The Seven Bowls of God’s Anger

16 Then I heard a loud voice from the temple speaking to the seven angels. “Go,” it said. “Pour out the seven bowls of God’s anger on the earth.”

2The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the land. Ugly and painful sores broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped his statue.

3The second angel poured out his bowl on the sea. It turned into blood like the blood of a dead person. Every living thing in the sea died.

4The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and on the springs of water. They became blood.

5Then I heard the angel who was in charge of the waters. He said,

“The way you judge is fair.

You are the Holy One.

You are the One who is and who was.

6 The beast’s worshipers have poured out the life’s blood of your people and your prophets.

So you have given those worshipers blood to drink.

That’s exactly what they should get.”

7Then I heard the altar reply,

“Lord God who rules over all,

the way you judge is true and fair.”

8The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun. The sun was allowed to burn people with fire. 9They were burned by the blazing heat. So they spoke evil things against the name of God, who controlled these plagues. But they refused to turn away from their sins. They did not give glory to God.

10The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast. The kingdom of the beast became very dark. People bit their tongues because they were suffering so much. 11They spoke evil things against the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores. But they refused to turn away from the sins they had committed.

12The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates. Its water dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the East.

13Then I saw three evil spirits that looked like frogs. They came out of the mouths of the dragon, the beast and the false prophet. 14They are spirits of demons performing miraculous signs. They go out to gather the kings of the whole world for battle. That battle will take place on the great day of the God who rules over all.

15“Look! I am coming like a thief! Blessed are those who stay awake and keep their clothes with them. They will not be caught naked. They will not be put to shame.”

16Then the evil spirits gathered the kings together. The place where the kings met is called Armageddon in the Hebrew language.

17The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air. Out of the temple came a loud voice from the throne. It said, “It is done!”

18Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, thunder and a powerful earthquake. There has never been an earthquake as terrible as this since man has lived on earth. 19The great city split into three parts. The cities of the nations crumbled and fell. God remembered Babylon the Great. He gave her the cup filled with the wine of his terrible anger.

20Every island ran away. The mountains could not be found. 21Huge hailstones of about 100 pounds each fell from the sky. The hail crushed people. They spoke evil things against God because the plague of hail was so terrible.