Revelation 19:1-10
New English Translation
19 After these things I heard what sounded like the loud voice of a vast throng in heaven, saying,
“Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God,
2 because his judgments are true and just.[a]
For he has judged[b] the great prostitute
who corrupted the earth with her sexual immorality,
and has avenged the blood of his servants[c] poured out by her own hands!”[d]
3 Then[e] a second time the crowd shouted, “Hallelujah!” The smoke rises from her forever and ever.[f] 4 The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures threw themselves to the ground[g] and worshiped God, who was seated on the throne, saying: “Amen! Hallelujah!”
5 Then[h] a voice came from the throne, saying:
“Praise our God
all you his servants,
and all you who fear him,
both the small and the great!”
The Wedding Celebration of the Lamb
6 Then[i] I heard what sounded like the voice of a vast throng, like the roar of many waters and like loud crashes of thunder. They were shouting:[j]
“Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God,[k] the All-Powerful,[l] reigns!
7 Let us rejoice[m] and exult
and give him glory,
because the wedding celebration of the Lamb has come,
and his bride has made herself ready.
8 She was permitted to be dressed in bright, clean, fine linen”[n] (for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints).[o]
9 Then[p] the angel[q] said to me, “Write the following: Blessed are those who are invited to the banquet at the wedding celebration of the Lamb!” He also said to me, “These are the true words of God.” 10 So[r] I threw myself down[s] at his feet to worship him, but[t] he said, “Do not do this![u] I am only[v] a fellow servant[w] with you and your brothers and sisters[x] who hold to the testimony about[y] Jesus. Worship God, for the testimony about Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Revelation 19:2 tn Compare the similar phrase in Rev 16:7.
- Revelation 19:2 tn Or “has punished.” See BDAG 568 s.v. κρίνω 5.b.α, describing the OT background which involves both the vindication of the innocent and the punishment of the guilty.
- Revelation 19:2 tn See the note on the word “servants” in 1:1.
- Revelation 19:2 tn Grk “from her hand” (referring to her responsibility in causing the blood of God’s followers to be shed).
- Revelation 19:3 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
- Revelation 19:3 tn Or “her smoke ascends forever and ever.”
- Revelation 19:4 tn Grk “creatures fell down.” BDAG 815 s.v. πίπτω 1.b.α.ב. has “fall down, throw oneself to the ground as a sign of devotion or humility, before high-ranking persons or divine beings.”
- Revelation 19:5 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
- Revelation 19:6 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
- Revelation 19:6 tn Grk “like the voice of a large crowd…saying.” Because of the complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation by supplying the words “They were.”
- Revelation 19:6 tc Several mss (א2 P 1611 2053 2344 MK lat) read “the Lord our God” (κύριος ὁ θεός ἡμῶν, kurios ho theos hēmōn). Other significant mss (A 1006 1841), however, omit the “our” (ἡμῶν). Further, certain mss (051 MA) omit “Lord” (κύριος), while others (including א*) change the order of the statement to “God our Lord” (ὁ θεός ὁ κύριος ἡμῶν). The expression “the Lord God, the All-Powerful” occurs in 6 other places in Revelation (1:8; 4:8; 11:17; 15:3; 16:7; 21:22) and the pronoun “our” is never used. Scribes familiar with the expression in this book, and especially with the frequent κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὁ παντοκράτωρ (kurios ho theos ho pantokratōr; “the Lord God, the All-Powerful”) in the OT Prophets (LXX; cf. Jer 39:19; Hos 12:6; Amos 3:13; 4:13; 5:8, 14, 15, 16, 27; 9:5, 6, 15; Nah 3:5; Zech 10:3), would naturally omit the pronoun. Its presence may have arisen due to liturgical motivations or to conform to the expression “our God” in 19:1, 5, but this seems much less likely than an aversion to using the pronoun here and only here in the Greek Bible in the fuller title κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὁ παντοκράτωρ.
- Revelation 19:6 tn On this word BDAG 755 s.v. παντοκράτωρ states, “the Almighty, All-Powerful, Omnipotent (One) only of God…(ὁ) κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὁ π.…Rv 1:8; 4:8; 11:17; 15:3; 16:7; 21:22…κύριος ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν ὁ π. Rv 19:6.”
- Revelation 19:7 tn This verb and the next two verbs are hortatory subjunctives (giving exhortations).
- Revelation 19:8 tn On the term translated “fine linen,” BDAG 185 s.v. βύσσινος states, “made of fine linen, subst. τὸ β. fine linen, linen garment…Rv 18:12…16; 19:8, 14.”
- Revelation 19:8 sn This phrase is treated as a parenthetical explanation by the author.
- Revelation 19:9 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
- Revelation 19:9 tn Grk “he”; the referent (the angel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Revelation 19:10 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the angel’s announcement.
- Revelation 19:10 tn Grk “I fell down at his feet.” BDAG 815 s.v. πίπτω 1.b.α.ב. has “fall down, throw oneself to the ground as a sign of devotion or humility, before high-ranking persons or divine beings.”
- Revelation 19:10 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
- Revelation 19:10 tn On the elliptical expression ὅρα μή (hora mē) BDAG 720 s.v. ὁράω B.2 states: “Elliptically…ὅρα μή (sc. ποιήσῃς) watch out! don’t do that! Rv 19:10; 22:9.”
- Revelation 19:10 tn The lowliness of a slave is emphasized in the Greek text with the emphatic position of σύνδουλος (sundoulos). The use of “only” helps to bring this nuance out in English.
- Revelation 19:10 tn Grk “fellow slave.” See the note on the word “servants” in v. 2.
- Revelation 19:10 tn The Greek term “brother” literally refers to family relationships, but here it is used in a broader sense to connote familial relationships within the family of God (cf. BDAG 18 s.v. ἀδελφός 2.a).
- Revelation 19:10 tn The genitive ᾿Ιησοῦ (Iēsou) has been translated as an objective genitive here. A subjective genitive, also possible, would produce the meaning “who hold to what Jesus testifies.”
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