 The number of the mounted troops was twice ten thousand times ten thousand. I heard their number.(EE)
17 The horses and riders I saw in my vision looked like this: Their breastplates were fiery red, dark blue, and yellow as sulfur. The heads of the horses resembled the heads of lions, and out of their mouths(EF) came fire, smoke and sulfur.(EG) 18 A third(EH) of mankind was killed(EI) by the three plagues of fire, smoke and sulfur(EJ) that came out of their mouths. 19 The power of the horses was in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails were like snakes, having heads with which they inflict injury.
20 The rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent(EK) of the work of their hands;(EL) they did not stop worshiping demons,(EM) and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood—idols that cannot see or hear or walk.(EN) 21 Nor did they repent(EO) of their murders, their magic arts,(EP) their sexual immorality(EQ) or their thefts.
The Angel and the Little Scroll
10 Then I saw another mighty angel(ER) coming down from heaven.(ES) He was robed in a cloud, with a rainbow(ET) above his head; his face was like the sun,(EU) and his legs were like fiery pillars.(EV) 2 He was holding a little scroll,(EW) which lay open in his hand. He planted his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land,(EX) 3 and he gave a loud shout like the roar of a lion.(EY) When he shouted, the voices of the seven thunders(EZ) spoke. 4 And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write;(FA) but I heard a voice from heaven(FB) say, “Seal up what the seven thunders have said and do not write it down.”(FC)
5 Then the angel I had seen standing on the sea and on the land(FD) raised his right hand to heaven.(FE) 6 And he swore(FF) by him who lives for ever and ever,(FG) who created the heavens and all that is in them, the earth and all that is in it, and the sea and all that is in it,(FH) and said, “There will be no more delay!(FI) 7 But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet,(FJ) the mystery(FK) of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.”(FL)
8 Then the voice that I had heard from heaven(FM) spoke to me once more: “Go, take the scroll(FN) that lies open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.”
9 So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, “Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but ‘in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.’[l]”(FO) 10 I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth,(FP) but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour. 11 Then I was told, “You must prophesy(FQ) again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings.”(FR)
The Two Witnesses
11 I was given a reed like a measuring rod(FS) and was told, “Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, with its worshipers. 2 But exclude the outer court;(FT) do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles.(FU) They will trample on the holy city(FV) for 42 months.(FW) 3 And I will appoint my two witnesses,(FX) and they will prophesy for 1,260 days,(FY) clothed in sackcloth.”(FZ) 4 They are “the two olive trees”(GA) and the two lampstands, and “they stand before the Lord of the earth.”[m](GB) 5 If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies.(GC) This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die.(GD) 6 They have power to shut up the heavens(GE) so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying;(GF) and they have power to turn the waters into blood(GG) and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want.
7 Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast(GH) that comes up from the Abyss(GI) will attack them,(GJ) and overpower and kill them. 8 Their bodies will lie in the public square of the great city(GK)—which is figuratively called Sodom(GL) and Egypt—where also their Lord was crucified.(GM) 9 For three and a half days some from every people, tribe, language and nation(GN) will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial.(GO) 10 The inhabitants of the earth(GP) will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts,(GQ) because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth.
11 But after the three and a half days(GR) the breath[n] of life from God entered them,(GS) and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them. 12 Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.”(GT) And they went up to heaven in a cloud,(GU) while their enemies looked on.
13 At that very hour there was a severe earthquake(GV) and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the survivors were terrified and gave glory(GW) to the God of heaven.(GX)
14 The second woe has passed; the third woe is coming soon.(GY)
The Seventh Trumpet
15 The seventh angel sounded his trumpet,(GZ) and there were loud voices(HA) in heaven, which said:
“The kingdom of the world has become
the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah,(HB)
and he will reign for ever and ever.”(HC)
16 And the twenty-four elders,(HD) who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces(HE) and worshiped God, 17 saying:
“We give thanks(HF) to you, Lord God Almighty,(HG)
the One who is and who was,(HH)
because you have taken your great power
and have begun to reign.(HI)
18 The nations were angry,(HJ)
and your wrath has come.
The time has come for judging the dead,(HK)
and for rewarding your servants the prophets(HL)
and your people who revere your name,
both great and small(HM)—
and for destroying those who destroy the earth.”
19 Then God’s temple(HN) in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant.(HO) And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder,(HP) an earthquake and a severe hailstorm.(HQ)
The Woman and the Dragon
12 A great sign(HR) appeared in heaven:(HS) a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars(HT) on her head. 2 She was pregnant and cried out in pain(HU) as she was about to give birth. 3 Then another sign appeared in heaven:(HV) an enormous red dragon(HW) with seven heads(HX) and ten horns(HY) and seven crowns(HZ) on its heads. 4 Its tail swept a third(IA) of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth.(IB) The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child(IC) the moment he was born. 5 She gave birth to a son, a male child, who “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.”[o](ID) And her child was snatched up(IE) to God and to his throne. 6 The woman fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.(IF)
7 Then war broke out in heaven. Michael(IG) and his angels fought against the dragon,(IH) and the dragon and his angels(II) fought back. 8 But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. 9 The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent(IJ) called the devil,(IK) or Satan,(IL) who leads the whole world astray.(IM) He was hurled to the earth,(IN) and his angels with him.
10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven(IO) say:
“Now have come the salvation(IP) and the power
and the kingdom of our God,
and the authority of his Messiah.
For the accuser of our brothers and sisters,(IQ)
who accuses them before our God day and night,
has been hurled down.
11 They triumphed over(IR) him
by the blood of the Lamb(IS)
and by the word of their testimony;(IT)
they did not love their lives so much
as to shrink from death.(IU)
12 Therefore rejoice, you heavens(IV)
and you who dwell in them!
But woe(IW) to the earth and the sea,(IX)
because the devil has gone down to you!
He is filled with fury,
because he knows that his time is short.”
13 When the dragon(IY) saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child.(IZ) 14 The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle,(JA) so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time,(JB) out of the serpent’s reach. 15 Then from his mouth the serpent(JC) spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent. 16 But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. 17 Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war(JD) against the rest of her offspring(JE)—those who keep God’s commands(JF) and hold fast their testimony about Jesus.(JG)
The Beast out of the Sea
13 The dragon[p] stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea.(JH) It had ten horns and seven heads,(JI) with ten crowns on its horns, and on each head a blasphemous name.(JJ) 2 The beast I saw resembled a leopard,(JK) but had feet like those of a bear(JL) and a mouth like that of a lion.(JM) The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority.(JN) 3 One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed.(JO) The whole world was filled with wonder(JP) and followed the beast. 4 People worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, “Who is like(JQ) the beast? Who can wage war against it?”
5 The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies(JR) and to exercise its authority for forty-two months.(JS) 6 It opened its mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven.(JT) 7 It was given power to wage war(JU) against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And it was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation.(JV) 8 All inhabitants of the earth(JW) will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life,(JX) the Lamb(JY) who was slain from the creation of the world.[q](JZ)
9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.(KA)
10 “If anyone is to go into captivity,
into captivity they will go.
If anyone is to be killed[r] with the sword,
with the sword they will be killed.”[s](KB)
This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness(KC) on the part of God’s people.(KD)
The Beast out of the Earth
11 Then I saw a second beast, coming out of the earth.(KE) It had two horns like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon.(KF) 12 It exercised all the authority(KG) of the first beast on its behalf,(KH) and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast,(KI) whose fatal wound had been healed.(KJ) 13 And it performed great signs,(KK) even causing fire to come down from heaven(KL) to the earth in full view of the people. 14 Because of the signs(KM) it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived(KN) the inhabitants of the earth.(KO) It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived.(KP) 15 The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship(KQ) the image to be killed.(KR) 16 It also forced all people, great and small,(KS) rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads,(KT) 17 so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark,(KU) which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.(KV)
18 This calls for wisdom.(KW) Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man.[t](KX) That number is 666.
The Lamb and the 144,000
14 Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb,(KY) standing on Mount Zion,(KZ) and with him 144,000(LA) who had his name and his Father’s name(LB) written on their foreheads.(LC) 2 And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters(LD) and like a loud peal of thunder.(LE) The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps.(LF) 3 And they sang a new song(LG) before the throne and before the four living creatures(LH) and the elders.(LI) No one could learn the song except the 144,000(LJ) who had been redeemed from the earth. 4 These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they remained virgins.(LK) They follow the Lamb wherever he goes.(LL) They were purchased from among mankind(LM) and offered as firstfruits(LN) to God and the Lamb. 5 No lie was found in their mouths;(LO) they are blameless.(LP)
The Three Angels
6 Then I saw another angel flying in midair,(LQ) and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth(LR)—to every nation, tribe, language and people.(LS) 7 He said in a loud voice, “Fear God(LT) and give him glory,(LU) because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made(LV) the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.”(LW)
8 A second angel followed and said, “‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great,’[u](LX) which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries.”(LY)
9 A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast(LZ) and its image(MA) and receives its mark on their forehead(MB) or on their hand, 10 they, too, will drink the wine of God’s fury,(MC) which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath.(MD) They will be tormented with burning sulfur(ME) in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment will rise for ever and ever.(MF) There will be no rest day or night(MG) for those who worship the beast and its image,(MH) or for anyone who receives the mark of its name.”(MI) 12 This calls for patient endurance(MJ) on the part of the people of God(MK) who keep his commands(ML) and remain faithful to Jesus.
13 Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord(MM) from now on.”
“Yes,” says the Spirit,(MN) “they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.”
Harvesting the Earth and Trampling the Winepress
14 I looked, and there before me was a white cloud,(MO) and seated on the cloud was one like a son of man[v](MP) with a crown(MQ) of gold on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. 15 Then another angel came out of the temple(MR) and called in a loud voice to him who was sitting on the cloud, “Take your sickle(MS) and reap, because the time to reap has come, for the harvest(MT) of the earth is ripe.” 16 So he who was seated on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested.
17 Another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle.(MU) 18 Still another angel, who had charge of the fire, came from the altar(MV) and called in a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, “Take your sharp sickle(MW) and gather the clusters of grapes from the earth’s vine, because its grapes are ripe.” 19 The angel swung his sickle on the earth, gathered its grapes and threw them into the great winepress of God’s wrath.(MX) 20 They were trampled in the winepress(MY) outside the city,(MZ) and blood(NA) flowed out of the press, rising as high as the horses’ bridles for a distance of 1,600 stadia.[w]
Footnotes
- Revelation 6:6 Or about 1 kilogram
- Revelation 6:6 Greek a denarius
- Revelation 6:6 Or about 3 kilograms
- Revelation 6:6 Greek a denarius
- Revelation 6:11 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family; also in 12:10; 19:10.
- Revelation 6:16 See Hosea 10:8.
- Revelation 6:17 Some manuscripts his
- Revelation 7:16 Isaiah 49:10
- Revelation 7:17 Isaiah 49:10
- Revelation 7:17 Isaiah 25:8
- Revelation 8:11 Wormwood is a bitter substance.
- Revelation 10:9 Ezek. 3:3
- Revelation 11:4 See Zech. 4:3,11,14.
- Revelation 11:11 Or Spirit (see Ezek. 37:5,14)
- Revelation 12:5 Psalm 2:9
- Revelation 13:1 Some manuscripts And I
- Revelation 13:8 Or written from the creation of the world in the book of life belonging to the Lamb who was slain
- Revelation 13:10 Some manuscripts anyone kills
- Revelation 13:10 Jer. 15:2
- Revelation 13:18 Or is humanity’s number
- Revelation 14:8 Isaiah 21:9
- Revelation 14:14 See Daniel 7:13.
- Revelation 14:20 That is, about 180 miles or about 300 kilometers
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.