American Standard Version of 1901
Versliste
I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast now made known unto me what we desired of thee; for thou hast made known unto us the king's matter.
behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, saith Jehovah, and I will send unto Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these nations round about; and I will {Hebrew: devote.}utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and a hissing, and perpetual desolations.
After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that no wind should blow on the earth, or on the sea, or upon any tree.
And I saw another angel ascend from the sunrising, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a great voice to the four angels to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,
saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we shall have sealed the {Or, bondservants}servants of our God on their foreheads.
And I heard the number of them that were sealed, a hundred and forty and four thousand, sealed out of every tribe of the children of Israel:
Of the tribe of Judah were sealed twelve thousand:Of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand;Of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand;
Of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand;Of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand;Of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand;
Of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand;Of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand;Of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand;
Of the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand;Of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand;Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.
After these things I saw, and behold, a great multitude, which no man could number, out of every nation and of all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, arrayed in white robes, and palms in their hands;
and they cry with a great voice, saying,Salvation unto our God who sitteth on the throne, and unto the Lamb.
And all the angels were standing round about the throne, and about the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God,
saying,Amen: {Greek: The blessing, and the glory &c.}Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might, be unto our God {Greek: unto the ages of ages.}for ever and ever. Amen.
And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, These that are arrayed in the white robes, who are they, and whence came they?
And I {Greek: have said.}say unto him, My lord, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they that come out of the great tribulation, and they washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Therefore are they before the throne of God; and they serve him day and night in his {Or, sanctuary}temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall spread his tabernacle over them.
They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun strike upon them, nor any heat:
for the Lamb that is in the midst {Or, before See chapter 4:6; compare 5:6.}of the throne shall be their shepherd, and shall guide them unto fountains of waters of life: and God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes.
And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: {Greek: saying.}and one said, Rise, and measure the {Or, sanctuary}temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.
And the court which is without the {Or, sanctuary}temple {Greek: cast without.}leave without, and measure it not; for it hath been given unto the {Or, Gentiles}nations: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.
And I will give unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
These are the two olive trees and the two {Greek: lampstands.}candlesticks, standing before the Lord of the earth.
And if any man desireth to hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth and devoureth their enemies; and if any man shall desire to hurt them, in this manner must he be killed.
These have the power to shut the heaven, that it rain not during the days of their prophecy: and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood, and to smite the earth with every plague, as often as they shall desire.
And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that cometh up out of the abyss shall make war with them, and overcome them, and kill them.
And their {Greek: carcase.}dead bodies lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified.
And from among the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations do men look upon their {Greek: carcase.}dead bodies three days and a half, and suffer not their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb.
And they that dwell on the earth rejoice over them, and make merry; and they shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwell on the earth.
And after the three days and a half the breath of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them that beheld them.
And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they went up into heaven in the cloud; and their enemies beheld them.
And in that hour there was a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell; and there were killed in the earthquake {Greek: names of men, seven thousand. Compare chapter 3:4.}seven thousand persons: and the rest were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.
The second Woe is past: behold, the third Woe cometh quickly.
And the seventh angel sounded; and there followed great voices in heaven, and they said,The kingdom of the world is become the kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ: and he shall reign {Greek: unto the ages of the ages}for ever and ever.
And the four and twenty elders, who sit before God on their thrones, fell upon their faces and worshipped God,
saying,We give thee thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who art and who wast; because thou hast taken thy great power, and didst reign.
And the nations were wroth, and thy wrath came, and the time of the dead to be judged, and the time to give their reward to thy {Greek: bondservants}servants the prophets, and to the saints, and to them that fear thy name, the small and the great; and to destroy them that destroy the earth.
And there was opened the {Or, sanctuary}temple of God that is in heaven; and there was seen in his {Or, sanctuary}temple the ark of his covenant; and there followed lightnings, and voices, and thunders, and an earthquake, and great hail.
Woe to the crown of pride of the drunkards of Ephraim, and to the fading flower of his glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fat valley of them that are {Hebrew: smitted down.}overcome with wine!
Behold, the Lord hath a mighty and strong one; as a tempest of hail, a destroying storm, as a tempest of mighty waters overflowing, will he cast down to the earth {Or, with violence}with the hand.
The crown of pride of the drunkards of Ephraim shall be trodden under foot:
and the fading flower of his glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fat valley, shall be as the first-ripe fig before the summer; which when he that looketh upon it seeth, while it is yet in his hand he eateth it up.
In that day will Jehovah of hosts become a crown of glory, and a diadem of beauty, unto the residue of his people;
and a spirit of justice to him that sitteth in judgment, and strength to them that turn back the battle {Or, to}at the gate.
And even these reel with wine, and stagger with strong drink; the priest and the prophet reel with strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they stagger with strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment.
For all tables are full of vomit and filthiness, so that there is no place clean.
{Or, Whom shall he teach…and whom shall he make…breasts. for &c.}Whom will he teach knowledge? and whom will he make to understand the {Or, report}message? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts?
For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept; {Or, rule}line upon line, line upon line; here a little, there a little.
{Or, For with stammering lips}Nay, but by men of strange lips and with another tongue will he speak to this people;
to whom he said, This is the rest, give ye rest to him that is weary; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.
Therefore shall the word of Jehovah be unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, there a little; that they may go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.
Wherefore hear the word of Jehovah, ye scoffers, that rule this people that is in Jerusalem:
Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us; for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:
therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah, Behold, I {Or, have laid}lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner-stone of sure foundation: he that believeth shall not be in haste.
And I will make justice the line, and righteousness the plummet; and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding-place.
And your covenant with death shall be annulled, and your agreement with Sheol shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it.
As often as it passeth though, it shall take you; for morning by morning shall it pass through, by day and by night: and it shall be nought but terror to understand the {Or, report}message.
For the bed is shorter than that a man can stretch himself on it; and the covering narrower than that he can wrap himself in it.
For Jehovah will rise up as in mount Perazim, he will be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon; that he may do his work, his strange work, and bring to pass his act, his strange act.
Now therefore be ye not scoffers, lest your bonds be made strong; for {Hebrew: destruction, and that decreed.}a decree of destruction have I heard from the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, upon the whole {Or, land}earth.
Give ye ear, and hear my voice; hearken, and hear my speech.
Doth he that ploweth to sow plow continually? doth he continually open and harrow his ground?
When he hath levelled the face thereof, doth he not cast abroad the {Or, black cumin (Nigella sativa)}fitches, and scatter the cummin, and put in the wheat in rows, and the barley in the appointed place, and the spelt in the border thereof?
{Or, And the traineth each of them aright; his God doth teach him}For his God doth instruct him aright, and doth teach him.
For the fitches are not threshed with a sharp threshing instrument, neither is a cart wheel turned about upon the cummin; but the fitches are beaten out with a staff, and the cummin with a rod.
{Or, Is bread grain crushed? Nay, he will not ever be threshing it, and driving his cart wheels and his horses over it; he doth not crush it}Bread grain is ground; for he will not be always threshing it: and though the wheel of his cart and his horses scatter it, he doth not grind it.
This also cometh forth from Jehovah of hosts, who is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in {Or, effectual working}wisdom.
The {Or, oracle concerning}burden of Moab.For {Or, in the night}in a night Ar of Moab is laid waste, and brought to nought; for {Or, in the night}in a night Kir of Moab is laid waste, and brought to nought.
{Or, Bayith and Dibon are gone up to the high places}They are gone up to {Or, the temple}Bayith, and to Dibon, to the high places, to weep: Moab waileth {Or, upon}over Nebo, and {Or, upon}over Medeba; on all their heads is baldness, every beard is cut off.
In their streets they gird themselves with sackcloth; on their housetops, and in their broad places, every one waileth, weeping abundantly.
And Heshbon crieth out, and Elealeh; their voice is heard even unto Jahaz: therefore the armed men of Moab cry aloud; his soul trembleth within him.
My heart crieth out for Moab; her {Or, as otherwise read, fugitives}nobles flee unto Zoar, {Or, as a heifer three years old}to Eglath-shelishi-yah: for by the ascent of Luhith with weeping they go up; for in the way of Horonaim they raise up a cry of destruction.
For the waters of Nimrim shall be {Hebrew: desolations.}desolate; for the grass is withered away, the tender grass faileth, there is no green thing.
Therefore the abundance they have gotten, and that which they have laid up, shall they carry away over the brook of the willows.
For the cry is gone round about the borders of Moab; the wailing thereof unto Eglaim, and the wailing thereof unto Beer-elim.
For the waters of Dimon are full of blood; for I will bring yet more upon Dimon, a lion upon them of Moab that escape, and upon the remnant of the land.
Ah, the land {Or, shadowing with wings}of the rustling of wings, which is beyond the rivers of {Hebrew: Cush.}Ethiopia;
that sendeth ambassadors by the sea, {Or, and}even in vessels of papyrus upon the waters, saying, Go, ye swift messengers, to a nation {Or, dragged away and peeled}tall and smooth, to a people terrible from their beginning onward, a nation {Or, meted out and trodden down Hebrew: of line, line, and of treading down.}that meteth out and treadeth down, whose land the rivers {Or, have despoiled}divide!
All ye inhabitants of the world, and ye dwellers on the earth, when an ensign is lifted up on the mountains, see ye; and when the trumpet is blown, hear ye.
For thus hath Jehovah said unto me, I will be still, and I will behold in my dwelling-place, like clear heat in sunshine, {Or, where there is}like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest.
For before the harvest, when the blossom is over, and the flower becometh a ripening grape, he will cut off the sprigs with pruning-hooks, and the spreading branches will he take away and cut down.
They shall be left together unto the ravenous birds of the mountains, and to the beasts of the earth; and the ravenous birds shall summer upon them, and all the beasts of the earth shall winter upon them.
In that time shall a present be brought unto Jehovah of hosts from a people {Or, dragged away and peeled}tall and smooth, even from a people terrible from their beginning onward, a nation that meteth out and treadeth down, whose land the rivers divide, to the place of the name of Jehovah of hosts, the mount Zion.
He sitteth in the lurking-places of the villages;In the secret places doth he murder the innocent;His eyes are privily set against the {Or, hapless}helpless.
And I saw, and behold, a pale horse: and he that sat upon him, his name was Death; and Hades followed with him. And there was given unto them authority over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with famine, and with {Or, pestilence Compare chapter 2:23 margin.}death, and by the wild beasts of the earth.
Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father it is your will to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and standeth not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. {Or, When one speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for his father also is a liar.}When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father thereof.
I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.
And he shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High; and he shall think to change the times and the law; and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and half a time.
And except those days had been shortened, no flesh would have been saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like unto a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.
And he exerciseth all the authority of the first beast in his sight. And he maketh the earth and them that dwell therein to {See marginal note on chapter 3:9}worship the first beast, whose death-stroke was healed.
And he doeth great signs, that he should even make fire to come down out of heaven upon the earth in the sight of men.
And he deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by reason of the signs which it was given him to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast who hath the stroke of the sword and lived.
And it was given unto him to give breath to it, even to the image of the breast, {Some ancient authorities read that even the image of the beast should speak;and he shall cause &c.}that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as should not {See marginal note on chapter 3:9}worship the image of the beast should be killed.
And he causeth all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free and the bond, that there be given them a mark on their right hand, or upon their forehead;
and that no man should be able to buy or to sell, save he that hath the mark, even the name of the beast or the number of his name.
And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, Come {Some ancient authorities add and see.}.
And I saw, and behold, a white horse, and he that sat thereon had a bow; and there was given unto him a crown: and he came forth conquering, and to conquer.
And when he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, Come {Some ancient authorities add and see.}.
And another horse came forth, a red horse: and to him that sat thereon it was given to take {Some ancient authorities read the peace of the earth.}peace from the earth, and that they should slay one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.
And when he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, Come {Some ancient authorities add and see.}. And I saw, and behold, a black horse; and he that sat thereon had a balance in his hand.
And I heard as it were a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, {Or, A choenix (i.e. about a quart) of wheat for a schilling - implying great scarcity. Compare Ezekiel 4:16 f., 5:16}A measure of wheat for a {See marginal note on Matthew 18:28.}shilling, and three measures of barley for a {See marginal note on Matthew 18:28.}shilling; and the oil and the wine hurt thou not.
And when he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, Come {Some ancient authorities add and see.}.
And I saw, and behold, a pale horse: and he that sat upon him, his name was Death; and Hades followed with him. And there was given unto them authority over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with famine, and with {Or, pestilence Compare chapter 2:23 margin.}death, and by the wild beasts of the earth.
And when he opened the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of them that had been slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
and they cried with a great voice, saying, How long, O Master, the holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
And there was given them to each one a white robe; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little time, until their fellow-servants also and their brethren, who should be killed even as they were, should {Some ancient authorities read be fulfilled in number. 2 Esdr. 4:36.}have fulfilled their course.
And I saw when he opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the whole moon became as blood;
and the stars of the heaven fell unto the earth, as a fig tree casteth her unripe figs when she is shaken of a great wind.
And the heaven was removed as a scroll when it is rolled up; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
And the kings of the earth, and the princes, and the {Or, military tribunes Greek: chiliarchs.}chief captains, and the rich, and the strong, and every bondman and freeman, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains;
and they say to the mountains and to the rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
for the great day of their wrath is come; and who is able to stand?
After these things I heard as it were a great voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying,Hallelujah; Salvation, and glory, and power, belong to our God:
for true and righteous are his judgments; for he hath judged the great harlot, her that corrupted the earth with her fornication, and he hath avenged the blood of his {Greek: bondservants.}servants at her hand.
And a second time they {Greek: have said.}say, Hallelujah. And her smoke goeth up {Greek: unto the ages of the ages.}for ever and ever.
And the four and twenty elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshipped God that sitteth on the throne, saying, Amen; Hallelujah.
And a voice came forth from the throne, saying,Give praise to our God, all ye his {Greek: bondservants.}servants, ye that fear him, the small and the great.
And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunders, saying,Hallelujah: for the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigneth.
Let us rejoice and be exceeding glad, and let us give the glory unto him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
And it was given unto her that she should array herself in fine linen, bright and pure: for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they that are bidden to the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are true words of God.
And I fell down before his feet to {See marginal note on chapter 3:9}worship him. And he saith unto me, See thou do it not: I am a fellow-servant with thee and with thy brethren that hold the testimony of Jesus: {See marginal note on chapter 3:9}worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
And I saw the heaven opened; and behold, a white horse, and he that sat thereon {Some ancient authorities omit called.}called Faithful and True; and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
And his eyes are a flame of fire, and upon his head are many diadems; and he hath a name written which no one knoweth but he himself.
And he is arrayed in a garment {Some ancient authorities read dipped in.}sprinkled with blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
And the armies which are in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and pure.
And out of his mouth proceedeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the {Greek: winepress of the wine of the fierceness.}winepress of the fierceness of the wrath of God, the Almighty.
And he hath on his garment and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
And I saw {Greek: one.}an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in mid heaven, Come and be gathered together unto the great supper of God;
that ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of {Or, military tribunes Greek: chiliarchs.}captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses and of them that sit thereon, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, and small and great.
And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat upon the horse, and against his army.
And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought the signs in his sight, wherewith he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast and them that {See marginal note on chapter 3:9}worshipped his image: they two were cast alive into the lake of fire that burneth with brimstone:
and the rest were killed with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, even the sword which came forth out of his mouth: and all the birds were filled with their flesh.
And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain {Greek: upon.}in his hand.
And he laid hold on the dragon, the old serpent, which is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years,
and cast him into the abyss, and shut it, and sealed it over him, that he should deceive the nations no more, until the thousand years should be finished: after this he must be loosed for a little time.
And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince who standeth for the children of thy people; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
for then shall be great tribulation, such as hath not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, nor ever shall be.
Behold, he cometh with the clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they that pierced him; and all the tribes of the earth shall mourn over him. Even so, Amen.
And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought the signs in his sight, wherewith he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast and them that {See marginal note on chapter 3:9}worshipped his image: they two were cast alive into the lake of fire that burneth with brimstone:
unto a dispensation of the fulness of the {Greek: seasons.}times, to sum up all things in Christ, the things {Greek: upon.}in the heavens, and the things upon the earth; in him, I say,
and I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called The city of righteousness, a faithful town.