Revelation 11

The Two Witnesses

11I was given a reed like a measuring rod^s and was told, “Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, with its worshipers. ²But exclude the outer court;^t do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles.^u They will trample on the holy city^v for 42 months.^{w 3}And I will appoint my two witnesses,^x and they will prophesy for 1,260 days,^y clothed in sackcloth.”^{z 4}They are “the two olive trees”^a and the two lampstands, and “they stand before the Lord of the earth.”^{ab 5}If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies.^c This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die.^{d 6}They have power to shut up the heavens^e so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying;^f and they have power to turn the waters into blood^g and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want.

⁷Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast^h that comes up from the Abyssⁱ will attack them,^j and overpower and kill them. ⁸Their bodies will lie in the public square of the great city^k—which is figuratively called Sodom^l and Egypt—where also their Lord was crucified.^{m 9}For three and a half days some from every people, tribe, language and nationⁿ will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial.^{o 10}The inhabitants of the earth^p will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts,^q because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth.

¹¹But after the three and a half days^r the breath^b of life from God entered them,^s and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them. ¹²Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.”^t And they went up to heaven in a cloud,^u while their enemies looked on.

¹³At that very hour there was a severe earthquake^v and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the survivors were terrified and gave glory^w to the God of heaven.^x

¹⁴The second woe has passed; the third woe is coming soon.^y

The Seventh Trumpet

¹⁵The seventh angel sounded his trumpet,^z and there were loud voices^a in heaven, which said:

“The kingdom of the world has become

the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah,^b

and he will reign for ever and ever.”^c

¹⁶And the twenty-four elders,^d who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces^e and worshiped God, ¹⁷saying:

“We give thanks^f to you, Lord God Almighty,^g

the One who is and who was,^h

because you have taken your great power

and have begun to reign.ⁱ

¹⁸The nations were angry,^j

and your wrath has come.

The time has come for judging the dead,^k

and for rewarding your servants the prophets^l

and your people who revere your name,

both great and small^m—

and for destroying those who destroy the earth.”

¹⁹Then God’s templeⁿ in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant.^o And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder,^p an earthquake and a severe hailstorm.^q