The Scroll with Seven Seals and the Lamb

And I saw in the right hand of the one who is seated on the throne a scroll, written inside and on the back, sealed up with seven seals. And I saw a powerful angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to break its seals?” And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it. And I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. And one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! Behold, the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.

And I saw in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures and in the midst of the elders a Lamb standing as though slaughtered, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent into all the earth. And he came and took the scroll[a] from the right hand of the one who was seated on the throne. And when he took the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one of whom had a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they were singing a new song, saying,

“You are worthy to take the scroll
    and to open its seals,
because you were slaughtered,
    and bought people for God by your blood
    from every tribe and language and people and nation,
10 and made them a kingdom and priests to our God,
    and they will reign on the earth.”

11 And I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and of the living creatures and of the elders, and their number was ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands times thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice,

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered
    to receive power and riches
    and wisdom and strength
    and honor and glory and praise!”

13 And I heard every creature that is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and in the sea and everything in them saying,

“To the one who is seated on the throne and to the Lamb
    be praise and honor and glory and power[b]
    forever and ever[c].”

14 And the four living creatures were saying, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 5:7 A very few less important manuscripts supply the words “the scroll” here; in Greek the direct object (“the scroll”) is frequently understood anyway and must be supplied in the English translation
  2. Revelation 5:13 Or “sovereignty”
  3. Revelation 5:13 Literally “for the ages of the ages”