Revelation 15:1–17:18

Seven Angels With Seven Plagues

15 I saw in heaven another great and marvelous sign:b seven angelsc with the seven last plaguesd—last, because with them God’s wrath is completed. 2 And I saw what looked like a sea of glasse glowing with fire and, standing beside the sea, those who had been victoriousf over the beastg and its imageh and over the number of its name.i They held harpsj given them by God 3 and sang the song of God’s servantk Mosesl and of the Lamb:m

“Great and marvelous are your deeds,n

Lord God Almighty.o

Just and true are your ways,p

King of the nations.a

4 Who will not fear you, Lord,q

and bring glory to your name?r

For you alone are holy.

All nations will come

and worship before you,s

for your righteous actst have been revealed.”b

5 After this I looked, and I saw in heaven the templeu—that is, the tabernacle of the covenant lawv—and it was opened.w 6 Out of the templex came the seven angels with the seven plagues.y They were dressed in clean, shining linenz and wore golden sashes around their chests.a 7 Then one of the four living creaturesb gave to the seven angelsc seven golden bowls filled with the wrath of God, who lives for ever and ever.d 8 And the temple was filled with smokee from the glory of God and from his power, and no one could enter the templef until the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.

The Seven Bowls of God’s Wrath

16 Then I heard a loud voice from the templeg saying to the seven angels,h “Go, pour out the seven bowls of God’s wrath on the earth.”i

2 The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the land,j and ugly, festering soresk broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image.l

3 The second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it turned into blood like that of a dead person, and every living thing in the sea died.m

4 The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water,n and they became blood.o 5 Then I heard the angel in charge of the waters say:

“You are just in these judgments,p O Holy One,q

you who are and who were;r

6 for they have shed the blood of your holy people and your prophets,s

and you have given them blood to drinkt as they deserve.”

7 And I heard the altaru respond:

“Yes, Lord God Almighty,v

true and just are your judgments.”w

8 The fourth angelx poured out his bowl on the sun,y and the sun was allowed to scorch people with fire.z 9 They were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the name of God,a who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repentb and glorify him.c

10 The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast,d and its kingdom was plunged into darkness.e People gnawed their tongues in agony 11 and cursedf the God of heaveng because of their pains and their sores,h but they refused to repent of what they had done.i

12 The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates,j and its water was dried up to prepare the wayk for the kings from the East.l 13 Then I saw three impure spiritsm that looked like frogs;n they came out of the mouth of the dragon,o out of the mouth of the beastp and out of the mouth of the false prophet.q 14 They are demonic spiritsr that perform signs,s and they go out to the kings of the whole world,t to gather them for the battleu on the great dayv of God Almighty.

15 “Look, I come like a thief!w Blessed is the one who stays awakex and remains clothed, so as not to go naked and be shamefully exposed.”y

16 Then they gathered the kings togetherz to the place that in Hebrewa is called Armageddon.b

17 The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air,c and out of the templed came a loud voicee from the throne, saying, “It is done!”f 18 Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunderg and a severe earthquake.h No earthquake like it has ever occurred since mankind has been on earth,i so tremendous was the quake. 19 The great cityj split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. God rememberedk Babylon the Greatl and gave her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of his wrath.m 20 Every island fled away and the mountains could not be found.n 21 From the sky huge hailstones,o each weighing about a hundred pounds,a fell on people. And they cursed Godp on account of the plague of hail,q because the plague was so terrible.

Babylon, the Prostitute on the Beast

17 One of the seven angelsr who had the seven bowlss came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the punishmentt of the great prostitute,u who sits by many waters.v 2 With her the kings of the earth committed adultery, and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries.”w

3 Then the angel carried me away in the Spiritx into a wilderness.y There I saw a woman sitting on a scarletz beast that was covered with blasphemous namesa and had seven heads and ten horns.b 4 The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls.c She held a golden cupd in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries.e 5 The name written on her forehead was a mystery:f

babylon the greatg

the mother of prostitutesh

and of the abominations of the earth.

6 I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God’s holy people,i the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus.

When I saw her, I was greatly astonished. 7 Then the angel said to me: “Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the mysteryj of the woman and of the beast she rides, which has the seven heads and ten horns.k 8 The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and yet will come up out of the Abyssl and go to its destruction.m The inhabitants of the earthn whose names have not been written in the book of lifeo from the creation of the world will be astonishedp when they see the beast, because it once was, now is not, and yet will come.

9 “This calls for a mind with wisdom.q The seven headsr are seven hills on which the woman sits. 10 They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for only a little while. 11 The beast who once was, and now is not,s is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction.

12 “The ten hornst you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one houru will receive authority as kings along with the beast. 13 They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast.v 14 They will wage warw against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph overx them because he is Lord of lords and King of kingsy—and with him will be his called, chosenz and faithful followers.”

15 Then the angel said to me, “The watersa you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages.b 16 The beast and the ten hornsc you saw will hate the prostitute.d They will bring her to ruine and leave her naked;f they will eat her fleshg and burn her with fire.h 17 For God has put it into their heartsi to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to hand over to the beast their royal authority,j until God’s words are fulfilled.k 18 The woman you saw is the great cityl that rules over the kings of the earth.”